successful franchise in Sony's Spider-Man Universe thus far. According to the filmmakers, the threequel will also be Venom's final outing.

Marvel Comics initially introduced Venom as one of Spider-Man's arch-nemeses before turning him into an antihero with his own in-depth comic book arc. While a rivalry still bubbles between the two wall-crawling heroes, this sometimes leads to the two burying the hatchet when facing villains that neither could tackle alone. While Sony has evidently skipped over Venom's comic-accurate genesis as Spider-Man's enemy, most formidable Marvel villains ever adapted to live-action.

What Tom Hardy Has Said About Spider-Man Being In Venom 3

Hardy Has Been Reluctant To Confirm Or Deny Anything

Tom Hardy has remained coy about the possibility of Spider-Man's involvement in Venom: The Last Dance. The question has unsurprisingly been posed to him a couple of times during the press tour for the movie, with one of the most recent being during a visit to Mexico. After being asked if audiences can expect to see Spider-Man in Venom: The Last Dance, Hardy responded:

You know...you know, there are always possibilities. I couldn't possibly say anything because this is the last movie. Yeah, I would love that.

Hardy's refusal to outright deny the possibility was a convincing sign that he knew Spider-Man would appear. Hardy then doubled down on the sentiment that he hopes to encounter Spider-Man at this year's New York Comic-Con. Despite Venom: The Last Dance ostensibly being the final movie to feature either Venom or Eddie, or both, Hardy holds out hope that he will fight Spider-Man, stating:

I would like to fight Spider-Man. I would like to fight him right now. In a movie, 100%. I would never say never.

Venom: The Last Stand's main villains comprise Xenophages, Knull, and the contingent of humans hunting symbiotes. It's safe to assume, therefore, that the movie probably couldn't squeeze a fight between Venom and Spider-Man into the narrative. Still, combining Hardy's earlier comments, set photos, and the fact that Sony's Spider-Man Universe is distinctly devoid of Spider-Man, whether Spider-Man appears in Venom: The Last Dance is still a pertinent question - and it has finally been answered.

Spider-Man Doesn't Appear In Venom 3

The Venom Trilogy Has Ended Without A Spider-Man Interaction

Venom: The Last Dance does not feature Spider-Man. In fact, Venom: The Last Dance doesn't so much as reference the character. This is despite Madame Web introducing Peter Parker as canon in Sony's Spider-Man Universe and Venom: Let There Be Carnage confirming that Venom is aware of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. This means that the wait for Sony's live-action Spider-Man debut continues.

Not having Spider-Man appear in Venom: The Last Dance isn't overly shocking. As Venom's swansong movie, it stands to reason that the narrative focuses wholly on the protagonist rather than debuting another popular character who might overshadow him. Still, it also complicates having Venom appear opposite Spider-Man, which Hardy isn't alone in wishing to see.

Why Marvel Fans Want A Venom And Spider-Man Crossover To Happen

Venom's Story Is Always Directly Tied To Spider-Man

The appetite for accuracy when adapting comic book characters is still present among many Marvel Comics fans. Sony's live-action Venom suffers the same criticisms as the other characters in his franchise insofar as he does not interact with the character to whom he is so closely tied in the comics - and, for that matter, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which accurately depicts the fraught relationship between Eddie Brock and Spider-Man. In fact, Sony has entirely omitted the story in which the Venom symbiote first bonded with Spider-Man before he rejects it, and it moves on to Eddie Brock.

In Marvel Comics, Spider-Man first dons his black symbiote suit in the first Secret Wars series in 1984.

Eddie and Spider-Man's relationship runs far deeper than sharing the symbiote suit, however. Brock typically resents Spider-Man as he blames the wall-crawler for getting him fired at the Daily Bugle. This resentment is then shared by the Venom symbiote, causing the two to become Spider-Man villains before the arrival of Carnage unites Venom and Spider-Man against the greater threat. This then causes Venom to move to San Francisco to become that city's Lethal Protector. In general, the Venom trilogy has gone to some lengths to remove Spider-Man from an otherwise relatively comic-accurate narrative.

By contrast, Tom Hardy's depiction of Eddie Brock has earned far more praise and would have been a more compelling character to place opposite Spider-Man.

Furthermore, fans are keen for the Venom/Spider-Man crossover to be redeemed following a substandard adaptation in Spider-Man 3. Eddie Brock's arc felt shoehorned, with Venom not appearing properly until the movie's third act, while fans weren't united behind casting Topher Grace. By contrast, Tom Hardy's depiction of Eddie Brock has earned far more praise and would have been a more compelling character to place opposite Spider-Man. Still, squeezing their iconic and nuanced relationship into Venom: The Last Dance might have also missed the mark, so perhaps it is for the best after all.

Sony's Marvel Movie Release Dates

• 

  Venom: The Last Dance

  

  7/10

  Powered by

  

  Expand Collapse
• 

  Kraven the Hunter

  

  5/10

  Powered by

  

  Expand Collapse