Eddie Brock's love life has always been complicated—after all, dating him means dealing with an alien symbiote that might eat your enemies. But for writer Charles Soule, that very complication is what makes a new romance worth exploring. In the latest Venom series, illustrated by Tommaso Bianchi, Soule brings Eddie and the symbiote back to New York City, where they're not just protecting the neighborhood but also navigating a relationship with Yelena Belova, the Widow known to movie fans through Florence Pugh's MCU portrayal.
During Marvel's Spider-Man panel at New York Comic Con, Soule addressed how this romance fits with Yelena's asexuality. When an audience member asked about her ace identity, Soule explained that the story is about novelty for all three parties involved. "An ace character, or an ace individual, right? My view of that is just like with anything else. It's like a spectrum of choices," he said. "And so this situation is novel, and so choices that Yelena and Eddie and the symbiote have made in the past perhaps don't apply in this one. They're finding things in the scenario that they haven't found before, and it's taking them all to new and interesting places."
A Relationship Like No Other
Soule kept the details of how Yelena's identity will be portrayed under wraps, but he emphasized that the relationship is a shared discovery. Asexuality doesn't preclude romantic connections, and the panel didn't specify the exact nature of Yelena's attractions in this series. What's clear is that this isn't just a typical superhero romance—it's a three-way dynamic involving a human, a symbiote, and a former spy.
Earlier in the panel, Soule stressed that the symbiote is an equal partner in this relationship. "The thing that I really wanted to underscore with the way it works in the book is that she's not just dating Eddie Brock," he said. "She's dating the symbiote too." He also teased adding "spice" to the series, and his approach to the alien monster extends to Bianchi's art, which Soule says should make Venom feel unsettling even when standing still.
Venom Town and New Territory
The series also relocates Eddie and the symbiote to Alphabet City, where they stake out a turf they call "Venom Town." Between protecting that neighborhood and managing a relationship with three distinct personalities, Soule has plenty of material to work with. "I mean, we've all read a lot of Venom books, Venom's incredible, but what's the point of doing it if you're not gonna go to new places?" he said.
This isn't the first time Marvel has explored unconventional relationships, and fans have seen similar dynamics in other recent stories. For instance, Marvel Zombies promises a brutal chapter for the Winter Soldier, while Wonder Man might return despite cancellation rumors. But Soule's approach to Yelena's ace identity is a fresh take that could resonate with many readers.
As for what's next, Soule isn't revealing much, but the promise of "new and interesting places" suggests that this relationship will challenge all three characters in ways fans haven't seen before. Venom #1 is available now, following its October 14 release.
