The Big Venom Question We Have After Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spoilers ahead for "Spider-Man: No Way Home"

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" is finally here. The latest adventure sees the multiverse open up, with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) pitted against classic villains from previous "Spider-Man" live-action movies. It also pairs him with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who he leans on for support while handling this crisis. (The MCU's Spider-Man having a bearded mentor figure? Sounds familiar ... ) Most fans will no doubt expect to see the web-slinger meet some other heroes in his third solo outing, but there's plenty of other multiversal madness going on in this story. From here on out, there will be spoilers because we're here to talk about Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), Venom, and the "No Way Home" post-credits scene.

The Lethal Protector himself shows up in the first post-credits scene, which it picks up shortly after the end of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" as Eddie is pulled into the MCU and sees a news report about Spider-Man. The new footage shows Eddie and Venom in Mexico, as the symbiote's handsome human host comes to terms with everything related to Thanos, the Infinity Stones, and the Blip, thanks to a bartender (Cristo Fernández). But when Eddie suggests they go and see Spider-Man in New York to talk about their situation, he and Venom are pulled back to their universe — presumably because of Doctor Strange's last spell at the end of the film.

These events leave fans with a pretty big question after the dramatic events of "Spider-Man: No Way Home": Will Venom ever come face-to-face with Spider-Man?

Venom and Spider-Man fighting one another seems like a sure thing, not only because they've fought in the world of Marvel Comics, but also because Sony Pictures holds the rights to both the Spider and the Symbiote. The only potential roadblock here is Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and the studio's plans for the MCU and its canon. Thankfully, Sony and Marvel seem to have a solid working relationship, so it's highly likely Tom Holland and Tom Hardy will share the screen in a Marvel adventure at some point. But the most important thing is the story and if it makes sense in the grand scheme of things.

Any director can point the two Marvel characters at each other and shout, "Fight!" like it's "Mortal Kombat," but a compelling plot will go a long way to making the meeting of these two figures feel natural. After all, there's plenty of legwork to be done to get them in the same universe, let alone the same arena. When asked about the prospect of a crossover in the wake of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," Holland told Total Film Magazine (via The Direct), "I genuinely don't know. It was really exciting to be a part of that film." He then added, "Obviously, Tom Hardy is one of the greatest actors in the world. I'm happy to say that he's a lovely bloke. But I haven't really given it very much thought."

Meanwhile, back in August, Hardy told Esquire, "I would be remiss if I wasn't trying to steer any kind of connectivity." He then went on to say, "Obviously, that's a large canyon to leap, to be bridged by one person alone, and it would take a much higher level of diplomacy and intelligence, sitting down and talking, to take on an arena such as that."

The only question left to ask is how the two characters might meet up in the future, and the answer possibly lies in the "No Way Home" post-credits scene. When Eddie is yanked out of the MCU, he leaves behind a piece of the Symbiote on the bar, which then starts to move before the footage cuts to black. Since Eddie mentions going to find Spider-Man seconds before his unceremonious exit, it's a safe bet that the black goo left behind is smart enough to go on a hunt for Peter Parker.

But what does it matter if Venom is back in another universe? Well, in the "Let There Be Carnage" post-credits scene, Venom tells Eddie that the Symbiote Collective Mind knows all about the multiverse. So, there's already an easy explanation in place should Eddie and Venom find their way back to the MCU's Spider-Man's world for a face-off. Of course, these are all just puzzle pieces, and we could be assembling them in the wrong way. But it's clear that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have an idea of where to take these characters in the future. However, this leaves us with yet another question: Who wins in a fight between Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Tom Hardy's Venom? That's a topic for another day.