Venom 3 Gets the Green Light at Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman confirms that a third film in Tom Hardy's Spider-Man-centric Venom saga is in the works.
Sony Pictures has officially confirmed a third installment in the Venomfranchise.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group Chairman/CEO Tom Rothman made the announcement during CinemaCon, though details on the project are scarce.
The Venom films star Tom Hardy as journalist Eddie Brock and his symbiote Venom as they learn to work together to stop other alien symbiotes. The Spider-Man spinoff franchise has been a successful box office player for Sony. 2018's Venom grossed $856.1 million at the worldwide box office while its 2021 sequel Let There Be Carnage grossed $502.1 million globally.
Hardy last appeared as Brock and Venom in the mid-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home, following up on Let There Be Carnage's own mid-credits scene, which saw the duo transported to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although Hardy only cameoed in No Way Home, co-screenwriter Chris McKenna revealed in April that Venom originally had a larger role in the film's third act. "We were going to try to have him show up at the Statue of Liberty [for the final fight]," McKenna said, "and we were even toying with having him stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel."
In No Way Home's mid-credits scene, Brock and Venom learn about Spider-Man from a bartender and decide they need to meet the web-slinger. While the two are transported back to their main universe before such a meeting could occur, a small piece of the Venom symbiote gets left behind, teasing a more prominent role in a future MCU project.
In December 2021, a notable industry scooper stated Venom3 will "explore the Multiverse", as well as show "Venom finally meeting and fighting Spider-Man." It was also hinted that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man will appear in the film instead of the Tom Holland version from the MCU.
Rhys Ifans, who played Lizard in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man and returned as the character in No Way Home, revealed the same month that he'd be open to fighting the Lethal Protector. "Yeah, Venom and the Lizard," Ifans answered when asked who he wanted to see the Lizard fight next. "I mean, that would be messy, yeah."
In addition to Venom 3, Sony has Marvel films Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web slated for release in 2023. A film based on Spider-Man character El Muerto is also in the works and was announced alongside Venom 3 at CinemaCon.
