It looks like Spider-Man 4 might be keeping a symbiotic surprise under wraps. Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks Tom Holland's fourth outing as the web-slinger since his MCU debut nearly a decade ago and has already been filming for two months. With Scorpion (Michael Mando), Tombstone (Marvin Jones III), the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), and even the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) set to appear, speculation about the story has been running wild. Now, one potential twist involving an unconfirmed villain may have been uncovered.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a speck of the symbiote from Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom (Earth-688B) was left behind in the MCU's Earth-616, teasing Marvel and Sony’s intent to eventually connect the alien substance to Tom Holland's Peter Parker through the multiverse.
While Hardy wrapped up his Venom saga with The Last Dance in 2024, the symbiote's story on the big screen is far from over. Although there's no official confirmation of its presence in Brand New Day, a growing theory suggests the black goo could play a pivotal role not just for Peter, but for several other characters already confirmed for the fourth film.
Michael Mando's confirmed return as Mac Gargan has reignited theories about his transformation into the Scorpion and potentially much more.
While Gargan's debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming was brief, comic history reveals a darker path the MCU could tap into: in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #10 (2005), he bonded with the Venom symbiote, gaining incredible power.
Mando teased this connection by sharing an image of Scorpion alongside Venom, sparking speculation that Spider-Man: Brand New Day could merge these storylines.
If true, the symbiote may first find its way to Gargan, setting him up as one of the film's main threats and giving Peter his eventual path to the black suit.
Perhaps the boldest part of this theory ties the symbiote to Bruce Banner. Since Avengers: Endgame, Banner has remained in his Smart Hulk form, but fans have long wanted a return to the uncontrollable rage of the Savage Hulk.
In the comics, the symbiote has bonded with Hulk before, producing one of Marvel's most terrifying mashups. This was most notably explored in Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk Vol. 1 #1, where Bruce Banner entered a chilling mental confrontation with the Venom symbiote. The story dug deep into Banner's fractured psyche, showing how his various Hulk personas, including the Savage Hulk and Devil Hulk, reacted to the alien parasite.
If Brand New Day follows a path inspired by this exploration, the black goo latching onto Banner could rip away his calm persona and unleash a Venomized Hulk.
This would not only restore the monster fans have been missing but also raise the stakes to an unprecedented level, leaving Spider-Man to face a physical foe unlike anything he's battled in the MCU, similar to Sam Wilson's (Anthony Mackie) Captain America having to fight Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) in Brave New World.
That setup leads to the film's potential twist: Peter himself wielding the symbiote suit. A popular theory suggests that Spider-Man can only fight a newly erupted Savage Hulk by bonding with the symbiote.
Beyond giving Holland's Peter a sleek new black suit, this would make for one of the most high-stakes confrontations in MCU history. Imagine Spider-Man's agility and ingenuity amplified by the symbiote's raw power, similar to what gamers felt in Spider-Man 2, finally giving him the strength to battle Hulk on equal footing.
Not only would this twist pay off the No Way Home post-credit tease, it would also confront of the fans' favorite Spidey stories, that hasn't been told on film since 2007.
While it remains murky how exactly the symbiote might jump between so many characters in Spider-Man 4, its presence could clearly serve as a major driver of the narrative.
With mystery castings like Sadie Sink and Tramell Tillman still unconfirmed in terms of their roles, no one truly knows who the main antagonist of Brand New Day will be. The symbiote, however, may be the key that connects all the dots.
Peter's delve into the dark side would also be fascinating to explore, especially after the dreary place that No Way Home left the character in, with no one on Earth remembering who he is.
Big changes are coming to Peter Parker’s world when Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2025. Zendaya's MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned are both returning, alongside Ruffalo, Tillman, Sink, Bernthal, and, of course, Tom Holland. Arriving just five months before Avengers: Doomsday, the big question still looming is whether Spider-Man will appear in that crossover, or hold off until Secret Wars in 2027.
The Symbiote Entering the MCU
If the symbiote's introduction in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is real, the ripple effects across the MCU could be massive. The black suit has always been more than just a costume; it originated in Secret Wars (1984) when Peter Parker first bonded with the alien symbiote, a partnership that both enhanced his powers and pushed him toward darker impulses before it later became Venom.
That history gives Marvel Studios a perfect excuse to revisit one of Spider-Man's most defining arcs, with many fans expecting the black suit to appear during Marvel Studios' Secret Wars.
While Holland hasn't been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, it's almost impossible to imagine both Avengers films without Spider-Man, and the symbiote could be the twist that sets him apart.
No Way Home already cracked the Multiverse wide open, leaving the door open for Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield to return, potentially even recognizing the danger of the suit if Holland's Peter dons it.
No matter when the symbiote appears, it's safe to say its impact will be immediate and welcomed with open arms by fans worldwide.
