Venom 3 will reportedly feature the debut we've all been waiting for

It's going to be the end of an era for the Sony Pictures Universe of Spider-Man Characters later this year when Venom: The Last Dance arrives in movie theaters. As referenced in its title, it will indeed be the final film in the franchise, bringing about a close to the Venom trilogy and the unusual relationship between Eddie Brock and his symbiotic other half.

There is a lot of anticipation for it, with the film's first trailer teasing an absolutely bonkers spectacle that looks to push the boundaries of craziness in ways that even the Venom franchise has yet to do. These movies, though not critics' favorites, are hugely popular with fans, so it will no doubt be a bittersweet experience seeing it come to an end with Venom 3.

Now, a new rumor suggests that fans of another Spidey franchise might want to go see this one as well.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man rumored to appear in Venom 3

According to Marvel scooper account Marvel News, Tom Holland could appear in Venom: The Last Dance to reprise his role as Peter Parker / Spider-Man. It doesn't say how that could end up taking place, but given how the previous Venom movie ended with a direct reference to Spidey, it's entirely possible.

Needless to say, this would be a huge deal if true. Tom Holland portrays the iconic Marvel Comics superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; a franchise that Venom is not a part of. Though Sony currently own the movie rights to the character, they made a deal with Marvel Studios back in 2016, so Spider-Man is allowed to appear in the MCU. But as he is a part of that franchise, Sony's own universe of Spidey characters doesn't have a Spider-Man. They have Venom, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter... but no Spider-Man.

If Tom Holland were to appear as Spider-Man, it would be the crossover that fans have been waiting for because it feels like the Sony movies have been building towards this. Odd as it might seem, it's not the first time that the franchises have been connected. Yes, we mentioned the Venom: Let There Be Carnage post-credits scene that referred to Tom Holland's Spider-Man, but Marvel Studios returned the favor in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured a post-credits scene in which Tom Hardy's Venom actually surfaced in the MCU for a brief moment, leaving behind part of the Venom symbiote before he was transported by to his world.

The MCU's Multiverse Saga has opened the door to the possibility of these franchise crossovers in recent years, and even though Hardy's presence in the MCU was more of a wink-wink, nudge-nudge to fans of both franchises, it does sound like there could be scope for Spidey to make an appearance in Venom 3.

As successful as the Venom movies are, the franchise as a whole feels lost without a Spider-Man at the center of them. With Venom: The Last Dance seemingly recreating the post-credits bar scene of No Way Home (but on Venom's earth), there is the suggestion that revisiting this could pave the way for another crossover at some point. And with Hardy having appeared in the final movie in Holland's trilogy, maybe the roles could be reversed here with Venom's story coming to a close.

We know that the working relationship between Marvel Studios and Sony will continue, as there are plans for a new Spider-Man trilogy set within the MCU, with Holland set to return to the role. Perhaps this interim period could allow for a cameo appearance in Sony's universe, just to remind people that he is Spider-Man and the franchises are linked (even if it's just a little).

There had previously been rumors that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man could make an appearance in the Sony franchise, but as awesome as it would be to see Garfield back in the role again, that might be a bit hard to explain when we know the Venom movies are somewhat linked to the MCU.

Ironically, Holland wouldn't be the first star from an MCU Spider-Man film to appear in a Sony Spider-Verse movie if this went down. Michael Keaton, who portrayed the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, was randomly drafted in by Sony to appear in a post-credits scene of Morbius. That was widely panned given that there was no explanation given as to how a grounded MCU villain had landed in another universe (and the MCU's own Multiverse Saga had yet to take off).

Nevertheless, a cameo from Spider-Man in a Venom movie would make far more sense. And it would be epic to see Tom Holland and Tom Hardy share the screen just once before the latter bows out of the Venom franchise.

Venom: The Last Dance arrives in movie theaters on October 25, 2024.