Venom's role in Spider-Man 2 remains a closely guarded secret. While we know Peter Parker will don the alien Symbiote, it's currently unclear who becomes the Venom that terrorises him and Miles Morales.
Right now, Harry Osborn appears to be the most likely candidate, though we can't help but wonder whether that's a clever misdirect to cover up the fact Eddie Brock is indeed part of the sequel.
However, comments from Senior Creative Director Bryan Intihar suggest this take on Venom might not adhere too closely to the comic books.
"Our philosophy has always been that we want to respect the history of the franchise and the Spider-Man DNA, but also not be afraid to mix things up," he explains. "The same holds true for one of its iconic characters, Venom."
"While the look of the character and several of his powers/abilities should be familiar to fans, this will be a unique Venom story that we are excited for everyone to experience this October."
Spider-Man 2 Senior Narrative Director Jon Paquette added to that by saying the main reason for introducing Venom was to push both Peter and Miles to their limits. "With the introduction of the symbiote into our franchise, our heroes are forced to battle darkness, in all its forms," he teases. "We wanted to see them change, both inside and outside, and feel the effect it has on those around them."
"And when Venom takes control, they face the real danger that they could lose themselves, and their loved ones, forever."
Could that last part suggest both Peter and Miles will don the black costume and lose themselves to Venom? There is precedent for that on the page, and it would be a unique twist which makes this story all the more personal. It might also leave the door open to Eddie appearing down the line, albeit without being shoehorned into the story this sequel is telling.
Spider-Man 2 is set to be released on October 20.