While the newly released (and so far hugely successful) Sony sequelVenom: Let There Be Carnagehas Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock dealing with a variety of adversaries as is, things could have been even more complicated for the intrepid journalist, as director Andy Serkis has now revealed that, at one stage, Tom Holland’sSpider-Manfeatured heavily in the plot. Be warned, as there will beSPOILERSfrom here on out.
As those who have seen the movie (as well as those who could not resist looking at the recent leaks) now know, Tom Holland appears as the MCU’s Peter Parker AKASpider-Manin a post credits scene at the end ofVenom: Let There Be Carnage, and while this will no doubt be exciting enough for fans, Spidey almost had a much bigger role in proceedings.
“There were moments where he [Spider-Man] was going to be in the story, potentially, and then he wasn’t. But no, we decided that we wanted to really examine the Venom-verse first. So as we were going through principal photography, the inevitable discussions had to be had, but it wasn’t until very, very late on that we reached the precise notion of the teaser that we wanted to lay in there.”
TheSPOILERYstinger scene in questions finds Eddie Brock somehow transported from the Venom-verse and seemingly into the MCU. Lying on a bed in a dive motel following the events ofVenom: Let There Be Carnage, Venom explains to Brock about the symbiotes' knowledge of other universes when suddenly a blinding light transports them from their hotel room to another, much nicer room where they watch J. K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson reveal Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker on television, even showing Tom Holland on the screen.
While details of how Holland would have factored into the wider plot remain unclear, Serkis suggests that folding the beloved Marvel character into theVenomfranchise has, somewhat unsurprisingly, been on the cards for some time, with the post credits sequence coming together at the last minute as way to get the ball rolling.
“100 percent in flux, yeah. It couldn’t have been more in flux-y if you tried. (Laughs.) Yeah, of course, it was something that they talked about from before I even came on to the movie.”
Ultimately, Sony decided to make theVenomsequel all about Brock’s battle with his extra-terrestrial partner and their feud with Woody Harrelson’s villainous Cletus Kasady/Carnage. Evidently, they could not resist dropping some breadcrumbs, with Tom Holland’s brief appearance at the movie’s end confirming once-and-for-all that Sony is moving towards a Venom versus Spider-Man face-off.
Picking up over a year after the events of the firstVenom, which hit screens and lit up the box office back in 2018,Venom: Let There Be Carnagefinds investigative journalist Eddie Brock struggling to adjust to his new life now that he is bonded with the mysterious alien symbiote known as Venom, which grants him super-human abilities in order to be a lethal vigilante. Brock attempts to reignite his floundering career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady, played by Woody Harrelson, who made his debut during the post-credits scene of the first movie.
This time, Kasady has a much bigger role in the proceedings, becoming the host of the symbiote known as Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution. Covered in all manner of spikes and tentacles, Cletus and Carnage have a very different idea of what to do with their newfound power to Eddie and Venom, forcing the anti-heroic pair to once again work together to save the world.
Venom: Let There Be Carnagefinally hit screens on June 09, 2025, after being delayed from an initial October 2020 date due to the change in global circumstances. The comic book movie sequel has received mixed reviews from critics, though the general consensus seems to be that it is an improvment on the firstVenomouting. Besides, much like its predecessor,Venom: Let There Be Carnageis also making a series impression at the box office, even amid the current situation. The movie has so far amassed $90.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $13.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $103.9 million.
Leaving dollar signs in its wake once again, Sony is no doubt already looking at the potential ofVenom 3, with star Tom Hardy having already expressed his desire to return to the franchise and assuring fans that he has a third outing in the tank. “I’m deeply invested in this particular franchise. If it’s successful, there is another one to do,” the actor revealed.
Hardy has also been far from shy about his intentions for the world ofVenom, with the actor stating that he hopes to one day combine his respective universe with that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, perhaps even as soon asVenom 3. “There’s aVenom-Verse, there’s a Spider-Verse, there’s multiverses, there’s all kinds of canon and lore and mythology to explore both laterally and forward in time,” Hardy explained. “I think with the right people and the right planning, and feedback from the audience, and understanding it’s about making the right choices at the right time… Even with foresight of understanding where things may go already or they wish to go, it’s a combination of all those in the alchemy of what it will be.”
“Once it’s established, we then have to continue our Venom-verse,” Hardy has since added. “But at the same time, we will always be looking to campaign to play with that with all the brothers and sisters who are out there, do you know what I mean?” While he admits that its not up to him saying, “Whether we can connect the dots, that’s up to the constellations, and that’s above my pay grade, but we would be remiss not to think about that when we’re working on the material,” it’s clear now that Venom crashing into theMarvel Cinematic Universe, and Tom Hardy finally confronting Tom Holland, is exactly what Sony has in mind. This comes to us fromThe Hollywood Reporter.
