addresses Miles Morales' controversial new haircut, which has previously been called "stereotypical", through an optional in-game conversation.
Beyond the infamous image of Miles and Peter staring towards the camera that made up half of Spider-Man 2's marketing, Insomniac's next big Spidey game has surprisingly managed to stay mostly clear of controversy leading up to release. Well, note that I said mostly, as the reveal of Miles' new haircut in the game, a high-top dreadlock fade, was met with criticism due to🃏 the haircut being used for a lot of black characters in gaming over the past few year🌠s, such as Sargon from Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and 💟Phoenix from Valorant, to name a few.
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That overuse of the haircut has slowly made it look like the new default for black characters in gaming, which caused some fans to react negatively to it being picked for Miles' new haircut, especially after his Spider-Man: Miles Morales trim was received so positively. The new look for Miles hasn't been universally panned, but it is representative of the gaming industry's ongoing problem with representation for people of colour, especially when it comes to hairstyles.
Insomniac hasn't responded to the backlash, but it does at least address the subject and talk about Miles' new haircut within Spider-Man 2.
As you can see in the clip above, one mission within Spider-Man 2 sees Miles walking around during the day in between his usual Spider-Man responsibilities. While doing so, the player can interact with a few of the Harlem residents who previously appeared in Miles Morales. One of those people is Caleb, the owner of a barbershop called Caleb's Clean Cuts.
If Miles talks to him, Caleb will ask him how he likes his new locs, suggesting that he kept his promise from Miles Morales to give free haircuts to Spider-Man as thanks for helping him out. Miles will then reply that he likes his new look, but that it took Rio Morales a while to get used to them, which I'm trying not to take as a subtle wink from Insomniac.
Caleb will then laugh and tell Miles that he needs to keep twisting them, but that they're looking good, which Miles thanks him for and tells him that he'll see him around. It's only a short conversation between the two and one of the only nods to Miles' new look in the game, but it does go some way to referencing how Miles has changed in the time between Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Spider-Man 2.