Venom Director Won't Confirm (Or Deny) Spider-Man Cameo

Venom movie director Ruben Fleischer won't confirm - or deny - rumors that Tom Holland will cameo as the MCU's Peter Parker aka. Spider-Man. A few years ago, Sony struck a deal with Marvel Studios that allowed Spider-Man to finally debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Holland portraying the new, younger version of Peter Parker. Since then, Sony has also begun developing comic book movies featuring Spidey-related characters and there's been a great deal of confusion about whether they connect to the MCU or are entirely separate. Sony producer Amy Pascal called them "adjuncts" to the MCU, while Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said they're unconnected.

Still, there have been rumors of Holland's Spider-Man appearing in Venom, though the reports stated it may be a cameo of the actor in costume as Peter Parker, rather than the wall-crawling superhero. This would allow for Venom to establish itself as part of the MCU - and confirm there is a Spider-Man in its universe - while not interfering with the continuity of Marvel's movie franchise. So far, none of the trailers for Venom have confirmed this rumor. Now, the film's director won't confirm the rumor either - but he also won't deny it.

In an interview with Empire appearing in the magazine's latest issue, Ruben Fleischer was asked about the rumor concerning a Spider-Man cameo in Venom. Instead of giving a direct yes or no answer, Fleisher offered this vague response:

This feels very much like Venom's movie. It's the introduction of the character. As to where it will go in future movies, and who he'll run across, I can't say.

It's clear from Fleischer's answer that the director wants potential viewers to know the movie focuses mainly on Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and how he becomes Venom. Still, it seems important to point out that Fleischer never truly comments on the rumor. While that could indicate there's no truth to it, the director's vague answer could also point to him not wanting to reveal such a massive cameo. If Holland were to appear in Venom as Peter Parker or Spider-Man, it would be as big of a reveal as Zendaya's Spider-Man: Homecoming character being MJ - which Sony also tried to keep under wraps, despite persistent rumors, until that film hit theaters.

Certainly, since Venom is the first of Sony's non-Spidey movies, it has a lot to prove in terms of the viability of the studio's upcoming comic book movies. In fact, there were rumors that Marvel Studios is waiting to see whether Venom is successful before admitting whether or not it takes place in the MCU. If that's the case, it's unlikely there will be a Spider-Man cameo. In that vein, Fleischer's response to the Holland rumors also leaves the door open for Eddie Brock to meet up with the wall-crawler in future films. There have been rumors that Carnage appears in Venom to set up a sequel, and perhaps that followup (or a later installment) is when Eddie Brock could team up with Peter Parker.

For now, we'll have to continue speculating about whether Venom takes place in the MCU or if Holland will show up in the Sony film. We won't know more until we get closer to the movie's official release, with Venom arriving in theaters in October.