Will Spider-Man be in Venom: The Last Dance?

Tom Hardy’s final outing as Venom is on the horizon, with Venom: The Last Dance set to hit theaters next month. With this being the final hurrah for this iteration of the character, many are left with one simple, but burning question: is Venom finally going to meet Spider-Man?

It feels a little silly to be asking that question about one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains, but it’s still something many fans want to see finally happen. Especially after the post-credit scenes of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home teased an encounter between Eddie Brock and the MCU’s Peter Parker. Will Venom: The Last Dance finally gives the people what they want?

The case for Spider-Man in Venom: The Last Dance

Is there any reason to think it’s happening?

There are a few reasons you might be swayed to believe that Spider-Man could finally make an appearance in Venom: The Last Dance. For starters, this is Hardy’s final film as everybody’s favorite symbiote. If ever there was a time to pull out all the stops and give the audience some tried and true fan service, this would be it.

There’s also the looming presence of New York City itself. Some set photos from Venom: The Last Dance were captured in New York City. If we are to see Eddie in New York City during the movie, then it’s not farfetched to think that the previously San Francisco-bound Venom might finally rub shoulders with the web slinger.

Moreover, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have already demonstrated a willingness to play around with crossovers, as we’ve seen with Spider-Man: No Way Home. The post-credit scenes of Venom: Let There Be Carnage teased the possibility, with Eddie being transported to the MCU and seeing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on TV. But, that was quickly undone in No Way Home’s after credit scene, with Eddie being transported back to his original world.

However, Eddie left a bit of symbiote behind. And the first official trailer for Venom: The Last Dance showed, what appeared to be, that symbiote being caught in the same spot Eddie left it. While this could be a bit of misleading marketing, akin to the trailers for Morbius, it could also mean that parts of Venom: The Last Dance takes place in the MCU.

Which Spider-Man would appear, if any?

There’s a wealth of Spider-Men

Sony / Marvel / Pocket-lint

Of course, the big question isn’t just if Spider-Man will appear, but which Spider-Man will we get if he does? After No Way Home opened the Spiderverse outside of animation, fans are now spoiled for choice. Would it be Holland’s Peter Parker, continuing his journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Or could it be Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield reprise their roles for one more outing as Spider-Man? Each version of Spider-Man would bring something different to the table.

Holland’s Spider-Man seems like the most logical choice, given that that is the current iteration of the character. And, it’s the only version of Spider-Man that Eddie knows of. However, considering that Venom: The Last Dance is probably outside the main MCU timeline, a different Spider-Man might make more sense.

Garfield might be the more fitting option in this case. His portrayal of Peter Parker has undergone a large critical reevaluation recently. And his appearance in No Way Home has certainly left some fans wanting another appearance from his version of Spider-Man. Garfield’s version also has pretty much no strings attached, as he doesn’t have his own ongoing series to worry about tying into. He also hasn’t previously encountered Venom or Eddie Brock.

And that element of having encountered Venom before is exactly what rules out Maguire’s version. The original big-screen Spider-Man got one last outing in No Way Home, and it’s probably more than okay if he doesn’t appear again. Maguire’s version of Spider-Man has also already fought Venom and his own version of Eddie Brock. The only way it’d really make sense to have Maguire’s Spider-Man pop up in Venom: The Last Dance is to have him or Venom do some universe hopping, or just make the Spider-Man of the Venom movie’s universe be played by Maguire.

All of this is to say, there would be a couple of layers of surprise at play if Spider-Man were to show up in Venom: The Last Dance. Not only would the character’s appearance in itself be a surprise, but the actor portraying him would also be another surprise in itself.

Should Spider-Man appear in Venom: The Last Dance?

Let’s not overshadow an ending.

Sony

Ultimately, there’s one thing to really bear in mind: is it even necessary for Spider-Man to appear in Venom: The Last Dance? While it would be undeniably exciting, part of what made the Venom films largely successful is standing on their own and focusing on Eddie’s complicated relationship with his symbiote. Introducing Spider-Man at this stage, particularly if it’s done hastily or feels shoehorned, might risk undermining the conclusion of Eddie’s own character arc.

Yes, it does suck that the only good on-screen version of Venom may never meet Spider-Man. But would a brief cameo type meeting really be worth it at the cost of giving Hardy’s Venom a fulfilling send off? Venom: The Last Dance will be the culmination of a trilogy that, for better or worse, is hard to unlink from Spider-Man. And at the very least, giving fans a singular meeting they’ve been wanting since 2018’s Venom would be outstanding. But it could also undermine the trilogy’s conclusion.

This could be the last opportunity to bring these two iconic characters together on the big screen, or at least with Hardy in the role. It is also Sony’s chance to make sure that Madame Web isn’t the closest anyone in their Spider-Man movies has actually been to meeting Spider-Man.