In two weeks, audiences will watch as two of Spider-Man’s most legendary villains go toe to toe, but the web-slinger himself won’t be anywhere in sight. Venom: Let There Be Carnage opens October 1 and it picks up where the 2018 mega-hit Venom starring Tom Hardy left off. Down-on-his-luck news reporter Eddie Brock is finally coming to terms with the fact he’s got an alien symbiote living inside him — and that he’s going to have to face another one named Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson.
And though Venom and Carnage first debuted in the pages of Spider-Man comics, Spider-Man has his own problems. In December, he’s going to unlock a multiverse — and, we assume, come up against not just some other familiar villains, but multiple versions of himself as well. Basically, neither Venom nor Spider-Man have time for each other just yet. But Andy Serkis, the director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, knows that’s what audiences want.
“Look, that’s the question on everyone’s lips,” Serkis said in an interview with IGN, via Comic Book. “They want to know if Venom is gonna meet Spider-Man, but personally, it’s never gonna happen. I’m only joking, of course it’s gonna happen.”
As a person whose livelihood is dependent on this particular Venom story working for audiences, which could then potentially set up more Venom stories, Serkis obviously doesn’t want to see that meeting happen just yet. (Once Venom faces off with Spider-Man, odds are, that’s it for one of them … and his name isn’t “Spider-Man.”) Plus, Serkis suggests that good things come to those who wait. “Look, it depends when you want to get there, and also, what the appetite is,” Serkis continued. “If people want more Venom stories, then to jump straight to Spider-Man, you could be missing out on so many great supervillain characters in between now and then. So, in a way, by rushing to it, you might be closing the door.”
Think about Thanos. If Thanos was the villain of the first Avengers movie, instead of just showing up for a second at the very end, what would’ve come next? Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame were so successful and satisfying because it took so long to get there. Stories take time to develop and Serkis’ thought process here certainly makes it sound like two things are true. One, that Sony has planned a show down between Spider-Man and Venom. Two, it’s gonna be something a bit more substantial than one simply appearing in the other’s film.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is out November 25. Spider-Man: No Way Home opens December 16.