As a Marvel fan, I have been looking forward to the merger of Sony’s Spider-Verse and the MCU, hoping to see Spider-Man merge with Venom again to engage in a fierce battle. For those of us who have watched Tobey’s Spider-Man trilogy, it feels particularly lonely without either Venom or Spider-Man.
Now, although Sony and Marvel have reached a collaboration, the vision of their merger seems impossible to achieve. Recently, a Marvel Studios producer mentioned in an interview that in the MCU’s worldview, Spider-Man can never be bonded with Venom.
He stated that while theoretically, the MCU could set up a storyline where Holland’s Spider-Man is bonded with Venom, the involvement of Iron Man in Phase Three makes it nearly impossible for the symbiote to bond with the little Spider.
Since Spider-Man’s introduction in the MCU, he has largely depended on Iron Man’s influence. Although Tony sacrificed himself in Avengers: Endgame, he still needs to find his own path outside of Iron Man’s shadow in the Spider-Man series.
Moreover, Iron Man left Peter with a wealth of resources, including several suits and Stark technology support. In the original comics, Peter’s aunt and uncle are working-class, and he lives an ordinary life, facing many challenges alone. This makes how Peter resolves significant crises as Spider-Man a major highlight of the story, but in the MCU, everything seems much simpler.
Initially, in the comics, the Venom symbiote was an unknown entity from space for Spider-Man, which posed a destructive impact on Spider-Man’s ordinary story. Therefore, Venom’s influence on Spider-Man is immense, making the contrast in the story particularly exciting.
However, looking at the current Spider-Man in the MCU, he has already been to space and fought against the most powerful aliens, witnessing the annihilation of everything. The symbiote simply cannot create any significant waves for him.
Most importantly, with the help of Tony’s technology, Peter possesses unprecedented defensive capabilities. The AI in his suit can emit powerful noise to repel Venom when it attempts to bond with him, significantly reducing Venom’s potential impact on Spider-Man’s story.
This is also why current MCU films cannot completely replicate the original comics. Compared to the comic stories, the movies have undergone many changes, not only in the relationships between characters becoming closer but also in the emergence of new relationships among heroes. For instance, two former enemies may become fighting allies, while two friends may turn into lifelong partners.
Although many fans feel that the MCU should not let Spider-Man get too close to Iron Man, as it dilutes Spider-Man’s hero autonomy, for the current MCU, this can also generate more fun and surprises. Adaptations can have both good and bad aspects, and cannot be generalized.
Just like Venom and Spider-Man, their first meeting in the movie might lead them to become close allies.