Venom was originally going to appear in the final battle of Spider-Man: No Way Home, as the film’s writers admitted. Dr. Stephen Strange approaches Peter Parker to cast an anti-Spider-Man spell that will cause everyone to forget about his secret identity, accidentally drawing in people from every universe who recognize Peter Parker as Spider-Man. This includes Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, Rhys Ifans’ Lizard, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro, as well as Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man and Eddie Brock/Venom from previous films.
The post-credits sequence of Venom 2, which was filmed on the Spider-Man set and directed by Jon Watts, confirmed that Venom had joined the MCU. Eddie Brock and Venom were relaxing on a deserted island when the world shifted around them, and they found themselves in a completely different resort, with news of Peter Parker’s identity being revealed on the TV.
The post-credits scene revealed that Eddie and Venom decided to stay on the island and get drunk before being sent back to their universe, merely being used as a sequel set-up as they leave a small blob of Venom symbiote behind.
Variety has just released a spoiler-filled interview with Spider-Man: No Way Home screenwriters Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna. According to them, their first draft was a “kitchen sink” approach that crammed as many legacy characters into the story as they could into it. Additionally, they “definitely discussed” including Venom in the final battle scene instead of just as a post-credits gag.
Venom’s Host Theory Has Already Been Explained In The MCU
If Venom had appeared in that final battle, it would have confirmed the early rumors that the Sinister Six would have appeared in the film. However, the fact that this would turn at least half of the film’s villains into anti-heroes already dashed those hopes.
Despite Venom’s reluctance and desire for brains, in his own universe, he is unquestionably a hero. The Sinister Six would have been difficult to pull off in NWH if Doc Ock and Sandman were fully evil. This is even though they fight Peter Parker throughout the film.
The success of this MCU entry makes it possible that they will decide to bring Venom back for another big splashy battle. When a movie like NWH grosses $1 billion worldwide in just 12 days, you can bet Marvel will keep using that model going forward. This is not the last fans will hear of the multiverse. However, it’s concerning how many actors might continue working in the superhero industry for more after this project concludes.
