Warning! SPOILERS for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

The ending of Venom: Let There Be Carnage features a huge twist, setting up a few different Marvel films in the future. Like the first film, Venom 2 takes place in Sony’s Spider-Man cinematic universe, but the film’s post-credits scene shows Eddie and Venom being teleported to the MCU and getting a look at Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. That shocking surprise could be the start of a long tenure for Venom in the MCU, but it could also be setting up some very different movies down the line.

Since Tom Hardy was first announced to be playing Venom, there’s been extensive speculation as to how whether or not he might one day join the MCU and how it could happen. Because of the character’s immense popularity, it’s been a topic of constant rumor. While the Venom 2 post-credits scene doesn’t explicitly explain how Venom gets brought to the MCU, the shot of Holland’s Spider-Man leaves no doubt as to where he winds up. However, does that really mean Venom will appear in the MCU, or does it hint at a different future for Sony’s Spider-Man characters?

Related: Venom 2 Cast Guide: Every Let There Be Carnage Character Explained

As of now, no concrete plans for Venom’s future have been announced, but there are a few theories about where he could show up next. Sony is in the process of building out their own cinematic universe with movies like Morbius and Kraven the Hunter, both of which are set to release after the MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Here are the biggest theories about what movie Venom 2 could be setting up, and what they each would mean for Marvel’s cinematic future.

Venom Will Be In Spider-Man: No Way Home Theory Explained

The most popular theory concerning Venom’s future is that he’ll be one of the various foes faced by Holland’s Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The upcoming film revolves around a multiverse convergence accidentally created by Doctor Strange, which brings past Sony Spider-Man characters like Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus to the MCU. The No Way Home trailer features one shot of a creature that many believed to be The Amazing Spider-Man’s Lizard, but it’s now believed that the character in question may actually have been Hardy’s Venom.

Bringing Venom to the MCU in No Way Home would make a lot of sense. Doctor Strange’s multiverse shenanigans would be a perfect explanation or how and why Eddie and Venom are transported to the MCU at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and since the main MCU reality will likely be restored by the end of No Way Home, there’s a natural way for Venom to return to the Sony Spider-Man universe. However, there’s no guarantee that Venom 2’s post-credits scene is actually setting up Hardy’s Venom in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While this seems like the most likely and immediate option, there are a couple other movies that also could be set up by the ending of Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Could Be In Venom 3

spider-man, venom

Rather than Hardy’s Venom featuring as a villain in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s possible that Holland’s Peter Parker enters the Sony Spider-Man universe for Venom 3. Clearly, Sony’s universe is now officially part of the MCU multiverse, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will intersect with the main MCU timeline. Rather, the universe Eddie and Venom are transported in the post-credits scene of Venom 2 could itself be some alternate reality – one where Spider-Man still looks like Holland’s version, but where other parts of the universe are altered. In other words, the Spider-Man seen on the TV at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage could actually be a variant.

Related: All 12 Spider-Man Universe Movies Releasing After Venom 2 (& When)

That theory grows stronger because of how Venom 2 retcons the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. In the original film, Peter Parker isn’t unmasked when J. Jonah Jameson reveals his identity to the public, but in the news shot in Venom 2, his face is clearly visible. That change could simply be meant to clarify what new reality Venom has fallen into for the audience, but it could hint at larger differences in this particular universe. The introduction of variants in Loki has finally provided a way for Holland’s Spider-Man to appear in both the MCU and Sony’s independent franchise without having to comingle the storylines and lore. For both Disney and Sony, that might be an optimal outcome, but it remains to be seen if it’s actually what’s taking place.

How Venom 2 Sets Up A New Spider-Man Crossover Film

Every Spider-Man Universe movie after Venom 2

The other big possibility for Venom’s Marvel cinematic future is that he and Holland’s Spider-Man could meet in an entirely new crossover film, separate from No Way Home but different from Venom 3. If that were to occur, it would probably be tied into the Sony side, possibly bringing together Venom, Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, and other characters Sony has retained the film rights to. The company wouldn’t be developing a new shared universe for its characters if it didn’t have crossover plans, and an appearance from Spider-Man would be the perfect spark to justify the first Avengers-type film in Sony’s franchise.

Such a film could feature the same version of Spider-Man as the MCU, or it could use a different variant played by Tom Holland. There’s also potential that, if the rumors of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning for Spider-Man: No Way Home prove true, either or both of them could feature even more prominently in the Sony Spider-Man universe. Sony’s the one who had wild success with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and it’s possible that the studio could be building towards something similar with its live-action films. Who knows, maybe Hardy’s Venom and Topher Grace’s Spider-Man 3 Venom could even have a chance to meet face-to-face.

Regardless of what Venom’s onscreen future ends up looking like, it should be exciting to watch. One way or another, he will face off against Holland’s Spider-Man, delivering a showdown that many have been wanting for years. Love him or hate him, it looks like Hardy’s Venom is here to stay, and the best parts of Venom: Let There Be Carnage could be just the start of something truly great.

Next: Is Venom In Spider-Man: No Way Home Now?

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