The status of Sony's offshoot Spider-Man franchise, which kicks off this Fall with Venom, has long been in question with many wondering if the films would ever connect to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, after much speculation, an Avengers: Infinity War co-diretor has confirmed that the films are not set in the MCU.

Ever since it was announced that Sony was looking to plan its own Spider-Man franchise -- which, ironically, would not feature the web-slinger -- fans have wondered how this would impact the studio's plans with Marvel Studios. After all, the two giants had only recently come together to bring Peter Parker into the MCU. And for a while there, it appeared that there could be crossovers between the two down the line, as Tom Holland's Parker was rumored to appear in Venom. However, Infinity War co-director Joe Russo, recently revealed during a Q&A session at an Iowa high school that Venom is very much its own separate entity.

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When asked if Venom was going to appear in the MCU, Russo was quick to note that Venom is a Sony property, and that he would not appear in the MCU. This, of course, shouldn't be surprising. The deal between Marvel Studios and Sony was to bring Peter Parker into the MCU, while allowing Sony to also use some of the Marvel characters in their Spider-Man films -- like Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming. While the two are able to share Peter Parker -- until the original contract expires -- Sony still fully retains the rights to all Spider-Man characters. Although, that could change should Sony opt to sell its film and television assets as previously reported.

For now, though, Venom, as well as the previously announced Silver & Black, should be considered Sony properties that exist outside of the MCU.

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Arriving in theaters Oct. 5, Venom stars Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Scott Haze and Reed Scott.