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Sony’s self-indulgence is already dooming ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ to aging like milk

A hot take too far or totally warranted? You be the judge.

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse
Image via Sony Pictures

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has deservedly become a monster hit for Sony. It’s sitting pretty at 95 percent on the Tomatometer, has already grossed more than $200 million at the box office, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Even better is that we don’t have to wait too long for more, with Beyond the Spider-Verse set to wrap up Miles’ adventure when it lands in March.

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The Spider-Verse trilogy feels destined to become one of the greatest superhero arcs of all time, though some naysayers believe an unexpected crossover with Sony’s Venom may eventually just confuse future audiences. It comes as The Spot journeys through various other universes, at one point stopping off in a convenience store frequented by Eddie Brock himself.

We don’t actually see Tom Hardy as Venom, though this scene indicates that his world is part of the Spider-Verse so there must be some kind of alternative Spider-Man out there in it. But is this a crossover too far?

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This feels like a very unfair slight on Venom, which is a fun and offbeat romp anchored by an all-out performance from Tom Hardy. I’ve long felt that Venom in no way deserves its lowly 30 percent on the Tomatometer, and while it might not be the greatest superhero romp of all time it’s far from the worst.

Fortunately, audiences seem to have agreed and the wheels are now spinning on Venom 3. Tom Hardy will once again return, alongside Doctor Strange‘s Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ted Lasso‘s Juno Temple. Writers’ strike permitting it’s expected to be out in mid-2024, though we wouldn’t be surprised if it slipped into 2025. Perhaps we’ll finally see the symbiote meet up with Spidey, though which variant he’ll encounter remains a mystery.