In a few days, we're hoping to learn whether Venom: The Last Dance really does set the stage for Spider-Man 4 (which is rumoured to be titled Spider-Man: King in Black).
It's been widely reported that the idea is for Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Tom Hardy's Venom to share the screen and do battle with Knull, God of the Symbiotes. It's an exciting, albeit divisive, possibility but one which means some MCU fan-favourites could soon be "Venomized."
That's played out in many comic books over the years, giving key characters major power upgrades or allowing them to embrace their inner darkness thanks to the presence of an alien costume. In this feature, we take a look at the heroes we'd love to see "suit up" in Spider-Man 4.
Find out who we think should get Venomized in the MCU by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
7. Captain Marvel
Marvel Studios didn't exactly do right by Carol Danvers in The Marvels, but Captain Marvel remains one of the MCU's most powerful superheroes (if not its absolute strongest).
Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton finds a role for Brie Larson in all of his movies, so we anticipate her making an appearance in Spider-Man 4 as well. If it happens, we'd love to see what happens when she receives a power boost from an alien costume!
This has made for an awesome piece of imagery across a few variant covers, but Carol's powers being combined with that of a Symbiote for a fight scene with Knull is something we'd have a blast watching play out on screen.
6. The Amazing Spider-Man
It's hard to imagine Tobey Maguire's web-slinger being remotely willing to go near another alien costume, but after everything Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man has been through...well, this feels like the perfect pairing.
If it's true that his wall-crawler will take centre stage in Avengers: Secret Wars in place of Tom Holland's Peter Parker, then he should absolutely have a Symbiote to back him up.
Assuming that doesn't happen, we'd love to see what sort of Symbiote Spider-Man this iteration of the character would make. That's especially the case if it comes down to the three Spider-Men and Venom against Knull (with the fate of the Multiverse at stake).
5. Ant-Man
Early on, it was rumoured that Paul Rudd would reprise his role as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in Spider-Man 4. It was an odd pairing, but MCU characters have frequently made appearances in the web-slinger's movies, so why not add him to the mix?
Whether this is still the plan is unclear. However, if Scott's story arc does continue here - which seems far more likely than Ant-Man 4 after Quantumania - then give Giant-Man a f***ing Symbiote!
Can you imagine what a batsh*t crazy visual this would make? The sheer chaos of seeing Scott rampage through New York as a massive Venomized Giant-Man battling Knull's army should bring a smile to any fan's face.
4. Captain America
By the time Captain America: Brave New World is released, it will have been close to three years since we last saw Sam Wilson wield the shield in the MCU.
How and why Marvel Studios has failed to figure out a cameo or two for its new Captain America is hard to say. Regardless, a surprise appearance in Spider-Man 4 would be a smart move, particularly given Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie's real-life chemistry.
The only potential issue here is that a Venomized Captain America flying through the sky runs the risk of detracting from us seeing Venom finally sprout wings of his own. Perhaps they could take flight together?
3. Groot
When we last saw Groot, he'd become a massive "Alpha" in the closing moments of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The comics have "Venomized" the sentient tree in multiple forms, but this combination would be beyond badass.
It surely wouldn't be that difficult to involve the Guardians in a cosmic threat to Earth and, while this takes Spider-Man 4 another step away from being a street-level adventure, Marvel Studios might as well just embrace the fantastical if that's where things are heading.
Groot + Venom = one of the wackiest, wildest MCU mashups to date.
2. MJ
It's been confirmed that Zendaya will return as MJ in Spider-Man 4 and, while we're sure she'll eventually remember Peter Parker, we'd love to see this movie do something entirely different with the character.
In the past, we've suggested that Spidey could encounter his former girlfriend as Jackpot or Black Cat. Instead, why not give her a Symbiote that allows MJ to become Scream or a new She-Venom?
If that somehow unlocks her memories, it's a bonus. Either way, just getting to see Zendaya see some action as MJ would be a blast and a Symbiote suit would be as good a way as any to facilitate that.
1. Hulk
Marvel Studios' plans for Hulk remain uncertain. It's been a couple of years since She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and, despite repeated World War Hulk rumours, Bruce Banner has largely been a non-factor in the Multiverse Saga.
If the Green Goliath is destined to remain a supporting player for the foreseeable future, then why not add him to Spider-Man 4? Not only would we love to see Spidey fight this guy, but it means Venom potentially battles The Hulk too!
Then, when we finally get a Venomized Hulk...well, let's f***ing go. We'd also have no complaints if Red Hulk fills this role given his history with Venom on the page.