We love to speculate about superhero movies just as much as the next fan, but the latest rumor that Venom will be featured in 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' seems a bit far-fetched, even for us.

As Latino Review points out, some fans are reaching pretty high with speculation that actor Dane DeHaan is secretly playing Venom in Marc Webb's upcoming sequel to 'The Amazing Spider-Man.' This wild speculation all started over a photo posted by the director on DeHaan's birthday (below), featuring a locker with the number 14, which some believe to be a nod to the 'Ultimate Spider-Man' comics, specifically the issue in which the Venom symbiote was first discovered.

It's a coincidence, for sure, but this sounds like speculation that's just gotten out of hand -- and does anyone even want Venom to be in this movie? The last time Venom was in a 'Spider-Man' movie, things didn't work out so well: the villain showed up in Sam Raimi's much-maligned 'Spider-Man 3,' and the story goes that Raimi wasn't keen on including Venom. Sony put pressure on the director to incorporate the fan-favorite villain, resulting in a lackluster spectacle that felt like an afterthought, considering 'Spider-Man 3' already had two other villains.

Then why all the eager speculation about Venom now? Are we just looking for something with which to be annoyed, or do people secretly want to see Venom again so soon? It was reported that DeHaan would be playing Harry Osborn, son of Norman, which would make sense given that the first film provided Peter Parker's origin story and featured Gwen Stacy, who (SPOILER) will likely die in the second film. With Shailene Woodley playing Mary Jane Watson in the sequel, it seems more likely that DeHaan would be cast as Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend.

And the film already has Paul Giamatti on board to play the villain Rhino, giving the sequel two potential villains -- surely Sony (and Webb) learned something from 'Spider-Man 3' and wish to avoid villain overload.

Marc Webb Spider-Man Photo Venom
Marc Webb
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