Quick Links
- Scorpion Becomes Venom in the Comics
- Venom/Scorpion Combo Ties up Two Mid-Credit Scenes
- Story Possibilities with Venom in the MCU
As a long-time comic book enthusiast and Marvel movies aficionado, I must say that the idea of merging Scorpion and Venom in the MCU is nothing short of ingenious! Having followed both characters’ journeys from their humble beginnings in the comics to their big screen adaptations, I can confidently say that this move would not only breathe fresh life into the Spider-Man franchise but also pay homage to the rich tapestry of Marvel lore.
Come October 2024, discussions about Spider-Man dominated conversations. Not only did Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 secure an official release date on July 24, 2026, but Venom: The Last Dance hit theaters as well. Positioned as the concluding chapter of the Venom series, Venom: The Last Dance saw Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) bid farewell to his beloved symbiote. Remarkably, the film seemed to contradict the mid-credit scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home, suggesting that the remnant of the Venom symbiote was not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s untouchable timeline but instead belonged to the Venom universe. However, the way The Last Dance presents this scene leaves room for speculation that two separate symbiotes could have been left behind, potentially paving the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to introduce its own Venom character.
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the storyline of Spider-Man 4. While Spider-Man: No Way Home suggested a street-level journey, the massive box office success of that movie and the release of Spider-Man 4 between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars might indicate that it will be another multiverse adventure. In essence, Spider-Man 4 could resolve two separate post-credit scene plots – the Venom symbiote from Spider-Man: No Way Home and the hint of Mac Gargan (Michael Mando), who is known as Scorpion in the comics, introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming. In fact, Scorpion could potentially embody the MCU’s version of Venom, making him an ideal adversary for Spider-Man 4.
Scorpion Becomes Venom in the Comics
Mac Gargan was initially introduced by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #19, which came out in December 1964. In the subsequent issue, #20 released in January 1965, he first appeared as Scorpion. Initially, Gargan was a private investigator hired by J. Jonah Jameson to uncover how Peter Parker managed to take amazing photos of Spider-Man. However, he wasn’t successful in his mission. Later on, when Jameson failed to find out the truth, he asked Gargan to undergo an experimental procedure that granted him the abilities of a scorpion, given their natural enmity towards spiders. This made Scorpion an ideal adversary for Spider-Man.
As a diehard cinema enthusiast, I’d say it goes something like this: The Scorpion’s tail grants Gargan extraordinary abilities, yet it also subtly corrupts his mind, causing him to pursue Jameson relentlessly before being thwarted by Spider-Man. In essence, the Scorpion is driven primarily by a thirst for vengeance against Spider-Man and Jameson. This character becomes a recurring adversary of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, although he’s not typically considered one of the heaviest hitters in Spidey’s rogues gallery or even the broader Marvel Universe.
In March 2005, Mac Gargan swapped roles with the Scorpion character for Venom in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #10. During this comic period, the Venom symbiote left Eddie Brock, who was dying of cancer. This symbiote then bonded with Gargan, elevating him to the rank of top-tier supervillain. Notably, Gargan’s version of Venom has eyes with pupils instead of the solid white lines that are characteristic of classic Venom.
In the Marvel Comics series known as Civil War, Gargan transforms into Venom. Afterward, he joins the Thunderbolts, a team led by Norman Osborn. Later, when Osborn renames the Thunderbolts to the Dark Avengers, Gargan adopts the public persona of “Spider-Man.” In the Siege storyline, Gargan (as Venom) gets apprehended together with numerous other members of the Dark Avengers.
In the Marvel Comics’ storyline “Spider-Man: Big Time” published in 2010, Mac Gargan was disassociated from the symbiote, which means that for a span of five years, he portrayed Venom in the comics. For readers who started delving into comic books during this era, coinciding with the release of “Spider-Man 3” and the early films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe like “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk”, Gargan was the first depiction of Venom they encountered. Given his established character in the comics and the potential to distinguish himself from past cinematic portrayals, he could be an ideal choice for the MCU’s Venom.
Venom/Scorpion Combo Ties up Two Mid-Credit Scenes
For seven years now, we’ve been waiting for the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and in its post-credits scene, a hint was dropped about Mac Gargan pursuing Spider-Man. This setup laid the foundation for the Scorpion character, as when he was arrested, he linked up with Adrian Toomes/Vulture (Michael Keaton) to acquire “The Gargan Tail,” a reference to his Scorpion identity. With Spider-Man 4, it will have been nine years since the Scorpion was first teased, and Marvel Studios hasn’t yet followed through on this promise, as both Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home took Peter Parker on adventures away from home while focusing on past Spider-Man villains from the cinematic universe. It appears that there simply hasn’t been any space for Scorpion in these stories.
It appears that Scorpion’s role as a secondary Spider-Man adversary may limit his potential, especially considering the grandiose scale of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” which grossed $1.9 billion globally. This wouldn’t have been an issue for the initial Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Spider-Man films that utilized Vulture and Mysterio. To avoid seeming like a significant box office disappointment, Sony Pictures might be seeking another blockbuster Spider-Man antagonist. However, reimagining Scorpion as Venom could elevate his standing, providing Marvel Studios and Sony with two villains for the price of one. This move would also tie up the post-credit scene from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and the Venom remnant shown in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”.
Based on the agreement with Sony Pictures, it seems that characters like Kraven the Hunter, Morbius, Chameleon, Rhino, and potentially Venom (specifically Eddie Brock) might be unavailable for use in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as they belong to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. However, it is possible that the MCU could utilize their own version of Venom, such as one of his other host bodies from the comics. This could be beneficial because, after three Venom solo films, Tom Hardy has created a strong identity for Eddie Brock that might feel repetitive to replicate again. It’s best for the MCU’s Venom to establish its own unique identity, and using Mac Gargan instead of Eddie Brock seems like the right approach to begin with.
Story Possibilities with Venom in the MCU
From a storytelling standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Despite fans wanting to see Tom Hardy’s Venom fight Spider-Man, the Venom movies had done everything to sever the connection between the two characters so that a fight would be meaningless. Yet Mac Gargan’s Scorpion has a lot in common with Eddie Brock from the comics, who had a personal vendetta against Spider-Man, so a Scorpion/Venom hybrid would be closer to the original Venom and Spider-Man dynamic from the comics.
In the movie, Gargan might don his iconic Scorpion armor first, serving as an adversary seeking retribution against Spider-Man, particularly for the events of Homecoming. Initially, Spider-Man manages to subdue Scorpion. However, later on, Mac Gargan could merge with the symbiote, transforming into the more formidable Venom. This dual entity, Venom/Scorpion, would have the capacity to exact revenge on Spider-Man and pose a significant danger to everyone else.
It also works in a larger meta-sense. Scorpion in the comics and his film counterpart are not seen as a big deal compared to other Spider-Man villains, but merging him with Venom not only makes Spider-Man notice but moviegoing audiences since Venom is easily one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains. How does one top the multiversal epic of Spider-Man: No Way Home? Pitting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man against Venom is a strong pitch that general audiences would notice.
Regardless of who plays Venom, his character is so popular that the movie feels like a major event just by having him appear. This way, even a street-level Spider-Man film can have an epic feel to it. Additionally, since Venom is a symbiote from another universe, he could serve as a multiverse villain for Spider-Man 4, allowing the movie to blend both street-level adventures and a larger, multiversal threat.
In the upcoming movie “Captain America: Brave New World,” we will finally see The Leader’s storyline unfold, a tease that was first hinted at in “The Incredible Hulk” 17 years ago. This suggests that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is slowly but surely addressing long-standing plot threads. Meanwhile, with “Spider-Man 4” coming up, it seems like an opportune moment to explore the tease from “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” involving Mac Gargan/Scorpion, and deliver the much-anticipated Spider-Man vs Venom face-off that fans have been eagerly waiting for.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-11-11 00:32