‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Writers Explain How Tom Hardy’s Venom Knew Peter Parker Was Spider-Man
The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe exist in two different worlds. So, when Tom Holland appeared as Spider-Man in a Venom: Let There Be Carnage post-credits scene with Tom Hardy, that excited fans, but it also confused them. Thankfully, Spider-Man: No Way Home answered most of their questions.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Spider-Man: No Way Home.]
Tom Hardy appeared as Eddie Brock in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
Venom: Let There Be Carnage, starring Tom Hardy, premiered on Oct. 1, a few months before Spider-Man: No Way Home. And in the film’s post-credits scene, Eddie Brock and Venom get transported to the MCU. There, they watch as J. Jonah Jameson reveals Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker on television. And Venom clearly knows who Spider-Man is because he licks the screen and says, “That guy.”
Flash-forward to Dec. 17, Marvel fans flocked to the theaters to see if Venom showed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home. And they were delighted to see Hardy appear as his Venom character in a post-credits scene.
As many know, Peter Parker and Doctor Strange accidentally tore open the multiverse in the third Spider-Man film. As a result, past Spider-Man heroes and villains who knew Spider-Man’s identity started appearing on Earth-616. And that’s how Eddie and Venom arrived in the MCU.
However, instead of taking part in the big fight in New York City, Eddie and Venom vacationed in Mexico. And just as Eddie decided to track down Spider-Man, he and Venom are sent back to their universe. However, they leave behind a fragment of the symbiote in the MCU.
After seeing Spider-Man: No Way Home, some fans wondered how Tom Hardy’s character knew that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
The ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ writers discuss the post-credits scene with Tom Hardy
During an interview with Variety, Spider-Man: No Way Home screenwriters Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna revealed the logic behind Tom Hardy, as Eddie Brock, crossing over to the MCU.
“The idea is that the symbiote has knowledge of other universes,” McKenna revealed. “Buried in his brain is some knowledge of that connection.”
So, we know that in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man universe, Venom knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. And if the symbiote retains knowledge from all of its doppelgängers, then it would make sense that Tom Hardy’s Venom knows who Spider-Man is as well.
Could Andrew Garfield fight Venom in a future movie?
After seeing Andrew Garfield play Peter Parker again in Spider-Man: No Way Home, many fans started campaigning for his character to face off against Tom Hardy’s Venom in Venom 3. And, as it turns out, that idea might not be as far-fetched as some people think.
Andrew Garfield told Entertainment Tonight, “Never say never,” regarding his return as Spider-Man.
“It’s a character that’s always going to be so meaningful to me, and so beautiful to me, and again, it comes back to service,” the actor shared. “I think if there’s a way, because that’s what that character is all about, he’s all about serving the greater good and serving his fellow people, serving humanity and all life.”
Garfield added, “So, if there’s a way for me to continue to add to the legacy of that character in a way that feels like it’s of service to an audience, of service to the themes that Stan Lee injected that character with, I’m open, of course, I’m very, very open, but it would have to be very, very special. It would have to be very, very meaningful and fun, and joyful, like doing No Way Home was.”