How Can Eddie Brock Become Venom Without Black Suit Spider-Man?

10/24/2017 12:26 pm EDT

Tom Hardy is now attached to play Venom in Sony's newly announced Spider-Man offshoot, but how exactly is he supposed to become Venom if Spider-Man never brings the symbiote to earth?

A good question mind you, and the answer would seem to indicate a move away from Eddie Brock's classic origin and one closer to the origin of Flash Thompson. Flash Thompson worked for a government agency and took part in a program designed to utilize the strengths of the symbiote suit. The government wanted a super soldier essentially, and limited Thompson to 20 missions before being cut off from it, so it wouldn't bond like it had in times past. Hardy can play a soldier in his sleep, and going this way allows the studio to reference an alien entity without having to also call out all the other characters involved in its origin. It also keeps a great deal of setup out of the film as well, as you would need an entire movie to touch on Brock and Peter Parker's backstory.

In the comics, the symbiote was discovered by Spider-Man during Secret Wars, who brought it back to earth after that battle ended. He would wear the suit for awhile afterward, but eventually, the suit started to affect his personality as it continued to bond with him. He then decided to separate from the symbiote, and the dejected suit then found another vengeful host, Eddie Brock. Brock blamed Spider-Man for his downtrodden luck in life, including the loss of his family, and became one of his deadliest rivals.

Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock won't have that to lean on, however, as Venom hits in 2018, and unless something is teased in Spider-Man: Homecoming (hopefully not), none of that will have happened. Plus, the cosmic origins don't seem to fit within the universe Sony is creating anyway. Going the Flash Thompson route seems to be the best option given the current cards.

Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

The cast includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. It also includes Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Kenneth Choi, Michael Mando, Selenis Leyva, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., JJ Totah, and Hannibal Buress.

Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7, 2017, while Venom currently has an October 5, 2018 release date. The Animated Spider-Man Movie debuts on December 21, 2018, and the rumored Silver Sable and Black Cat films have no release windows.

MORE SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING: Venom Movie To Be Directed By Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer / Tom Holland Plans To Play Spider-Man For A Very Long Time / Kirsten Dunst Really Wanted A Fourth Spider-Man Movie

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