In case you hadn’t heard, Sony and Insomniac Games revealed a first look at Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered yesterday via a new trailer, and while what was shown was certainly pretty, the lion’s share of attention since its release has been squarely on Peter Parker’s new look. As a result of the developer’s desire to cast a face model whose appearance better suited voice actor Yuri Lowenthal’s performance, Insomniac made the unprecedented decision to replace John Bubinak – as seen in the original PS4 version – with Ben Jordan.
Without delay, fans have been sharing their own thoughts on the controversial change online, with many pointing out similarities between Jordan’s fresher-faced Parker and that of Tom Holland, who currently plays Marvel’s beloved superhero on the big screen. Whether you believe that outcome is better or worse lies firmly in the realm of subjectivity, of course, though this younger-looking version certainly gives rise to some potential in-universe inconsistencies.
As pointed out by user Smuggy177013 over on Twitter, the facelift has resulted in Parker looking far too young to have already been serving as New York’s protector for a solid decade.
I hate to nitpick but I absolutely HATE this face model re-design.
PS4 Spider-Man actually looked like someone who’s been Spider-Man for 10 years while the remaster is just Tom Holland if he looked his actual age. pic.twitter.com/RgKckhLMyW
— Smuggy says #RestoreTheSnyderVerse (@IsSmuggy) September 30, 2020
Tom Holland’s as PS4 Spider-Man pic.twitter.com/uvXMTOEiKz
— 🖤Kierran ❤️ (@luna_pocalypse) September 30, 2020
The issue is compounded even further when taking into account this year’s upcoming sequel. As a protégé of Parker, Miles Morales is traditionally portrayed as being much younger than his teacher, still being a teenager by the time the two meet. In this case, however, Miles now looks to be of similar age, if not older, than his mentor.
https://twitter.com/HiltonGoode/status/1311361680224518147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1311361680224518147%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnews%2F2555903%2Fthe-internet-has-thoughts-about-spider-man-game-swapping-lead-to-look-like-tom-holland-for-ps5
Others think the comparisons to Tom Holland have missed the mark and that Ben Jordan’s Parker actually looks more like The Good Doctor‘s Shaun Murphy, played by Freddie Highmore.
https://twitter.com/buppysurprise/status/1311369296967340032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1311369296967340032%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemablend.com%2Fnews%2F2555903%2Fthe-internet-has-thoughts-about-spider-man-game-swapping-lead-to-look-like-tom-holland-for-ps5
Clearly eager to take some heat off Insomniac following the reveal, Yuri Lowenthal has joined the conversation as well, blaming the “stupid bones” in his face as the reason for the studio having to replace Bubinak.
Guys. It’s my face’s fault. The stupid stupid bones in my face. Blame my bones. https://t.co/VUES1jQLC5
— Yuri MaybeStillStrikingthal (@YuriLowenthal) September 30, 2020
And below, you can find a few more reactions for good measure:
Imagine getting the call from your agent saying your face isn't good enough for next-gen graphics. https://t.co/B0sKg0RrRs
— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) September 30, 2020
Wait a minute? WTF happened? Insomniac completely replaced Peter Parker for the remaster of Spider-man? pic.twitter.com/t1WJHFT7AK
— Puertorock77 (@Puertorock77_) September 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/micahdherman_/status/1311388529230901248
I didn't like the way Peter Parker looked in Spider-Man and I don't like the way he looks in the remaster either. Can't they make him look the way he does in the comics? It can't be that hard. https://t.co/V0kk1OvAe7
— Tony Polanco (@Romudeth) September 30, 2020
Insomniac is changing the face of Peter Parker for the PS5 remaster of Spider-man. 2020 just keeps getting worse. pic.twitter.com/3adipWuGq9
— 𝓓𝖗. 𝓦𝖔𝖑𝖋𝖚𝖑𝘼 🌖 (@DoctorWolfula) September 30, 2020
Definitely one of the most unexpected developments in the gaming world as of late, then, and one that will take time to win back fans of the original. For those who’ve yet to play Marvel’s Spider-Man, however, this is all largely going to be of little consequence.
The remaster will be available next month, November 12th, exclusively in Ultimate Editions of Sequel Miles Morales.
