After less than a decade of (at best) half-assed efforts to create a Spider-Man Universe without a Spider-Man, Sony finally threw in the towel afterKraven the Hunter hit the screen as a lame duck in 2024. When it was all said and done, the so-called SSU gave fans some of the worst superhero films in the history of the genre; however, an argument can be made that Tom Hardy‘s Venom trilogy provided at least a few highlights.
In the wake of the death of the SSU, rumors that Hardy might jump fully into the MCU as part of a wild King in Black crossover took flight and captured the interest of the chronically online. Whether that cosmic crossover was ever truly in the cards–Venom franchise creative veteran Kelly Marcel seemed to tease it at one point–those plans took a back seat to whatever director Destin Daniel Cretton cooked up for the fourth installment in Sony and Disney’s collaborative Spidey franchise…which may still include a symbiote.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has designs on its “own take on the Symbiote for this new trilogy.“
Perhaps not coincidentally, in a pair of Instagram stories shared earlier this year, Michael Mando–who is stepping back into the role of Mac Gargan for the first time since Spider-Man: Homecoming—teased the potential for Gargan to not only suit up as Scorpion but also become a host for the Venom symbiote.
Shortly afterwards, Mando doubled down on teasing the potential monstrous turn for his character, sharing a photo of Scorpion merging with the alien symbiote.
In the comics, Mac Gargan’s tenure as Venom is distinguished primarily by its sheer brutality and a complete lack of the moral “Lethal Protector” code that defined Eddie Brock. Unlike other hosts who viewed the symbiote as a partner or a tool for justice, Gargan experienced a parasitic relationship fueled by the career criminal’s base instincts. This led to a version of the character defined by cannibalism and animalistic savagery; Gargan famously gave in to the suit’s hunger for human flesh, consuming enemies and even Skrulls during his time on the Dark Avengers. This loss of control was often reflected in his physical appearance, as he was frequently depicted as a massive, hulking monster with human eyes visible through the symbiote’s mask, highlighting the terrifying reality of a man being swallowed by an addiction-like bond.
Beyond his personality, Gargan’s Venom was unique because of the biological synergy between the alien and his original Scorpion powers. He maintained his “Scorpion-sense” and enhanced durability, often manifesting a massive, prehensile symbiote tail that allowed him to strike with the lethal precision of his former namesake. This made him one of the most physically formidable iterations of the character, possessing a raw power level that surpassed Brock’s. His unique role reached its peak when he masqueraded as a sinister version of Spider-Man under Norman Osborn’s leadership. By using chemical suppressants to shrink the symbiote’s mass, he was able to hide his monstrous nature in plain sight, serving as a government-sanctioned “hero” while secretly remaining a feral killer.
Of course, there’s always the very good possibility that Marvel will simply wait until Avengers: Secret Wars to introduce its own version of the symbiote, paying homage 1984’s Secret Wars when Peter Parker found himself wearing a new black suit that was revealed to be Venom.
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