Warning: SPOILERS for Venom
The Venom movie may have disappointed fans hoping to see Spider-Man make an appearance, but there may be a good reason for Peter Parker's absence. The more Sony reveals plans for their own Venom-led universe... the more it seems like its version of Spider-Man may already have been killed.
Strange as it may sound, there really is evidence to support the theory that Peter Parker died long before Venom begins. But even stranger is the fact that given how little Marvel seems to care about Venom crossing over with Spider-Man and the MCU, building a movie universe with a dead Spidey night actually be the best idea. Especially since it opens the door for Sony to debut a Spider-Man of their own. One a bit more... Ultimate.
- This Page: The Evidence Spider-Man Dies Before Venom
- Page 2: Sony Can Still Add a DIFFERENT Spider-Man
Spider-Man's Already Dead in Venom's World
There are practical reasons for telling a Venom movie that ignores Spider-Man, the most important being Marvel's apparent disinterest in backing a film starring Eddie Brock that's as incorporated into the MCU as Spider-Man: Homecoming. And to be honest, the writing needed to remove Spider-Man from Venom's origin story is minimal: Eddie stumbled onto the Venom symbiote after Peter Parker... so just have Eddie stumble on it first. The result isn't just an easy fix, but as we've explained already, removing Spider-Man from Venom's origin is better than trying to make Eddie his own character after the fact - a lesson learned by Marvel Comics.
But that only establishes that in Venom's continuity, Spider-Man isn't required to appear. There is other evidence in the film suggesting that Peter Parker no longer exists in Venom's universe. At least not in the way that he should.
RELATED: Venom 2 Can Add His Logo Without Spider-Man
By now most fans will have noticed that the one survivor of the Life Foundation shuttle crash is referred to as "Jameson," an overt nod to J. Jonah Jameson's astronaut son John from the comics. But the moment is more than one of the many Spider-Man Easter Eggs in Venom - but a major hint that the webslinger is missing from this story. You see, John Jameson was introduced as an astronaut back in Amazing Spider-Man #1 experiencing a similar crash - until Spider-Man showed up to save him. Several different stories have adapted the same plot as tribute, whether it's Spider-Man battling Rhino robbing the shuttle, or John being infected with an alien parasite (just like in Venom) and having Spider-Man show up to save him. Which makes the callout, and the lack of Spider-Man in this version of the story a conscious choice.
Kraven The Hunter's Movie Sees Spider-Man Killed
The real smoking gun (pun intended) that suggests Spider-Man may not just be absent from Sony's movie universe, but has actually been removed from it by force is the Kraven The Hunter movie also in development. The titular villain is well known to Spider-Man fans, originally planned to appear as one of the Sinister Six teaming up to take down Spidey in their own movie. But that was before Marvel's deal, and the sudden sense that Spider-Man wouldn't be "allowed" to appear in films not produced by Marvel Studios.
That alone made a movie starring Kraven The Hunter an enigma, since the one story he's best known for stars Spider-Man in a central role. That mystery turned to confusion when reports arrived that screenwriter Richard Wenk was actually relying on that very same comic story, "Kraven's Last Hunt" for his movie adaptation. The story in which Kraven famously killed Spider-Man, claimed his identity for himself, and having bested his greatest prey, took his own life.
It's a heck of a story, and one that was and could be focused on Kraven, with Spider-Man existing unseen, but felt. Set it in the same timeline but before the events of Venom, it could become a semi-prequel, with everyone now knowing why Spider-Man is "missing" from Eddie Brock's story. However, some might protest, Sony would never give up on a Venom crossover with Tom Holland's Spider-Man, would they? But that's where the real potential of this theory kicks in. Because even if Peter Parker is dead in the Venom movie universe... that doesn't mean Spider-Man has to be.
Page 2 of 2: Sony Can Make Miles Morales Their Own Spider-Man
Miles Morales Can Be Sony's Spider-Man
If Sony is truly developing a world of Spider-Man characters without Peter Parker, there are ways to give fans what they want in a new way. And the solution remains the same even if they go to as extreme-seeming measures as killing Spider-Man in Kraven's movie. Heck, even if Kraven's film is set years before Venom, and does include the villain killing his prize - delivering Spider-Man fans the one story they never expected to see - they have one obvious way to introduce Spider-Man after Eddie Brock's series is up and running.
The solution is the same one it has been for years, ever since fans watched Amazing Spider-Man fizzle out, and begged Sony to break new ground with the next reboot: bring Miles Morales's Ultimate Spider-Man to the big screen.
RELATED: All The Into The Spider-Verse Updates You Need
Since director Ruben Fleischer already confirmed that the Venom movie was closer to Marvel's Ultimate Universe, the theory that Eddie inhabits a movie version of that continuity, and not the MCU is plausible. But the bottom line is that labels, realities, and "continuity" is less important for Sony than building a universe people will get excited about. And after Venom made no mention of Spider-Man whatsoever, and went on to take in millions around the world, the diehard MCU fans were shown once again that mass audiences care far less about the "rules" or questions of the Sony-Marvel distinction.
So with Venom a hit, and the animated Into the Spider-Verse getting a new wave of fans excited, what better time to make their standalone universe perfectly clear as one in which Peter Parker's Spider-Man existed, but died? Aside from boosting-- or perhaps more accurately, proving the popularity of Miles Morales as a new take on Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse seems to be telling a similar story. Venom's post-credits preview of the animated film showed Miles visiting Peter's grave, and apologizing for not living up to his legacy. Why wouldn't Sony take the step to adapt that moment into its own Spider-Man movie starring a live-action Miles?
Before fans start debating whether a solo movie, or an introduction alongside Carnage in Venom 2 would make the most sense (a Miles Morales movie from the director of Zombieland is a tempting pitch), there's also one major way that Sony can create their own twist on Spider- Man. That's by adapting the ending of "Kraven's Last Hunt" completely... including Peter Parker's eventual return from the grave.
The Older Spider-Man Kraven THOUGHT He Killed
When comic fans hear that Sony is entertaining the idea of a Kraven movie that kills Spider-Man, it's easy to react without hearing the rest of the tale. But in truth, it only appears that Kraven murders Peter Parker. After Kraven proves his point, Peter crawls out of his grave, simply knocked unconscious by the Hunter's attack. So even if the studio decides to embrace the risk of killing their biggest hero (since that ship has sailed with DCEU movies), the door is left wide open to reveal Peter alive and well - whether Marvel decides to let their version play in Sony's pool, or an older version of Spider-Man returns to change both Miles and Eddie's lives.
This strategy may seem bolder, or braver than Sony has managed to come up with in the past (hence the need to ask Marvel for help in getting a Spider-Man series off and running). But the success of Venom shows that "who needs Spider-Man?" could be a valid question to consider. And the star power of Miles Morales is only going to increase over the next few years, making a live-action version seem like more and more of a missed opportunity should Sony fail to adapt him.
The best way to get fans talking about Spider-Man's role in Sony's superhero universe? Just admit that you already killed him... but on purpose this time.
