Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock is set for another appearance in Sony's Spider-Man Universe with Venom 3.
The symbiotic threequel will follow up on the highly successful first two Venom films, with Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage having grossed over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office.
Despite middling reviews, Hardy's anti-hero launched this Marvel-adjacent universe for Sony Pictures.
So, with a third movie on the way, here is everything we know about the upcoming blockbuster.
Venom 3 Release: When Will It Come Out?
According to a report from Deadline, Venom 3 is currently slated to release on July 12, 2024.
After months of pre-production, the Tom Hardy-starring blockbuster finally got in front of cameras in June 2023.
Hardy - who is also a co-writer on this new film - confirmed the start of production with an Instagram post showing him in character screaming at a wolf painting.
However, mere weeks after filming started, the project was shut down due to the Screen Actors Guild strike in Hollywood.
Of course, given the uncertainty of the ongoing job action of both the writers and actors in the entertainment industry, there is the chance Venom 3 will miss its July 12 date.
Sony Pictures recently shifted several release dates, including some of its Spidey-adjacent titles. The studio pushed Kraven from October 2023 to August 2024 (per Variety), and took the animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sequel Beyond the Spider-Verse off the release calendar entirely.
These moves prove Sony is not afraid to shuffle its release slate should it have to, so, fans should take this Venom 3 release date with a grain of salt, as things could change a a moment's notice.
Who Is Cast in Venom 3?
At present, only three actors have been confirmed to appear in Sony's Venom threequel, with very little casting information having been made public. However, along with this confirmed trio, there are some stars one can assume will pop up in the upcoming blockbuster.
Here is every actor to expect in Venom 3:
Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock
Tom Hardy returns in Venom 3 as the iconic Marvel Comics character Eddie Brock. This San Franciscan reporter has a dark secret, harboring an alien symbiote known as Venom. After coming to grips with his new alien alter-ego, Eddie has gone on to be somewhat of a superhero, taking on villains like Riot and Carnage.
Michelle Williams - Anne Weying
While not confirmed to appear in Venom 3, one can assume Michelle Williams' Anne Weying will reprise her role from the first two movies for the upcoming third. Anne is a lawyer in San Fransisco and also Eddie's ex-fiancé. She also takes on the symbiote herself for a moment, becoming the She-Venom and helping Eddie in his super-powered endeavors.
Stephen Graham - Detective Patrick Mulligan
Another actor/character rumored to appear in Venom 3 is Stephen Graham as Detective Patrick Mulligan. This detective was seemingly killed during the climactic cathedral fight in Venom: Let There Be Carnage; however, he was teased to have survived as his eyes shot open with a glowing aura at the end of the movie.
Juno Temple
One of the new names joining Tom Hardy for Venom 3 is Juno Temple. The Ted Lasso star was cast in an undisclosed role, but upon the announcement of her joining the project said she was "thrilled" to take part in the title (via Variety).
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Also set to join the Venom threequel is MCU star Chiwetel Ejiofor. Again, nothing is currently known about Ejiofor's Venom 3 role; however, some have speculated he could play the villain of the upcoming super-powered epic. Ejiofor is no stranger to Marvel's costumed world, having previously played Baron Mordo in the Doctor Strange films.
Owen Wilson (Rumored)
Hollywood mainstay Owen Wilson is another name rumored to have signed on to the upcoming Venom sequel. The actor has recently become a fan-favorite amongst Marvel enthusiasts after playing Mobius in the MCU's Loki series, a member of the Multiversal Time Variance Authority (TVA). It remains unknown who Wilson will play or if he has officially signed on, but he has yet to deny his involvement.
Who Is the Villain in Venom 3?
No villain has been confirmed for Venom 3 yet, but there have been some hints at where the film could be headed when it comes to its big bad.
According to a May 2023 report from My Cosmic Circus, the working title for Venom 3 is "Orwell." Now, some may think this could be a reference to famed novelist George Orwell, but it could also be harkening back to Marvel Comics character Orwell Taylor.
In the comics, Taylor sets his sights on Venom after the anit-hero kills his son in a prison break from the super-human penitentiary known as the Vault. After the death of his son, Taylor founded a group known as "The Jury," a team of elite soldiers and friends of Taylor's son who have the sole purpose of killing Venom.
Insider Daniel Richtman (via Comicbookmovie.com) reported that newcomer to the Venom franchise, Chiwetel Ejiofor, would take on the role of Orwell, lending further credence to the rumor that Orwell Taylor would appear in the film.
Will Venom 3 Include Tom Holland's Spider-Man?
Since the debut of Sony's Spider-Man Universe back in 2018, more and more connections have been made to the MCU and - more specifically - the adventures of Tom Holland's Spider-Man.
Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock even made it as far as popping up in the MCU, being teleported there after the events of Venom 2, but was promptly back to his reality, leaving behind nothing but a modicum of the Venom alien symbiote.
Despite all these connections, it remains unlikely that Tom Holland will appear in Venom 3. The hero was supposedly, "meant to feature in [the Venom franchise]," but "Marvel Studios pulled the plug on it and said, 'No way'" (per Heavy Spoilers).
One stipulation was given, though, that Sony could "connect [its franchise] to the MCU." This is what led "Kevin Feige to "basically [yank] the Venom symbiote and put it in the MCU" in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and for characters like Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes to appear in the Mobius film.
Holland himself has commented on whether he thinks the hero will ever crossover with Hardy's Venom, telling Total Film in a 2021 interview that he "genuinely [doesn't] know:"
"I genuinely don't know. It was really exciting to be a part of that film. Obviously, Tom Hardy is one of the greatest actors in the world. I'm happy to say that he's a lovely bloke. But I haven't really given it very much thought."
Given that Holland's web-slinging hero is going to take a break from his Multiversal adventures for a while, having just started his Spidey journey in earnest in his version of New York City, a Venom 3 appearance from the hero feels like a bit of a pipedream at this point.
What Will Happen in Venom 3?
Exact plot specifics remain murky for Venom 3. The film will be a bit of a departure from the two installments in the Venom franchise, seemingly doing away with its San Fransisco setting for the bright lights of the United Kingdom.
Instead of the usual northern California backdrop, it was confirmed Venom 3 would be filming in London and Cartagena, Spain (via Inside The Magic), which very likely will play into the plot of the upcoming threequel.
Another detail that could reveal what could be on the way in this next Venom film, is that it may also be the last.
While teasing the film on Instagram, Tom Hardy called the project a "last dance," indicating this could be the end for his super-powered character.
Deadline previously described the film as the "final chapter" in the Venom story and in a conversation with Digital Spy, Hardy echoed this sentiment, remarking "These things [usually] come in threes:"
“These things [usually] come in threes. If there’s going to be a new one – and they depend heavily on the success of each individual one, so you can’t count on them ever happening again – every one has got to be as if it was the last one."
This could mean fans may see the end of Eddie Brock in Venom 3; however, at the same time, Hardy has kept the door open for more Venom stories to come down the line:
"There's got to be some continuity into a third and fourth and fifth, and if somebody says 'no', that's fine. Let it go, and you move on to something else."
Is a Venom 3 Trailer Out Yet?
A Venom 3 trailer has not yet released, and with very little footage actually captured for the film, as it was shut down quite early into production, it will likely be quite some time before fans get their first glimpse at the movie.
If a resolution can be found for the ongoing Hollywood strikes sooner rather than later, then one can start to see where a Venom 3 trailer debut might make sense.
The place where a Venom 3 first look feels the most natural (especially if the film keeps its July 2024 release date) is alongside the release of Sony's other upcoming Spidey-related project, Madame Web.
The Sony Spider-Man Universe film is currently set to hit theaters on February 14, 2024, and would be the opportune time to start up that Venom 3 marketing machine.
Venom 3 is set to release on July 12, 2024.
