Well, it looks like things have finally been settled.
After a whirlwind week for fans, one in which the internet was sent into a collective tailspin after Sony exec Amy Pascal surprised everyone by saying that Venom would be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it seems that a bit of clarity has now been provided – though it’s likely going to upset some people. That’s because Pascal has backtracked on her comments, stating that the antihero, along with Black Cat and Silver Sable, will exist in a separate universe from Spidey.
The confirmation comes after similar remarks from both Kevin Feige and Tom Holland, who also both said this weekend that Venom is not in the MCU. There’s been a lot of confusion over the matter lately, mostly stemming from Pascal’s comments last week. But now she’s cleared things up, telling Fandango’s Erik Davis at the Spider-Man: Homecoming junket today that Venom, along with Black Cat, Silver Sable and all the rest of the characters set to populate Sony’s Marvel universe will not be in the MCU.
Unless one of the studios backtracks again – which, in all honesty, wouldn’t even surprise us at this point – it seems pretty final now. And while this news is sure to disappoint fans, the bigger issue at the moment would seem to be whether or not a Spider-Man universe can even work without the hero himself. I mean, how can you make a Venom movie and not include Spidey? Not to mention the confusion that this could very well cause, with there being two separate universes based on the property.
If you ask us, it all sounds like a pretty terrible idea, but we’ll wait to reserve judgement until things begin to take shape and we get a better understanding of the direction Sony’s heading in. After all, Tom Hardy as Venom is perfect casting, and Black Cat and Silver Sable are both great characters due for a proper big screen adaptation, so who knows? It’s not ideal, keeping the two universes separate, but there might just be a way to make it work.
Tell us, what do you make of all this? Can Sony pull off having their own Spider-Man universe without the web-slinger? And are you disappointed to hear that Venom won’t be in the MCU? Sound off below!