Posted in: Games, Interview, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Video Games | Tagged: marvel, spider-man, Stephen Oyoung

Interview: Stephen Oyoung Talks Returning To Marvel's Spider-Man 2

We had a chance to chat with actor Stephen Oyoung about reprising his villainous role of Mister Negative in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

With Insomniac Games releasing Marvel's Spider-Man 2, we now have a better picture of the villains who have returned, specifically Mister Negative, played by Stephen Oyoung. The actor made a surprise return to the sequel, reprising his former role of the first game's main villain, much to the delight of those who enjoyed the first game. We had a chance to chat with Stephen about the role and the work he put into it the first time around and in the new game.

BC: Hey Stephen, first off, how's things been going for you lately?

SO: Things have been good! At the beginning of the year, I was able to be on some great television and movie projects. But obviously the big news this year is the strike, which I'm happy to be part of. It's high time we fight for a fair contract for performers.

Last year, you had two games come out as you were KK in Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the Red Hood in Gotham Knights. How was it seeing both those games come out and getting a look at the final product?

I had a great time working on both, even with the challenges of COVID restrictions at the time. Certainly memorable experiences. With Ghostwire, I enjoyed the dynamic between KK and Akito, acting as that tough inner voice that's sometimes at odds with him, but always pushing him forward along the story, to finally finding peace. And, of course, speaking as a huge Batman fan, becoming part of the DC Universe as Red Hood was another dream come true. We knew they were aiming for something ambitious with four different stories in one game. I enjoyed sitting down and watching each of the Knights' story arcs come together. I think our chemistry as a cast really showed through. All credit to the narrative team at WB Montreal!

Getting to the topic at hand, years ago, how did you land the role of Mister Negative in the first Spider-Man game?

I remember getting the audition during a time when I was transitioning from stunts to strictly acting. I had years of mocap experience under my belt but never a starring or voice-over role. So this was a big deal for me. I didn't know we were even auditioning for something as big as the Spider-Man franchise, and I didn't know it was Mister Negative. All I knew was the initial character breakdown felt like a mirror in some ways to my own journey in the business. He was an Asian-American martial artist crime boss who could do his own fighting/stunts. Who wouldn't want to play that? We auditioned at Sony Studios, where they shot the God of War series. It can be an intimidating space because it's so quiet with all the sound deadening, like a giant sensory deprivation tank. The Insomniac creative team introduced themselves, and I remember feeling like these were just the nicest people. But I was the first that morning to go up, so I was pretty nervous. We jumped right into the audition. I was so relieved the scene went well that in my excitement, I broke character and yelled, "I defy you to find someone better!" Thankfully, the team laughed and ended up hiring me. The rest is history.

This version of him is a change of pace from the comic book version. How was it for you to essentially make this version your own?

There was freedom in not being tied down to or influenced by other adaptations. I had a lot of fun exploring what direction we would go with Mister Negative. In the beginning, Mister Negative was envisioned as more of an intro character to beat. So he was pretty evil—just a nasty gangster. But then Insomniac bumped him up and made him more integral to the story. We leaned into his altruistic side and his struggle, too, and he became more three-dimensional. More sympathetic. They were clear this was going to be an original take on the character. So it was exhilarating to be the face of what was essentially a new character in this huge franchise.

What did you think of the reaction to your rendition of the character when it was released?

I'm blown away by how the fandom has embraced Martin Li. I remember when the story trailer was first shown at San Diego Comic-Con, Hall H, and how there was dead silence when Mister Negative was announced. People just didn't know who he was. I saw the comments on social media. Who is this Asian guy in a suit? He's the bad guy? And now, four years later, people know him. They're excited for his return. That's a 180; it's very gratifying to see.

How did you find out you were being brought back for the second game?

Insomniac had emailed my reps about the possibility of coming back. It must have been sometime around 2020, 2021? And then I didn't hear anything for some time. I just remember being in a state of suspense for a bit as they didn't specify the scope of his return or if it was even a certainty! Even after I signed on for the next game, there was so much secrecy in the development that I only felt like Martin's return was real once I physically stepped foot on that Sony stage again.

Obviously, you can't give away the plot, but what changes and nuances did you make to the character in your performance so he didn't feel like a rehash of the previous game?

Some time has passed in the story and in real life, too. Practically speaking, we shot during COVID, so the whole world was different. There's a world-weariness to Martin. He's been in the Raft. He's been defeated. He's dealing with the guilt springing from the havoc he wrought on the city. He's like a caged lion. Tired, weakened, but still dangerous. Is he truly tamed? That's a whole different energy from the first game.

What was it like returning to the role and playing him the second time around?

I jump at any chance to work with the Insomniac team. I always have such a great time. So, of course, it was fun, first and foremost. Truth be told, it's a little bittersweet because I wish we could just keep shooting these stories forever and ever without end. It's also a bit like the Twilight Zone because you come back and get to do things you wanted to do but maybe didn't have the chance to way back when, for whatever reason. Add colors, flesh out the character. Like going to your past with all the knowledge you know now. It was pretty cathartic.

Have you seen the final game yet? What are your thoughts on the story and your overall role this time around?

I haven't seen the full game, so I'll be like everyone else, watching it with fresh eyes. But Bryan Intihar did show us breakdowns of the whole story, and I was consistently blown away by the sheer scale of this game. It's just big. In every way, story, character, action. It really makes you feel like…you get it. And how Martin fits into the overall story is surprising and also very satisfying.

What have you got in the works that you can talk about?

Those pesky NDAs! I can say that I'm part of a huge new game IP that will be announced in the future. We're shooting now, and I couldn't be more excited!

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