How Venom 3's 'New Spider-Man' Rumor Leak Changes Everything

Contains potential spoilers for "Venom: The Last Dance"

When it was announced "Venom 3" would be subtitled "The Last Dance," there was a lot of speculation as to what that could mean. The most obvious explanation is that this will be Venom's (Tom Hardy) last ride, and he may meet an untimely end. Now, a possible plot leak from 3C Films suggests that the movie will deal directly with the character trying to avoid exactly that disastrous fate.

As with any scoop, it's good to remain skeptical, but the basic plot outline rumored for "Venom: The Last Dance" is that the anti-hero becomes aware Peter Parker will kill him in the future. Peter's just 10 years old at the time of the film, so Venom tracks down the pint-sized hero-to-be to kill him before he grows up and takes Eddie and the symbiote out. There's also the threat of a group of new symbiotes, including Toxin, along with Eddie eventually having a change of heart and deciding to save young Peter.

The plot does make sense, as it could pay off the post-credits scenes of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home," where Eddie temporarily ends up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Tom Holland version of Spider-Man. However, this storyline would seemingly introduce a brand new Peter Parker into the mix. He'd be a child, but it could set the stage for a proper Spidey to eventually feature in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, possibly as a teenager. Finally, the Sony-verse would actually have a web-slinger, rectifying the biggest issue that's been plaguing these films.

The scooped plotline for "Venom: The Last Dance" is certainly more plausible than the absolutely wild fan theory that Norman Reedus will play Aunt May. While a lot can still change between now and when "Venom 3" comes out on October 25, it would make sense for Sony to try to introduce a new Spider-Man into its shared universe to battle against the likes of Morbius (Jared Leto) and Kraven the Hunter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). But one of the reasons this plot feels odd is that, as presented, it shares quite a bit with the notorious flop, "Madame Web." 

"Madame Web" also centered on a character, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), learning that spider-based heroes will kill him in the future and deciding to kill them while they're still kids. Based on the scoop, which may or may not be true, that's precisely what Venom wants to do, the difference being that Venom eventually decides to protect little Peter Parker. To be fair, both plots owe a debt to the "Terminator" franchise, but it would be funny if "Venom 3" really does take cues from one of the most maligned comic book movies ever. 

The scoop also contains some more detailed casting information (also to be taken with a grain of salt), saying Juno Temple plays Lieutenant Patricia Robertson, who merges with a symbiote and becomes Mayhem. Additionally, it states Chiwetel Ejiofor will play Orwell Taylor, who, in the comics, leads The Jury in trying to eliminate all symbiotes. The "Venom" movies have certainly been highlights in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, so if there's any movie that could introduce a new Spidey, even if he's not even in high school yet, "Venom: The Last Dance" may be the most logical place for it.