Summary
Marvel fans have been wanting to see Tom Holland’sSpider-Manwith Tom Hardy’sVenom. It turned out that it nearly happened and the latter shared why it didn’t materialize.
Holland’sSpider-Manis one of the most successful franchises fromMarvel Studios. He initially signed for a trilogy —Spider-Man: Homecoming(2017),Spider-Man: Far From Home(2019), andSpider-Man: No Way Home(2024) — but is set to return for a fourth film. His performance is highly praised and his solo MCU films have been critical and commercial success. Hardy starred in Sony’sVenommovie series. He also starred in three films —Venom(2018),Venom: Let There Be Carnage(2021), andVenom: The Last Dance(2024).No Way Home and Let There Be Carnageteased connection, sparking fans to hope for a crossover. According to Hardy, it nearly happened.
Hardy appeared on The Playlist and spoke about theVenom-Spider-Mancrossover that fans had been requesting. According to him, there were talks about it and they nearly made it happen. “We got close. We got as close as I could possibly imagine getting, apart from doing a film together, which I would have loved to have done because that just means so much fun,” Hardy shared. He added that he wanted to do it “for the kids” who were wondering why they couldn’t see Spider-Man and Venom together in one film. However, he alluded to “studio politics” as to why the project was shelved.
Marvel andSonyare both involved in the production of Spider-Man. In the 80s, Marvel licensed some superhero characters to create films. Cannon Films bought the rights toSpider-Manbut failed to produce a successful film until it went bankrupt. Marvel also found itself in a financial crisis in 1996. The rights toSpider-Manwere lost in litigation until Marvel recovered them and sold them to Sony in 1999. Sony controlsSpider-Manmovies and Marvel can’t use it without their approval. However, in 2019, the two companies were in dispute over profit-sharing.Disney, which bought Marvel Entertainment in 2009 reportedly wanted 50% profits from futureSpider-Manmovies. Sony refused because MCU only received 5% profits after selling the rights to them.The Hollywood Reporterclaimed that Disney was only looking for a 30% stake. Sony reportedly threatened to pullSpider-Manfilms out of the MCU since the movie was doing well with Holland playing the titular role. However, that would mean MCU fans won’t be able to see Spider-Man inAvengersfilms. Ultimately, Sony and Disney agreed to continue with their collaboration withSpider-Man. It’s unclear, but the “studio politics” Hardy mentioned probably happened when the companies involved were in dispute.
ASpider-ManandVenomcrossover will surely delight fans. Many have been asking to see both characters onscreen, so it will surely be a cinematic moment.Spider-ManandVenomhave legendary battles in comics, and seeing the two in live-action will be a dream come true for fans who have been looking forward to seeing them. Since Hardy mentioned it was in talks before and anotherSpider-Manmovie is in the works, hopefully, the anticipated crossover will happen.
Venom is not a full villain or a hero and his relationship with Spider-Man is complex. They sometimes fight and work together. Their relationship is worth exploring in the upcoming film. Hardy’s Venom has its own fans, and Holland’s Spider-Man is a massive hit; more will be watching the nextSpider-Manmovie if it features the pair. Also, there are rumors thatSpider-Man could team up with The Punisherin the next Spidey movie. Adding Venom will make it all the more fun since Venom and The Punisher also have a complex relationship. It will be fun to see the trio — Holland, Hardy and Jon Bernthal inSpider-Man 4. Sony and Marvel can still make the Spider-Man and Venom crossover happen. Hopefully, this time, they will give in to the fans' demand. Holland just dropped the official title of the nextSpider-Man movie.It is calledBrand New Day, perTHR.
