Was Knull the original villain for Spider-Man: Brand New Day? The latest rumor reveals why plans for the iconic villain were ultimately scrapped.
In the lead up to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the rumor mill was absolutely awash with reports about what the project would entail. One of the most pervasive (and, truthfully, controversial) rumors was that the film would be yet another multiverse story, this time focusing on Tom Hardy’s Venom teaming up with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to take on Knull.
Yet with filming for Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially underway, it has become abundantly clear that any rumor involving Knull or Sony’s villain-verse was completely untrue. This raised the question: What happened to the plans for Knull? It’s clear that Venom: The Last Dance was teasing something, but a confluence of factors ended up with the plans scrapped in the discount bin.
Why Knull Was Scrapped From Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Details about this scrapped Knull storyline have reportedly been revealed by Alex Perez at The Cosmic Circus (Via ComicBookMovie.com). The leaker insists that, to their knowledge, the rumor that Knull and Venom were going to have a large role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day were true. At least, from Sony’s end. The plans ultimately fell through because Marvel Studios wanted to take the character in a different direction, one that’s seemingly much more grounded.
“When I mentioned Knull being the villain for [Spider-Man 4], this was part of Sony’s push to involve their symbiote storyline and connect it to The Last Dance. For a while, it was. They even teased it in a press release. However, Marvel wanted a different direction: the one we have now.”
Given how horrifically the multiverse has backfired for Marvel in recent years, it makes sense that they wouldn’t want to risk a runback on the concept in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This not to mention the fact that Venom, Knull, and all other projects relating to Sony’s Spider-Man villains underperformed with audiences and critics. So while some Knull fans may be heartbroken that these plans were scrapped, it’s likely for the best in the long run.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters July 31st, 2026. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding Spider-Man’s Marvel Cinematic Universe future, and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
