VENOM Director Ruben Fleischer Remains Coy When Asked Whether Spider-Man Is In The Movie
While rumors have suggested for months that Spider-Man is going to appear in Venom, the studio has given us very little reason to believe that that is indeed the case, remaining relatively coy when asked.
Thanks to the trailers, we already know that Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) will obtain the symbiote in Venom without an inadvertant assist from Spider-Man, which does seemingly indicate that Spidey won't factor into the movie at all... unless, of course, Sony has been hiding one of the biggest cameos of the year.
Over the past year, there's been very little reason to believe that Spider-Man (Tom Holland) will appear in the movie, especially after what happened to him in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War. However, that hasn't necessarily stopped the rumor mill from churning as some, including the late Jon Schnepp, have previously stated that Holland did indeed shoot something for the movie. A follow-up story revealed additional details, including that Holland had shot for two days and would only appear as Peter Parker, not as Spider-Man.
Director Ruben Fleischer recently sat down with the Los Angeles Times to offer his thoughts on the rampant fan speculation about whether Spider-Man is or isn't in the movie and in lieu of tipping his hand too much, he replied coyly, “I honestly don’t know what I’m allowed to say. I mean, I know the answer — I’ve seen the movie. But I don’t want to get in trouble for saying something I’m not supposed to.”
Sony, which owns the licensing rights to nearly 900 Marvel characters, has lofty plans for their own version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and are already planning films for Spidey-universe characters like Black Cat, Silver Sable, Morbius, and Kraven. However, building a Spider-Man cinematic universe without Spider-Man actively involved is going to be easier said than done.
Fleischer also spoke on the tone of his upcoming film, which he hopes will capture the feel of something more in tune with the world we live in. “I feel like the casting, the aesthetic and the character himself all combine to make something that just feels different. Tonally it doesn’t remind you of other movies. It doesn’t feel like we just tried to do what everyone else is doing…. The DC universe is so aggressively dark and the Marvel universe has become so light. It was kind of exciting to craft something that just felt a little bit more real and grounded and in our world.”
He continued to tease Eddie Brock's bond with the symbiote and how the two will play off one another whilte working to bring down Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) and his rumored army of symbiotes. “The symbiote bonds early on with Eddie and it’s kind of like ‘The Odd Couple,’ but instead of sharing an apartment, they share a body. The fun of the movie is the dynamic between them, with Eddie trying to rein in this basically unbridled id and find a balance with him. That theme of duality and trying to control your id — I think that’s what Tom and I responded to in terms of why this character is unique and special.” Fleischer also had plenty of praise for his Academy Award-nominated leading man, “I think Tom is going to surprise a lot of people with his performance in this movie. It’s just a little different than we’re used to seeing him. There’s no mask in front of his face. He’s not playing a period. He’s just playing a contemporary guy. I think it’s just a little more of Tom than people have seen in a little bit.”
One of Marvel's most enigmatic, complex and badass characters comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award® nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom.
Venom features:
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom
Michelle Williams as Anne Weying
Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake/Riot
Scott Haze in an undisclosed role
Reid Scott in an undisclosed role
Jenny Slate in an undisclosed role
Woody Harrelson in an undisclosed role
Venom unleashes in theaters October 5