In 2018, Sony Pictures made a bold attempt to keep making Marvel movies without the direct involvement of Marvel Studios. The very first movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe was Venom, a film based on one of Spidey’s greatest villains who Topher Grace had previously portrayed in 2007’s Spider-Man 3. The Dark Knight Rises‘ Tom Hardy headlined Venom as reporter Eddie Brock and the titular alien symbiote who bonded with him. And unlike Sony’s later film, Morbius, Venom was a big hit, earning $856.1 million worldwide.
Hardy reprised his dual roles in 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which also outperformed expectations in the post-pandemic box office. Later this year, Hardy will once again return as Eddie and Venom in Venom 3, a film described as the closing chapter in this trilogy. Regardless, Venom 3 may not be the end of the road for Hardy’s superhero career, especially after his MCU cameo in 2021. To bring everyone up to speed about the upcoming superhero sequel, we’re sharing everything we know about Venom 3.
Who is directing Venom 3?
Following in the footsteps of previous Venom directors Ruben Fleischer and Andy Serkis, Kelly Marcel is making her directorial debut with Venom 3. Marcel is a former actress turned screenwriter who wrote or co-wrote the scripts for the first two Venom movies. Marcel’s previous credits include Saving Mr. Banks and Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as the television shows Terra Nova and The Changeling.
What’s the plot of Venom 3?
That’s a question that we can’t really answer, simply because Sony has yet to share any concrete details about Venom 3. We don’t even know which characters are slated to appear beyond Eddie and Venom. What we can tell you is that Hardy and Marcel collaborated on the story, just as they did for Venom: Let There Be Carnage. That film ended with Eddie Brock on the run after Venom helped him escape from prison. Their brief journey to the MCU in the post-credits scene temporarily derailed that subplot. Venom 3 is likely to pick up that narrative thread now that Eddie and Venom are back home where they belong.
We may also be able to infer that Venom 3 will be moving the action outside of San Francisco and onto the international stage. Parts of the film were shot on location in Spain and London, which would only make sense if the story was set there as well. That does raise two important questions: Why are Eddie and Venom in Europe? And who are they up against?
Who is starring in Venom 3?
Aside from Hardy as Eddie Brock and Venom, only two cast members have been confirmed for Venom 3. Ted Lasso‘s Juno Temple and Doctor Strange‘s Chiwetel Ejiofor. Despite Ejiofor’s Marvel experience, it’s highly unlikely he’s reprising his role as Karl Mordo in this movie. Ejiofor is probably playing a different character altogether, but we don’t know if he’ll be a friend to Eddie or the film’s primary villain.
Similarly, we know nothing about Temple’s character in the film. It’s only been confirmed that Temple is a co-lead in Venom 3, which suggests that she will be aligned with Venom, and she may even be a love interest for Eddie.
Will the other cast members from Venom return?
Although it would seem like a no-brainer to bring back the supporting cast from the first two movies, none of the other cast members are confirmed. Michelle Williams played Eddie’s ex-fiancée, Anne Weying, in the first two movies, while Reid Scott portrayed Anne’s fiancé Dan Lewis. Both Anne and Dan are fully aware of Eddie’s dual identity as Venom and they were his allies in the two previous films.
Additionally, Let There Be Carnage’s Stephen Graham should be a strong contender to return since the previous movie revealed that his character, Detective Patrick Mulligan, survived his seemingly fatal wounds and was likely bonded to another symbiote. In the comics, Mulligan was the first host for the Toxin symbiote, one of Venom’s rare spawn who turned out to be heroic in nature.
Peggy Lu also appeared in the first two movies as Mrs. Chen, a convenience store owner who was briefly the host of Venom in Let There Be Carnage. But if Venom 3 is taking place primarily in Europe, Mrs. Chen may not have a natural role in this film.
Will Venom 3 have a subtitle?
Given that Venom 2 was officially called Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it stands to reason that the third film will also follow that trend. But so far, the only name we have for it is Venom 3. As mentioned above, Sony has been less than forthcoming with the details about the next sequel.
Will Venom 3 tie back into the MCU?
Not directly, since Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been established as separate worlds in the multiverse. However, Hardy’s cameo as Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man: No Way Home literally left behind a piece of the Venom symbiote in the MCU when they were whisked back to their world. This seems like a setup for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to bond with the symbiote in the future. But since Marvel Studios and Sony have yet to announce a new Spider-Man movie, it’s anyone’s guess when that will arrive.
Having said that, Sony has made no secret about its intention to have Hardy’s Venom and Holland’s Spider-Man meet on-screen in a future film. Those plans may come to fruition if Venom 3 is a box-office success.
Is there a trailer for Venom 3?
Not yet. Unlike many of the films interrupted by the writers and actors strikes last year, Venom 3 quickly resumed production in November 2023. That means it will likely have a trailer ready for CinemaCon in April. Sony loves to premiere trailers at CinemaCon, which is where Kraven the Hunter‘s trailer was shown in 2023. Kraven is another one of Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent movies, and it’s arriving in theaters on August 30, only a few months ahead of Venom 3.
What is the release date for Venom 3?
Venom 3 will be released in theaters on Friday, November 8. Its streaming premiere will be on Netflix in 2025.
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