Why Tom Hardy’s Venom Never Met Tom Holland’s Spider-Man

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Summary

  • Fans almost had a Venom-Spider-Man crossover, but it was hindered by “studio politics”
  • Spider-Man and Venom have a complex relationship worth exploring onscreen.
  • Fans anticipate Spider-Man 4 to include Venom in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Fans of Marvel have long hoped for a crossover between Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Tom Hardy’s Venom. It almost came true, but here’s why it ultimately didn’t pan out, as explained by the latter himself.

The Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man series featuring Tom Holland has been incredibly prosperous. He originally agreed to a trilogy – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2024) – but is now set to appear in a fourth movie as well. His portrayal has received much acclaim, and his standalone MCU films have been both critically and commercially successful. On the other hand, Tom Hardy starred in Sony’s Venom film series, appearing in three movies: Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), and Venom: The Last Dance (2024). There have been hints of a connection between No Way Home and Let There Be Carnage, leading fans to speculate about a potential crossover. According to Hardy, such a crossover almost took place.

On The Playlist, Hardy discussed the much-anticipated crossover between Venom and Spider-Man. He mentioned that discussions about it had taken place, and they almost brought it into fruition. “We came extremely close,” Hardy stated, “closer than I could have ever imagined, short of actually collaborating on a film together, which would have been an absolute blast.” He expressed his desire to do it for the children who were curious about seeing these two characters in one movie together. However, he hinted at “behind-the-scenes studio matters” as the reason behind its cancellation.

In the 1980s, Marvel granted some superhero characters the right to be made into movies. Canon Films acquired the rights for Spider-Man, but failed to produce a successful film until they went bankrupt. During this time, Marvel faced their own financial struggles and lost the rights to Spider-Man in court battles until 1999 when they sold them to Sony. Today, Sony holds the reins on all Spider-Man movies, and Marvel can only use him with their approval. In 2019, a disagreement arose between the two studios over profit-sharing for future Spider-Man films. Disney, who bought Marvel Entertainment in 2009, wanted half of the profits, but Sony refused because they were only receiving 5% after selling the rights. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney was actually aiming for a 30% stake. Sony threatened to remove Spider-Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) if their demands weren’t met, which would mean fans wouldn’t see him in Avengers films. However, after some negotiation, both studios decided to continue working together on Spider-Man projects. The details of what transpired during this studio disagreement are unclear, but it’s likely that the “studio politics” mentioned by Hardy refer to these tense negotiations.

Fans are eagerly anticipating a clash between Spider-Man and Venom on the big screen. For years, fans have been yearning to witness these iconic characters battling it out in live action, and it seems their dreams might just come true. With Tom Hardy hinting at discussions and another Spider-Man movie underway, let’s hope this exciting crossover event becomes a reality.

Brand New Day.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

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2025-04-02 16:34