Yuri Lowenthal, who provides the voice and mo-cap performance for Peter Parker in the “Marvel’s Spider-Man” games, is seemingly done talking about his character’s physical alteration.
Insomniac Games’ “Marvel’s Spider-Man” was released in 2018 to rave reviews and tens of millions of copies sold. In 2020, Insomniac updated the game with the ‘Remastered Edition’ to include improved models and materials, ray-traced reflections, ambient shadows, new weather systems and more.
This included higher fidelity characters. Yet for some reason, they opted to change the Peter character’s face – replacing rising actor John Bubniak, who has a Krasinski/Gyllenhaal-esque look, with that of model Ben Jordan who bears a striking resemblance to Spider-Man movie actor Tom Holland at some angles.
Oddly, no other actors saw their faces replaced, the company saying Jordan was a better match for Lowenthal’s facial capture resulting in better facial animation.
It’s still a topic of conversation all these years later, some have never gotten over the change. Lowenthal, speaking with ComicBook.com ahead of the sequel’s release, says:
“The performance was the same for me. I got over it as soon as they said ‘Hey, we wanna make this change so that the facial animation is better.’ I said ‘I’m all in!’ I don’t care if he looks like a goblin, if my performance is better, than I’m in.
I’m kind of tired of talking about it to be honest, because I think everything that needs to be said has been said. Some people will take longer to get over it, some people will never get over it.
The one positive thing I take away from this experience is that people connected emotionally so hard and so deeply in the first game that they’re mad when they feel that person changes.
I can only be so mad about that because it worked, not the change thing, but you connected with the character which is great. Now, get over it!”
Bubniak’s face remains on the old 2018 copies of the game, but Jordan’s face has been the one used for the ‘Remastered’ edition, “Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” the PC versions of both games, and will be used throughout the upcoming “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”.
“Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” will release on October 20th for PS5.
