It’s no secret that fans want to see Tom Hardy’s Venom and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man come to blows on the big screen. And with Sony and Marvel Studios’ new licensing deal in place, it could indeed become a reality. Now, Tom Hardy seems to be right with the fans when it comes to a potential crossover and, with a recent social media post, he may be hinting at it.
Tom Hardy is known to post Venom-related content on his social media accounts, and that enthusiasm can sometimes lead him to share (and later delete) tidbits that shouldn’t have been revealed. Well, this was also the case with a recent post from his Instagram page, which included an image of Venom apparently eating the MCU’s Spider-Man. Although the post has been removed, ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis got a screenshot and shared it on Twitter:
Although this doesn’t actually confirm anything, it’s interesting that Tom Hardy would post the image, and the fact that he later deleted it makes things even more suspicious. Admittedly, there's also the possibility that he was asked to take the image down due to its graphic nature.
One thing that can be said is the image accurately sums up the relationship between Venom and Spider-Man. Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote have no love for Peter Parker and would absolutely love to eat him alive.
Before Venom hit theaters back in 2018, Tom Hardy seemed to be just fine with keeping the grinning antihero in his own self-contained universe. However, the allure of getting to cross paths with the character’s greatest enemy must have grabbed hold of him (not unlike the symbiote).
Since re-upping their deal for Spider-Man, both Sony and Marvel Studios have been open about the possibility of crossovers between their two franchises. Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige believes it will likely happen due to Sony owning both characters. Venom director Ruben Fleischer echoed these statements and essentially confirmed that Sony is planning to make it happen.
Besides Venom, Sony has already found ways to link the web-slinger to its cinematic universe. The first trailer for Morbius revealed a subtle poster Easter egg and a not-so-subtle one in the form of a villainous MCU cameo.
Even though seeds are already being planted for a crossover, the timing would have to be just right. Sony may own Spider-Man, but Marvel Studios still has plans for him in their own franchise. Any Spidey appearance in a Sony production would have to make sense to the story being told and the wall-crawler’s current situation within the MCU, unless we’re looking at a true multiverse scenario.
There’s no way to tell when Venom and Spider-Man will actually meet up, yet there’s a solid chance that Tom Hardy’s post could be a clue regarding what’s to come. But before he goes toe to toe with the friendly neighborhood hero, Venom will face off with Carange when Venom: Let There Be Carnage opens in theaters on June 25, 2021.
