At least, that seems to be the case, according to Amy Pascal. In an interview Film Starts, featuring Pascal, and Marvel CEO, Kevin Feige, she stated that “There’s a chance.” Venom, Marvel’s infamous Lethal Protector, may appear in the MCU alongside his web-slinging arch rival. But someone might want to tell that to Feige. The poor thing looked helplessly confused as Pascal talked about the connection that the two universes might share. Feige went on to, in a separate interview, reinforce his claim that no plans for Venom in the MCU existed. But by then the damage had been done, and the story claimed by the internet.
Marvel and Sony seem to have very different ideas as to the connection their projects will share. Marvel clearly aims to lend more of a focus to (generally) family friendly content. All hail the mouse overlord. Meanwhile, Sony seems to be aiming at a more mature demographic. After all, the Venom movie is supposedly shooting for an R-Rating. And now Sony’s revealed that the villain of the film will be none other than fan favorite, Carnage. Which only makes sense for a Venom movie where Spider-Man isn’t available, that Carnage be the villain. The R-Rating is also good news for the character, who is a literal serial killer.
Of course, the internet is all over this. Spider-Man has one of the most iconic rogues galleries in the business, and Venom has been in it for decades. But the generally poorly received iteration of the character as presented in 2006’s Spider-Man 3 left fans wanting. Craving something more like what they were familiar with from the comics and the cartoons. People have been clamoring for it since The Amazing Spider-Man, back in 2012. And interest was still high when the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer dropped, late last year.
Sony’s been dancing around the idea of a Venom solo movie for years, now. They confirmed one to be in the works in early 2016. Then they reasserted that claim in March of this year, revealing a 2018 release. And ever since that announcement, news has been hitting the internet in spades. Tom Hardy was cast in the role of Eddie Brock, not long after the release date reveal, and Sony still wasn’t done.
Hot on the heels of all this news is Sony’s confirming a movie featuring Black Cat and Silver Sable. Both are prominent figures in the Spider-Man supporting cast/rogues gallery. It’s also convenient timing to be announcing a female-led superhero movie, considering the hottest film in the world at the moment. One would assume that they’re also being included in all of this. But, once again, Marvel itself doesn’t seem particularly sure.
Ultimately the details of the deal between Marvel and Sony are murky, at best. It’s no secret that everyone wants in on the shared universe trend that Marvel pioneered. Even Sony tried and failed, to set one up in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man 2. But hopefully, here will be a chance to see Spidey and Venom sharing some screen time, again. And maybe they can bring more of the Spider-Man universe with them.