Did Mark Ruffalo Just Tease Tom Holland's Spider-Man vs. Venom Showdown in the MCU?

Alright, if you’re someone still hoping for a full-on Spider-Man and Venom throwdown in the good ol’ MCU, here’s where we’re at — and yes, it’s still a mess, but maybe a less hopeless one than before.

We’ve Been Here Before...

Let’s back up for a second: Tom Holland’s Spidey has always been caught between Marvel Studios (the MCU crew) and Sony Pictures (the ones controlling his arch-enemies). One detail that’s always been up in the air? Whether any of Sony’s “leading villains” — most notably Venom — will ever tangle with Holland’s Peter Parker on an actual MCU screen.

We’ve seen all sorts of hints, but Marvel and Sony haven’t exactly played nice when it comes to crossing streams. That'd be one reason why Tom Hardy’s Venom — star of his own weirdly successful trilogy for Sony, even as Morbius and Madame Web bombed — hasn't had his day with Holland’s wall-crawler.

The Not-So-Secret Teases

• Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021): The post-credits scene threw Venom into the MCU for about two minutes, where he basically watched TV, saw Peter’s secret blown wide open, and then got yanked back to his universe. Riveting stuff.
• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): Hardy’s Venom appeared in a post-credits bit, still in Mexico, before getting magicked away by Doctor Strange’s spell. Again, about as close as they’ll let him get.

These cameos have felt more like contractual loophole filler than any serious crossover. Hardy’s definitely talked up the idea of going full MCU, but so far, it’s just been fandom fuel.

Ruffalo Drops a (Possibly Accidental) Tease

Here’s where it gets interesting: Mark Ruffalo — the Hulk himself, and serial Marvel spoiler — recently dropped this nugget during an event in Italy:

"I promise you 1000% that he will be fighting an alien in the future."

No, he didn’t say ‘Venom’ by name, or exactly when it’ll happen. But really, c’mon: is anyone in the crowd thinking this is about the Chitauri?

What’s Next: Spider-Man and the Invisible Enemy

Looking at what’s coming up, there’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” landing in 2026. The first trailer’s already out, and fans are obsessed with one very specific mystery:

There’s a scene in a trashed government facility where something (or someone) invisible is leaping between people — a pretty Venom-esque move, if you remember how the symbiote has switched hosts in those Sony flicks. Marvel and Sony, predictably, aren’t actually saying a word about whether this is Hardy’s Venom finally crossing over for real.

Sony’s Spider-Verse Stalls, MCU Door May Open

For a long time, Marvel Studios reportedly blocked Holland’s Spider-Man from making an appearance in Sony’s Venom series. But that seems to have loosened up, if we count his weird non-meeting in Let There Be Carnage.

Meanwhile, after the spinoffs crashed and burned, Sony’s apparently slammed the brakes on building out its separate Spider-Man villain universe. Which — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — actually makes it easier for Venom to finally show up in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe.

How Likely Is This, Really?

Here’s my take: If Venom is going to be a part of “Brand New Day,” they’ll do everything possible to keep it secret until we’re much closer to the release. But, when Ruffalo starts running his mouth (and let’s be honest, he’s actually leaked major Marvel stuff before), it might actually mean they’re putting Spider-Man and Venom on a collision course, at long last.

In other words: Don’t be surprised if 2026 is the year we finally get Tom Holland versus Tom Hardy. Or at least, more than 30 seconds of it.