Marvel seemingly just confirmed the identity of its newVenomhost… so why do fans think someone totally different is wearing the symbiote? For the last few months, Marvel’s symbiote has undergone a major redesign, with a new golden symbol and a reckless attitude. Marvel proposed four possiblenew hosts for the Venom symbiote: perennial sidekick Rick Jones, superhero mayor Luke Cage, supervillain Madame Masque, or crusading journalist Robbie Robertson.Now, there’s only one candidate it could possibly be… so why does it feel like we aren’t done?
In a preview ofAll-New Venom #5, fans see Madame Masque present while the new Venom fights MODOK. Given Rick Jones was justrevealed as the host of the Sleeper symbioteand Luke Cage was ruled out in issue 2 for being too tall (after Venom was shot clean through the head),thisshouldconfirm that Venom is Robertson… and yet there are few Marvel fans who think that’s actually the case.
While it’s unlike Marvel to do a full fakeout - offering four candidates then choosing none of them - fans have been speculating for a while that someone else is underneath the symbiote. Mary Jane Watson’s new partner Paul was considered a probable contender by many, however attention has now shifted to MJ herself…
When Venom Breaks Bad: 10 Times Marvel Villains Got Their Own Symbiotes
Venom has merged with many villains throughout the Marvel Universe, giving them shocking redesigns that made them more terrifying than ever before.
The New Venom Has to Be Robbie Robertson…
So Why Do Fans Think It’s Mary Jane Watson?
Fans are currently speculating thatthe new Venom is Spider-Man’s iconic ally and love interest MJ Watson. This is primarily because of a viral post on X from@iREUS_SA, seemingly showing a variant cover by Clayton Crain in which Mary Jane is shown wearing the symbiote. The cover is in the style of other covers by Crain for the issue, showcasing each of the possible suspects wearing the suit.
While this artwork hasn’t been verified by Marvel, it makes sense with the preview pages and what we know about the next issue in the series. The summary for the upcomingAll-New Venom #6states that the issue will reveal how the All-New Venom came to be, with cover art of MJ fighting the symbiote inher superhero guise as Jackpot.This makes it seem extremely likely that MJ is the all-new Venom, with Marvel finding a way to mislead fans by showing the two fighting as separate people (presumably before they merged.)
Cover Artist:
Adam Kubert & Laura Martin
THE ORIGIN OF THE ALL-NEW VENOM! Now we know WHO the All-New Venom is… the question is HOW? What happened after the events of the Venom War? Why did the symbiote choose this host - and why can’t they separate? Jackpot confronts Venom - and she may not like what she finds out!
Oh Man… Is This an Apri Fool’s Prank?
The Release Date for the Issue Can’t Be a Coincidence…
It’s unusual for Marvel to present a mystery with four clear answers and then double-back, but it’s particularly likely to be the case here. The entire mystery about the new Venom has been presented as Dylan Brock’s investigation into who stole his symbiote. Going beyond the four ‘official’ candidates could therefore be framed as Dylan being wrong, rather than Marvel just misleading fans.It’s also worth noting that the issue will release on April Fool’s Day.All-New Venom’s playful tone would further justify such a major mislead, especially because Paul and MJ have been along for the ride with Dylan the whole time, hidden in plain sight.
Going by what Marvel has told fans so far, the new previewshouldconclusively prove that Robbie Robertson is the All-New Venom. However, the four characters offered by Marvel felt like random picks from the start, and even without the viral tweet, the evidence seems to point far more to MJ or Paul. Fans will find out conclusively whether the new Venom is Paul, MJ or Robbie Robertson whenAll-New Venomreleases April 2 from Marvel Comics.
