The Venom franchise is a franchise that is either loved or hated, but for me, I love them movies. I still remember being asked if the first Venom movie was worth watching and how it was because of the negative traction it got online.
People’s main complaint was how it could work without Spider-Man. Well, for me, Spider-Man was not needed, as this was the perfect opportunity to make Venom a great standalone character. I’ll explain why.
1. A Fresh Origin
Venom’s origin is usually tied directly to Peter Parker, but Sony’s version avoids retreading familiar ground and instead builds Eddie’s story around his investigative journalism side, moral gray areas, and personal downfall.
This gives the character room to grow in new directions rather than being defined by Spider-Man.
2. Villains and Conflicts
The films focus on enemies like Riot and Carnage, these are enemies that work without needing Spider-Man. The films focus on Symbiote vs Symbiote, Eddie’s personal battles, and themes of duality and identity.
None of these themes needs Spider-Man to feel anything like complete or compelling.
3. A Tone That Sets It Apart From Classic Spider-Man Films
Unlike the traditional heroic optimism of Spider-Man movies, Venom leans into different themes compared to those films. The Venom movies lean into the dark comedy, body horror, monster-movie energy, and adult-oriented humor.
This tonal shift distances it from Spider-Man while appealing to an audience that wants something edgier.
4. Eddie Brock Becomes the Center
Without Spider-Man, the films allow Venom to shine. Eddie isn’t a secondary figure or adversary; he’s the anchor. Venom gets more emotional depth, a unique, more screen time to show his flaws and growth. This turns him into a compelling lead rather than a villain or anti-hero shaped by Spider-Man’s morality.
5. Flexibility of Sony’s Marvel Universe
One of the biggest advantages the Venom franchise had was the freedom of existing outside of the MCU timeline and rules. This gave Sony room to experiment in ways Marvel Studios could not. It gave them room to do something different than the MCU-style family-friendly synergy; Sony allowed Venom to embrace the morbid humor, anti-hero storytelling, monster-movie visuals, and chaotic character interactions.
The only reasons why people thought this universe was a failure were its weak standalone characters and scripts. Projects like Morbius and Madame Web were built around characters with little public recognition and scripts that didn’t inspire fan enthusiasm.
The universe also failed because it had a lack of coherent vision and inconnected plans, reliance on Spider-Man references without the man himself, overemphasis on universe-building instead of good storytelling, and poor critical reception and negative fan buzz.
