A recent, unconfirmed report hinted at negotiations between Tom Holland and Sony about Spider-Man making an appearance in the upcoming Venom sequel. Considering that, up until only a few months ago, it seemed as if Holland’s Spider-Man might be out of the MCU for good following a breakdown in negotiations between Disney and Sony, this is an exciting course correction for fans of both Venom and this latest version of Spider-Man.
Holland’s involvement in Venom 2, however, could potentially end up meaning a lot more for Sony that it does for Marvel Studios as it tries to regain its footing with its Spider-Man properties. Marvel, on the other hand, has had considerable success with both Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
A COMPLICATED WEB
When it comes to Spider-Man movies, Sony has historically been a mixed bag. After purchasing the film rights of the character back when (believe it or not) Marvel Comics was struggling to stay afloat in 1999, Sam Raimi’s trilogy became not only one of the most definitive takes on the character but also helped usher in the current era of superhero movies that we’re experiencing today.
The series was then rebooted in 2012 with Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man and Sony had big plans for the franchise, including a sequel and a number of spin-offs featuring characters like the Sinister Six. Following the poor reception of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, however, those plans were scrapped and Sony entered a deal with Disney in which it would share the rights and production costs of future Spider-Man movies, thereby allowing the character to be a part of the MCU while retaining the exclusive rights to associated Spider-Man characters.
Over the summer, following the release of Sony and Disney’s joint project, Spider-Man: Homecoming, disagreements between the two studios almost resulted in a termination of their partnership. However, following outspoken backlash from fans, Tom Holland, and everyone in between, the companies reached an understanding and confirmed the upcoming release of the MCU’s third Spider-Man movie.
AN UNEVEN STANDING
Considering the widespread success of Spider-Man’s addition to the MCU, which began with his appearance in Captain America: Civil War, it seems that Disney would have a lot less to gain from Tom Holland’s appearance in Sony’s Venom sequel. After all, the MCU is certainly not lacking in new and exciting superhero properties, especially after Disney’s acquisition of Fox, which includes beloved Marvel characters such as the X-Men and The Fantastic Four.
Sony, on the other hand, has yet to feature a live-action Spider-Man in its own developing cinematic universe, which will soon include supporting characters such as Black Cat and Morbius in upcoming solo films. An appearance from such a popular and widely enjoyed rendition of Spider-Man could do a lot for legitimizing Sony’s own Spider-Verse in the eyes of skeptical audiences.
SPIDER-MAN FOR ALL
For fans, at least, Tom Holland’s involvement in Venom 2 could ultimately be a best-case scenario situation. After all, Sony finds itself in a far better position than it did even a few years ago following The Amazing Spider-Man 2's disappointing box office performance. Venom, while critically divisive, was still a huge box-office success and introduced a version of the titular character that, at the very least, left audiences wanting more. Tom Hardy’s rendition of Eddie Brock and relationship with the symbiote was the highlight of the movie and it would be interesting to see them play off of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
Not to mention that Sony’s much-lauded, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse not only went a long way in showing the studio’s (occasional) willingness to let talented directors control the creative direction of a production, it also familiarized mainstream audiences with the idea of an overlapping multiverse. Establishing that concept in its universe should help ease in confused viewers who might be wondering how exactly an MCU Spider-Man fits into Venom’s world, continuity-wise.
A lot of this will likely come down to Disney and Sony’s relationship moving forward and their willingness to cross-promote each other's projects without excessive or vindictive negotiations. With neither studio lacking in box-office successes, maybe it’s time for them to put aside their differences and let audiences see Spidey standing besides Venom, and maybe one day, even donning the symbiote himself.
Directed by Andy Serkis and starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Venom 2 is scheduled for release on Oct. 2, 2020.