Venom: The Last Danceis the fifth installment inSony’s Spider-Man Universe, which raises the question of whether Spider-Man actually features. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has so far comprised origin stories for several peripheral Spider-Man characters. Venom is arguably the most recognizable character in Sony’s cinematic universe andVenom: The Last Danceconcludes the mostsuccessful franchise in Sony’s Spider-Man Universethus 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,the appearance of Knullhas led many to believe that Spider-Man might lend a hand in Venom’s swansong movie against one of themost formidable Marvel villainsever 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 inVenom: 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 inVenom: 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 signthat 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. DespiteVenom: The Last Danceostensibly beingthe final movie to feature either Venomor 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 inVenom: The Last Danceis 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 Dancedoes not feature Spider-Man. In fact,Venom: The Last Dancedoesn’t so much as reference the character. This is despiteMadame Webintroducing Peter Parker as canon in Sony’s Spider-Man UniverseandVenom: Let There Be Carnageconfirming that Venom is aware of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. This means that the wait forSony’s live-action Spider-Mandebut continues.
Venom: The Last Dance Review - Tom Hardy’s Marvel Trilogy Ender Is Easily The Best Of The Series
Venom: The Last Dance is the perfect sendoff for Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom, wrapping up the characters' stories with deliberate care.
Not having Spider-Man appear inVenom: The Last Danceisn’t overly shocking. As Venom’s swansong movie,it stands to reason that the narrative focuses wholly on the protagonistrather 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-Manbefore he rejects it, and it moves on to Eddie Brock.
In Marvel Comics, Spider-Man first dons his black symbiote suit in the firstSecret Warsseries 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 becomeSpider-Man villainsbefore 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 inSpider-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 intoVenom: The Last Dancemight have also missed the mark, so perhaps it is for the best after all.
Venom: The Last Dance
Cast
Venom: The Last Dance is a film directed by an undisclosed director, featuring the character Venom in a thrilling narrative. The movie explores the alien symbiote’s latest challenges and transformations as it navigates through a world full of danger and new adversaries.
