Profile | Spider-Man, Marvel films, martial arts – what next for Stephen Oyoung? Asian-American actor on video-game fame and his villain role, and AI in gaming

Stephen Oyoung has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade yet his best-known role is not in a television series or a movie, but in a video game

He talks about his role as a Spider-Man villain who is ‘supposed to be a bad guy’ but is ‘remorseful. He’s done some bad things’, and AI in video gaming

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Asian-American actor Stephen Oyoung always wanted to make it big on the big screen, but his best known role to date is in a bestselling video game. Photo: Stephen Oyoung

Published: 5:15pm, 29 Dec 2023

For over a decade, Stephen Oyoung has had small parts in television shows – Scandal, NCIS, Magnum PI – and a steady career as a stunt actor and martial arts trainer to celebrities such as Keanu Reeves.

The genre that he is best known for, however, is video games – an animated version of him features in a popular series.

Oyoung is Martin Li, also known as Mister Negative, in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which was released in late October 2023. He reprises his role from 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man game, which sold 3.3 million units in its first three days.

“It’s super popular, and the fastest-selling video game on the [PlayStation] platform,” says Oyoung via a Zoom call from his Los Angeles home.

Mister Negative in the “Marvel’s Spider-Man” video game. Photo: Insomniac Games

“I always wanted to act on a big production, and I never thought I would be doing so in a video game. I always thought I would be doing stunt work, and roles in film and TV.