After endless speculation, it turns out that not only does Tom Holland’s Spider-Man not show up in Venom, but the wall-crawler doesn’t even get a single mention. However, another iconic superhero is alluded to, suggesting that they exist in this cinematic universe instead. The weird thing is, though, that they aren’t even a Marvel character.
Here’s some much-needed context. When being driven to the hospital by his ex-fiancee Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) opens up about the symbiote that’s bonded with him. He explains that it’s susceptible to sonic waves, which leads Anne to comment that sound is Venom’s “Kryptonite.” Needless to say, this must mean that Superman exists in some form in the world of Venom, right?
Interestingly, this isn’t even the first time a Sony Marvel movie has referenced a DC character. Back in 2002’s Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker tried out a few magic words in a futile attempt to set off his webbing. One of them was “Shazam!” – the word Billy Batson uses to become his heroic alter-ego.
Presumably, the intention in both of these cases is to suggest that DC comics are a part of pop culture in the world of these movies, much as they are in ours. On the flip side, DC’s Arrowverse TV shows do something similar, with many characters referring to Marvel movies. It’s a neat way of adding texture to the heroes, too. I mean, if superheroes really existed, you’d naturally compare them to fictional ones, right?
But what do you reckon? Is Superman flying overhead while Venom dukes it out with Riot on that spaceship? Have your say in the comments section down below.
