When Sony first announced plans for a Venom movie, fans immediately started speculating about the possibility of Tom Holland's Spider-Man swinging into San Francisco. There were rumours that we'd see Tom Holland on a field trip at the Life Foundation, while pretty much everyone involved with Venom have claimed that the door is open to Spidey and Eddie Brock meeting somewhere down the line.
So, does the wall-crawler appear in this movie? No. Does he get any sort of mention? No. There's not even an Easter Egg hinting at his existence like Eddie mentioning a superhero with similar powers existing on the other side of the country. The same applies to any references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe so make no mistake about it; Venom very much takes places in its own universe. '
There's nothing to say Spider-Man couldn't meet Venom somewhere down the line, of course, but it seems like something Sony is simply saying to appease fans rather than it ever becoming a reality. After all, there's no way Kevin Feige will want to use this version of the villain in the MCU based on those reviews and Sony will probably just reboot Spidey when his tenure in that world comes to an end.
Are you disappointed about the lack of Spidey in Venom? Share your thoughts in the usual place.