Spider-Man & Venom's Live-Action Rematch Could Happen Sooner Than Marvel Fans Think
Marvel fans may not have to wait long to see Spider-Man and Venom's highly-anticipated rematch.
Back in 2007, director Sam Raimi gave webhead fans exactly what they wanted: a live-action showdown between Spidey and Venom in "Spider-Man 3." Now, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the marquee destination for all things superheroes, fans are eagerly waiting for the duo to tussle once again. Sony Pictures has licensed out the Spider-Man (Tom Holland) character over to Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the studio is also operating its own "Spider-Man"-focused universe with characters like Venom (Tom Hardy).
While fans weren't sure if the two franchises would cross over, it eventually happened with "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," which features a post-credits scene transporting Eddie Brock/Venom into the MCU just as Spider-Man's identity is revealed to be Peter Parker. The post-credits sequence for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" later saw Brock figuring out the mechanics of the MCU, before being transported again. While the characters didn't face off then, Hollywood insider MyTimeToShineHello says the two will scrap soon. "... I can't wait to see [Venom] and Tom Holland's Spidey fight (sooner than you think)," the insider wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
MyTimeToShineHello's post should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is interesting that they seem confident that Spider-Man and Venom could start their long-awaited rematch soon. Currently, Sony Pictures has the untitled "Venom 3" in production, while the MCU is hard at work bringing "Spider-Man 4" to life.
Venom 3 and Spider-Man 4 are in the works
The last time we saw Tom Hardy's Venom was in the post-credits sequence for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which saw the anti-hero hopefully transported back to his own universe following Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) spell. Now, Hardy is gearing up with director and writer Kelly Marcel for "Venom 3." Details regarding the threequel are slim, but it's expected that Hardy's latest will explicitly discuss or point out Brock's time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though it's unclear when "Venom 3" takes place. It also seems like "Venom 3" will be Hardy's final outing as the symbiote. Seeing as the picture is already dated and in production, it's possible that "Venom 3" could feature (or at least tease) the long-awaited rematch between the symbiote and Spider-Man.
Then again, wouldn't Marvel and Sony want to save their battle for a flagship versus picture, akin to "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" or "Captain America: Civil War"? For now, Marvel Studios is working on "Spider-Man 4," which is in the early stages of production. Concrete details on the fourth Spidey outing are minimal, though MCU architect Kevin Feige did confirm in early 2023 to EW that a story has been decided upon.
Following Venom's return to his universe, a tiny piece of symbiote was left behind in the MCU, signaling that "Spider-Man 4" could feature the iconic black suit, which consumes Peter Parker. "Spider-Man 4" is set to take Peter Parker into uncharted territory — nobody remembers him after Doctor Strange's spell. Could Peter find solace (and power) in the black suit, and eventually clash with Venom? That's best left to speculation. For now, fans should treat MyTimeToShineHello's rumor with a grain of salt.