Sometimes, products and their placement in entertainment go together like peanut butter and jelly, a cool drink on a warm summer day, or E.T. and Reese’s Pieces. Symbiosis is good — unless it feels alien, like Venom. When Insomniac Games gave Miles Morales a Spider-Man costume inspired by an Adidas tracksuit in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, gamers reacted as if someone had put sardines on their s’mores and an Ovaltine ad in their decoder ring.
I don’t have a problem with the “Adidas outfit” in spider-man 2 PS5 itself. But how it was placed, it’s the most important mission and he looks like an ad lmao?
If this was earned from a challenge or something it’s whatever. He literally has his style and they did him dirty imo pic.twitter.com/tgXfYCJrMy
— Pyo 5️⃣ (@mrpyo1) November 3, 2023
But it turns out it wasn’t just those holding the game-controllers offended by the outfit. The voice actor of Miles Morales in the game had his own problems with the Adidas suit.
The Voice Actor Speaks Out
The “Evolved Suit” for Miles Morales was the result of a partnership between Insomniac Games and Adidas. In 2023 the sportswear brand announced the collaboration, mentioning that the in-game citizens of New York would be seen wearing their merchandise. Nothing was said about Miles Morales and Adidas at the time.
Miles Morales and Spider-Man in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Insomniac Games
Senior director of market strategy and partnerships at Adidas, Shane Jocham, added, “The connection between Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and this collection is so special and allowed us to really play with so many design aspects of Marvel’s New York, on apparel and in game.”
Adidas also launched a footwear line inspired by Spider-Man and Venom. But all anyone was talking about was Miles Morales in Adidas.
Miles Morales in the Adidas Evolved Suit in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – YouTube, Dan Allen Gaming
Redditor /u/JaMoraht recently posted in the /r/SpidermanPS4 subreddit that while at the Canadian Fan Expo he had a chance to ask Miles Morales voice actor Nadji Jeter about the Adidas costume.
“He doesn’t like the suit either and kind of blames Adidas for it happening.” He also expressed displeasure with Miles’ haircut, explaining that he thought it made a secret identity impossible.
Playing Games
In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the game’s increased emphasis on Miles Morales—Adidas suit aside—sparked some debate. YouTube personality Endymion noted on X, “Peter is over here dealing with the symbiote while Miles is helping his school mates with their POC assignments & whatever other slop Insomniac’s writers could think of.”
Making Miles Morales be the one to defeat Venom & Harry, a character Miles meets ONCE at a fair & has ONE phone call with in the entire game while Peter lays defeated was retarded, I’m not sorry.
Peter is over here dealing with the symbiote while Miles is helping his school…
— Endymion (@EndymionYT) June 18, 2025
Overall, however, it was Miles Morales in the Adidas Evolved Suit that dominated the conversation. News site Dexerto bemoaned the fact, saying, “Unfortunately, this suit has fallen flat for a lot of players. It’s a shame because it comes at a defining moment for Miles in the story of him establishing his own identity. However, as with many things with iconic characters, it can take some time for new things to grow on fans. Here’s hoping in time, this suit can be accepted more widely.”
A Line as Thin as a Spider’s Web
Ever since 1984, when the FCC deregulated advertising in children’s entertainment and paved the way for half-hour long toy commercials like Transformers, the line between story and sales pitch has gotten thinner. Is Miles Morales selling Adidas—or is Adidas selling Spider-Man? The answer seems to be yes. But is this a symbiotic relationship?
Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Insomniac Games
The problem gamers seem to have is when the brand overwhelms the character, like Venom or Adidas overcoming Spider-Man. As former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg famously said, “Character is king.” When Miles Morales is put in an Adidas costume that doesn’t ring true to the fans’ sense of the character, if they feel he’s being made subservient to the demands of marketers, they object. Now, even the voice actor agrees.
Swinging Ahead
With Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 confirmed, and rumored to be in early production, it will be interesting to see what brand deals Insomniac Games can make, and if Miles Morales ditches Adidas for something more appealing to gamers.
Miles Morales in the Adidas Evolved Suit in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – YouTube, Dan Allen Gaming
When /u/JaMoraht asked what might happen in future games, Jeter reportedly laughed and said he was pretty sure they were going back to the original suit.
Did the Evolved Suit bother you? Sound off in the comments!
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How would that gay-ass mask stay on? It’s only purpose is to showcase his dreads to prove he’s black. Wouldn’t it start to slide down his face when he’s slinging along Lexington Ave.?
Any gratuitous race swap to DEI gets automatic low scores / backlash from me.
I was ready to like Miles until the writers undermined Peter giving all the glory and success to Miles.
If Miles were in his own universe, fine, let him be the hero every single time. But these recent incarnations puff up Miles at the expense of Peter.
As for the suit? What do people expect? When things get popular brand deals are inevitable. I wish it weren’t so but… it is what it is. That’s why every fracking arena now has digital signage banding every tier of the seating. Like Nature, Ads find a way…
This is the ultimate fate of all DEI characters like Miles.
Is it me or does that miles adidas suit look like ghost spiders Gwen Stacey spider suit?
Miles Morales is Miles Morales.