Spider-Man and controversial costumes go hand-in-hand. A couple of years ago, the comics unveiled a blue, white, and orange suit to a resounding 'eh', while the MCU has long grappled with complaints about its suits, from the lack of texture of the base outfit to the gaudiness of the Iron Spider. Now, it's Insomniac's turn, as fans are torn over the new symbiote suit in Spider-Man 2.
Part of it is gooey and made up of tendrils, obviously, an alien organism writhing about as Peter Parker wears it, while other parts are armoured, like the shoulder pads, helmet, and back plating. It's almost like a mix of Venom, Agent Venom, and the original black costume from the comics. Some even think Peter is Venom in this story. But the mashup of styles isn't gelling with everyone.
Over on Twitter, someone immediately posted, "They even added complicated armor layouts to the alien flesh suits its joever". This has been a common complaint with superhero costumes over the years, especially in live-action, as the MCU has a tendency to add unnecessary detail, lines, and armour plating to its costumes. Given that the symbiote suit is known for simplicity, it's understandable that overcomplicating it would be so divisive.
However, one look at the quote retweets shows that not everyone agrees. "Still looks good tho ngl" @MarAbh999 tweeted.
"literally what is there to complain about im so lost" @luci8n said.
"I see the frustration but it kind of resembles the xenomorph exoskeletons to me and I think that's neat" @_Fabioso_ tweeted.
"Agent Venom vibes and you're telling me it's bad" @Gayb_alls said.
Others are more upset about what the symbiote suit stands for and its place in the story. It debuted in the original Secret Wars comic in which a group of Marvel characters are brought to a place in space called 'Battleworld', created by the Beyonder. Here, Peter finds a black suit that he assumes is simply futuristic tech that can he can immediately wear with his thoughts, but he later finds out it's an alien organism and so he tries to get rid of it.
In Spider-Man 2, much as with other modern adaptations, he's fully aware it's not just cloth, so the suit reflects that in its design. This opens the door for an interesting dynamic with Miles, but some are unhappy with the lack of comic accuracy.
Wherever you land, at least they didn't keep the symbiote suit as a surprise, eh?