The fate of Sony's Spider-Man universe has been quite mixed so far. Most films underperformed at the box office, with only the Venom movies achieving notable success, likely due in large part to Tom Hardy. Unfortunately for both Sony and fans, the upcoming third installment will be Hardy's last, a fact he has confirmed on multiple occasions. So how, then, does he still want to face Spider-Man? Because the star recently made that very claim.
At the New York Comic Con over the weekend, during a Marvel panel, Hardy and writer-director Kelly Marcel promoted Venom 3: The Last Stand. When asked about Spider-Man, considering this will be Hardy's final Venom film, fans were curious about the potential showdown between the two characters—after all, they've clashed in comics, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, and the Spider-Man 2 video game. Hardy responded, "I’d really love to fight Spider-Man. I’d like to fight him right now, honestly. I’d be absolutely thrilled to battle Spider-Man today. I’d never say never."
Both Hardy and Marcel emphasized that The Last Stand is the conclusion of the trilogy they’ve planned from the start, setting up Venom's arc. While they didn’t say it outright, it seems possible that Eddie Brock could return in some other capacity to battle Spider-Man, even if not in his own standalone film. Similarly, Knull, the symbiote god, isn't being introduced for the last time in Sony’s Spider-Man universe. "This is just the introduction of Knull. He's a very, very big character, so he can’t just be handled in one story. This is just a taste of Knull. We’ll definitely see him again. Who knows what the future holds for him? For Eddie and Venom, their story ends here. But as you know, the symbiote canon holds many stories. We could go in many directions, and you might even spot a few hints in the film that point to new adventures." (Source: Screen Crush) Marcel elaborated more on this in a separate interview.
Hardy had already teased the possibility of a Venom–Spider-Man showdown at another fan event when asked whether Tom Holland's web-slinger might appear in The Last Stand. His answer was cryptic. Even though the creators have indicated that Venom 3 is Eddie's last film, it doesn't entirely rule out a future clash, as Hardy could still have the chance to return. Furthermore, it’s speculated that a symbiote might appear in the MCU. Holland recently mentioned that the Spider-Man 4 script is well underway, and both he and Zendaya were excited after reading it. Could Venom be part of that film? (Spider-Man: No Way Home's sequel will be a Sony and Marvel Studios collaboration.)
Venom: The Last Stand hits theaters on October 24. Early projections suggest it may not perform as well in its opening weekend as the previous two films, but Hardy and his team might not have any reason to be disappointed.