The MCU Might Be Introducing a New Version of Venom (& Skipping the Symbiote Saga Entirely)

Despite only having three solo movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man has gone up against a good number of his notable villains. Vulture and Mysterio are the first up to bat in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: No Way Home, respectively, giving the titular hero trouble as he tries to navigate life as a high school student and a superhero. The MCU kicks things up a notch, though, in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which features not one but five bad guys, who all come from previous Spider-Man franchises. It takes the help of two Peter Parker variants to take them down, but Earth-616’s Wall-Crawler can’t bet on having friends around all the time.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is going to send Peter out on his own, and he’s going to run into two other MCU heroes, the Hulk and the Punisher, who may not get along with him at first. However, despite the in-fighting, the movie isn’t leaving the villain slot empty, as there’s at least one major bad guy set to appear. On paper, they seem like small potatoes, but in reality, they could be the MCU’s version of Venom and make it so Spider-Man never gets the chance to wear the symbiote suit.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Finally Going to Pay Off Homecoming‘s Mid-Credits Scene

Peter realizes he’s in over his head while fighting the Vulture, who is selling alien technology to criminals all over New York. The risks don’t deter the hero from doing the right thing, though, so he boards the Staten Island Ferry, where a big buy is about to go down. The Vulture is there, and Spider-Man doesn’t hesitate to confront the villain. Unfortunately, things get out of hand, and the boat ends up getting severely damaged. While all the passengers are safe, they only make it out unscathed because Iron Man shows up to help. Tony Stark scolds Peter for biting off more than he can chew, but one good thing did come of the young man’s interference.

Mac Gargan, a dangerous criminal, is on the ferry, and the FBI apprehends him during the incident. Once Vulture goes down himself, he sees Gargan in prison during Homecoming‘s mid-credits scene. They discuss Spider-Man’s identity, and while Vulture doesn’t give it up, it’s clear that Gargan holds a grudge and will find a way to get back at the hero. Well, it’s taken a few years, but Gargan is about to get his chance in Brand New Day. The only problem is that the next MCU Spider-Man movie features some heavy hitters, and it’s going to take more than a scorpion costume to allow Gargan to hold his own.

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Mac Gargan May Be Skipping His Scorpion Phase in the MCU

To celebrate his MCU return, actor Michael Mando posted a picture on social media of his character, Gargan, from the comics, wearing his iconic green Scorpion costume. The prevailing theory is that the Homecoming villain will return to exact his revenge on Spider-Man and get in the way of the hero’s fight with the Hulk. However, the second part of Mando’s image potentially rules out that idea, as it shows off Gargan’s transformation into Venom. In the comics, Gargan bonds with the symbiote after learning Spider-Man’s real identity and uses his new abilities to terrorize the heroes. He stays Venom long enough to join the Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers, being one of Norman Osborn’s most dangerous enforcers.

Since Sony’s franchise already made several movies about Eddie Brock, the original Venom, the MCU could be looking to go in a different direction. By giving Gargan the symbiote, he wouldn’t have any problem fighting both Spider-Man and the Hulk and pulling off whatever plan he’s cooking up in Brand New Day. Introducing Venom right now may mean that Peter never gets to wear the symbiote suit, but that’s not the worst thing, as that story has already happened on the big screen. The MCU is working hard to keep things fresh, focusing on new heroes and villains. An easy way to keep that train moving is by giving one of Spider-Man’s main rivals an unfamiliar face.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026.

Do you think Mac Gargan will turn into Venom in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Would you be upset if Peter Parker doesn’t wear the symbiote suit in the MCU? Let us know in the comments below!