Tom Hardy's Venom Just Got A Hilarious (And Kind Of Gruesome) New Honor
There are numerous accolades a performer can receive. From industry awards to a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, society loves celebrating those who bring them so much joy. But there's another honor celebrities can receive that isn't talked about as often — getting a new species named after them.
Scientists often discover new animal and plant species, and those who like having a little fun may name them after a famous person or character, especially if there's some kind of loose connection to make. That's now the case with Tom Hardy, Eddie Brock in the "Venom" movies, who now has a spider named after him, appropriately enough. Published in the Evolutionary Systematics journal, the new spider dons the scientific designation Venomius tomhardyi. The discovery comes courtesy of MSc Giullia Rossi, Dr. Pedro Castanheira, and Dr. Volker Frameanu from Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. They partnered with Dr. Renner Baptista from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Looking at pictures of the spider, it's easy to see where the inspiration came from. The arachnid bears markings on its abdomen that resemble Venom's face, and while it has a cool name, it's just one more reminder that Australia has some truly terrifying animals.
What would Venom think of this spider?
Venom quickly became one of Spider-Man's most popular villains when he was introduced in the late 1980s. Since then, he's gone on to become more of an anti-hero, and that's pretty much the role he inhabits in his two live-action movies so far — "Venom" and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage." He also had a brief excursion into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," but fans aren't done with him yet. Tom Hardy will reprise the character at least one more time in the upcoming "Venom 3."
But it's not just a new spider that's been discovered. It exists in an entirely new genus dubbed Venomius that falls within the Araneidae family of spiders that are known for constructing upright circular webs in order to catch prey. And while Venomius is similar to Phonognatha, they're distinct in that Venomius spiders build silk-lined holes in tree branches, and they have differing genitalia.
It's worth noting that this isn't the first time a new spider species has drawn inspiration from a "Spider-Man" actor. Two spider species were discovered in Iran that were named Filistata maguirei and Pritha garfieldi, after Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, respectively. The scientists who found Venomius tomhardyi have stated their commitment in continuing to explore the biodiversity of Australia and New Zealand, so if another spider is found, maybe they could name it after Tom Holland.