Is this a massive hint that Spider-Man will be showing up in 'Venom' after all?

Here at ShortList Towers, we’re particularly pumped for one upcoming film release: Venom.

Coming to UK cinemas on Friday 5 October, the Ruben Fleischer-helmed superhero flick stars Tom Hardy as the freakish, long-tongued symbiote.

The main comic story that the film is based on is 1993’s Lethal Protector, in which Venom, following a truce with Spiderman, is living peacefully in San Francisco.

Everything goes wrong (obviously), when he’s attacked by the son of one of his previous victims and hunted down by the Life Foundation, who want to use his symbiote to produce their own versions for their own stereotypically evil means.

For a long time we assumed that, because of a complex rights situation between Sony and Marvel, Venom’s foe Spidey would definitely NOT be appearing in the new movie.

But now? Well… we’re not so sure. 

Venom director Ruben Fleischer isn’t confirming either way whether or not Spider-Man is swinging into this first solo movie.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m allowed to say,” he told the LA Times recently. “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.”

Which kinda sounds a lot like: “Spider-Man shows up right at the end so that we have the potential of a crossover sequel for the next film but I’m not allowed to mention incase it gets cut at the last moment and also because we’ve spent the last 12-months saying he definitely won’t be in it and now we feel a bit silly.”

Meanwhile, Amy Pascal, who produced both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Venom told FilmStarts both movies “will now take place in the world that we are creating for Peter Parker.”

“They’ll be adjuncts to it, they may be different locations, but it will still all be in the same world,” she said. “And they will be connected to each other as well.”

Which sounds a bit like: “Of course Spider-Man will be in it! The only reason we’re making this damn film is to build our own super Spider-Man universe that’ll rival all that Avenger and Guardians of The Galaxy hoo har. Spidey will be in it. In fact, he’s going to be in loads of films, fighting and befriending everyone. For years, and years to come.”

How intriguing… 

(Image: Sony)