‘We Got as Close as I Could Possibly Imagine Getting’ — Tom Hardy on the Venom Crossover With Spider-Man That Never Happened

How did Venom make it through an entire trilogy of films without ever even meeting Spider-Man, let alone fighting against or alongside his superhero nemesis?

It is deemed the great missed opportunity of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, which is now reportedly finished after Kraven the Hunter bombed.

The Venom films, starring Tom Hardy, were standout box office performers, and with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was much hope that Venom might have followed him there for a showdown or team-up.

Speaking to The Discourse Podcast host Mike DeAngelo, via The Playlist, Hardy was asked if studio politics got in the way of a Venom / Spider-Man crossover.

“I don’t know how to answer that question,” Hardy began.

“We got close. We got as close as I could possibly imagine getting, apart from doing a film together, which I would have loved to have done because that just means so much fun.

“And for all the reasons that you explained ultimately in there.”

Hardy went on to say that he wanted the crossover to please younger fans.

“Fundamentally, for me, it would be for the kids,” he said. “Because, you know, as much as adults love superhero films, as you can tell by the box office when they’re successful, I think I’m constantly reminded by children how important these characters are. And they don’t know why their favorite characters aren’t in films together.”

While Hardy didn’t outright accuse either Sony or Marvel of ruining the fun, it’s clear from his answer that the movie adaptation of fan-favorite Marvel anti-hero Venom was constrained.

“We were given a set of boundaries, and we were just really privileged to be able to play with a much-beloved IP like Venom in a way that we were allowed to play,” he said.

“And in that [regard], we did what we could and what we loved doing. We poured all of ourselves into it within the remits of what we were allowed to do with him. And so the enjoyment of the work outweighed the limits of our possibilities with him because we just focused on what we were allowed to do. And we loved doing it.”

With Venom: The Last Dance settling on a global box office of $478,931,196, you’d think the powers that be at Marvel and Sony would want more from the character. But it appears Sony is focusing on the next Spider-Man film, just announced as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and due out July 2026. It may even introduce Miles Morales into the MCU, something Holland is personally invested in.

Sony's Spider-Man universe officially includes six films: Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and soon Kraven the Hunter. Only one of these has so far earned above a 5/10 in IGN's review, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage getting a 7/10. The rest have managed between 4/10 and 5/10.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.