The Real Reason Venom Hates Spider-Man (And It Starts in Another Universe)

It’s clear from Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home that Tom Hardy’s Venom already hates Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, even though the two have never met face-to-face. But why? Why does Sony’s Venom hate the MCU’s Spider-Man?

How Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Multiverse Changes Venom’s Story

Now that the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Spider-Man lies in uncertainty, we can finally look back at what transpired behind the scenes in one of the most pivotal films in the entire MCU. We’re talking, of course, of the multiversal clash that was Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The film not only established many of the rules of the Multiverse for the MCU but also brought together three different Spidey incarnations, complete with their respective villains. If there was one villain that fans were looking forward to seeing entering the MCU, that was Venom, more specifically, the version of the character played by Tom Hardy.

Venom’s Post-Credits Scene Explained: Proof He Knows Spider-Man

The post-credits scene in Venom: Let There Be Carnage seemed to point to the possibility of the Symbiote antihero meeting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. After all, this scene revealed that Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote were transported to Earth-616 after Doctor Strange’s spell brought together everyone in the universe that knew about Spider-Man. That’s the thing, though: why did Venom come to Earth-616, if he had never crossed paths with Spidey before? The answer might lie in one of the Symbiote species’ peculiar traits, one that’s hardly being developed in live-action films.

Even though it might seem like the Venom Symbiote is just a regular alien parasite – by Marvel standards, that is – the truth is that every member of its species is connected in a sort of hive mind that shares knowledge between Symbiotes. How far away does this connection reach, and what are the limitations of this power, is something that’s still up for debate.

One thing is for sure: Let There Be Carnage made it abundantly clear that Venom knew of Spider-Man. If he didn’t know of Peter Parker, there would have been no reason for Doctor Strange’s spell to affect them, proving that this Symbiote had at least some form of knowledge of who the hero was. Here’s where the hive mind theory comes in full force: what if this version of Venom remembers a previous encounter with Spidey? A most unpleasant encounter, at that.

Did Venom Remember Spider-Man 3? The Multiverse Theory Explained

That’s right: it’s very likely that, when the multiple realities clashed into one, Tom Hardy’s Venom remembered what happened with Topher Grace’s Venom Symbiote in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. This would explain why he was affected by Doctor Strange’s spell, and also why he reacted in such a menacing way when he saw Spider-Man on the TV at the end of Let There Be Carnage.

It’s even possible that the hive mind is stronger than everyone could have known, sharing knowledge all over the Multiverse. If that’s true, then Hardy’s Venom Symbiote would have had some form of cognition of who was Spider-Man long before the events of No Way Home. This sounds very plausible since it seems like Strange’s spell was weirdly focused on villains rather than allies, making it overtly clear that there is some animosity between Hardy’s Venom and Spider-Man – any version of Spidey.

As we mentioned at the start, there is no news about where Tom Holland’s Spider-Man might be heading; conversely, a Venom 3 was confirmed in April by Sony. While the movie will most likely ignore the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it could still shed some light on Venom’s opinion of Spidey. There could even be some sneak peeks at what the Symbiote’s hive mind looks like, so let’s just wait and see what’s next in store for one of Marvel’s unlikeliest heroes.

The Comic Book History Behind Venom and Spider-Man’s Rivalry

For many of us who grew up watching the 90s animated Spider-Man cartoon, Venom has always been one of the bad guys. In fact, he might be the villain when it comes to Spidey’s rogues’ gallery, surpassing even classics like the Kingpin or Doc Ock. Longtime comic book readers, however, have a different concept of the Spidey/Venom dichotomy.

In the comics, fans were exposed to Spidey’s Symbiote costume in 1984, way before Venom even existed. All they knew was that Spider-Man now had a new, undeniably sleek dark suit of alien origin, and that was it. Secret Wars expanded the suit’s lore a bit more, explaining that Peter got this new, Symbiote-powered suit by mistake, using an alien machine that inadvertently bonded his original red and blue costume with an alien species.

From that point, the story follows the arc most Spidey fans already know: Peter gets increasingly worried by the suit’s negative influence, decides to ditch the Symbiote, and gets back to using his classic attire. Here’s where things get interesting, however: the comics explicitly mention why Venom behaves like a villain, and it’s all about jealousy.

Venom’s Obsession With Spider-Man: A Toxic Love Story Explained

The Venom symbiote heightens its companion’s feelings, positive and otherwise. That’s why Eddie becomes so deranged in the comics: he genuinely hates Peter Parker. Fortunately for him, the Symbiote also has issues of its own with Spider-Man. You see, it’s not so much that Venom is a natural-born villain – it’s more like it’s jealous of the idea of Spider-Man. He wants Peter Parker all for itself.

The comics follow their relationship as a classic tale of unrequited love. Peter got over the Symbiote’s allure, but the alien certainly has not. In early issues, before the Symbiote forms a stronger bond with Eddie, its only goal is to kill Spider-Man: if it can’t have it, no one else can.

But why is the Symbiote so toxic? I mean, there’s a reason it’s called Venom, right? Well, here’s where things get interesting. The original comics depicted the alien entity as more of an unrequited lover, but more recent publications give us a clear answer to why the Symbiote became so unstable: Deadpool. No, seriously.

Deadpool’s Secret Role in Turning Venom Into a Villain

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars, released in 2015, is a Marvel miniseries that puts the Merc with a Mouth in the middle of the Secret Wars saga. Surprisingly enough, Marvel treats the series as semi-canon, even if most of the events in the comic make little to no sense. Still, Secret Secret Wars is teeming with the sort of hilarity anyone would expect from someone like Deadpool.

In Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #3, Wade Wilson briefly bonds with the Symbiote. He immediately regrets it, feeling that the alien life form would surely turn a bit unstable by being forced to live in his twisted head, even for a second. He breaks the bond right away, but not before we see Spidey about to merge with the Symbiote for the first time. So, next time you see Venom and Spidey duking it out, know that Deadpool is to blame, as usual.

RELATED: Spider-Man 4: Will Ned Leeds Become The MCU’s Venom?