In just a few short weeks, Spider-Man will lead his first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man: Homecoming will give Tom Holland the star vehicle he's been preparing for, as the MCU expands to include teenagers and regular folks living in an extraordinary world. And while Peter Parker's inclusion in the shared universe is exciting, it's unclear if he'll be able to crossover the Spidey-centric universe that is being crafted by Sony. Specifically, is he going to show up in Tom Hardy's Venom movie?
We had the chance to ask this question to the man himself. At Homecoming's press junket in New York, Sean O'Connell asked Tom Holland if he was showing up in the Venom movie, to which he responded:
That is something that is far beyond my control. As I know now, I am in the MCU. I am the MCU Spider-Man. I exist in the world of the Avengers. The Venom movie takes place in a different universe, so I have no plans to show up in those movies any time soon. But you know, things change! We'll have to wait and see.
Well, this stinks. It looks like we shouldn't expect to see Spider-Man show up in any of Sony's movies with the franchise's characters. At least for now.
While this news isn't exactly surprising, it does feel a bit strange. Sony has already begun developing two films that utilize characters from Spider-Man's canon, yet the titular hero will not be making an appearance. In the future, we will see Tom Hardy's Venom get his own film, fighting opposite popular Spidey villain Carnage. Additionally, Silver & Black will bring the characters Black Cat and Silver Sable to the big screen, further expanding upon the mythos involving Peter Parker's friends and foes. And while these are all exciting projects, they may feel a bit off kilter without the web slinger.
Then again, who knows what type of deals Sony and Marvel might be able to work out in the future. Just a few years ago, the concept of Spider-Man showing up within the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed nearly impossible, as another Spider-Man franchise was being developed. But now he's interacting with characters like Tony Stark and Happy Hogan, delighting Marvel fans who longed for their favorite character to crossover to the MCU. So if Sony really wants Spider-Man to show up in a future film, they might just be able to make it work with Marvel Studios.
But enough of that bad news. The good news is that Spider-Man: Homecoming is almost here, and is already garnering fantastic critical reception from its early screeners. Everyone's favorite web slinger will arrive in theaters on July 7th, and in the meantime you should check our 2017 premiere list to plan your next trip to the movies.
