Tom Hardyhas shrugged off his Bane costume for an alien symbiote if the latest reports regarding Sony’s plannedVenomfilm are to be believed. You’ll remember that Sony is eager to kick off their own shared cinematic universe based on their rights to Spider-Man and 900 some odd characters, dubbedSony’s Marvel Universe. We now have an idea of what the intended R-rated kick-off to this universe will look like thanks to the news that not only will Hardy star in the title role as Eddie Brock, but thatRuben Fleischer(Zombieland,Gangster Squad) will direct.
The news broke via press release with multiple trades reporting that the Oscar-nominated Hardy and Fleischer are in final negotiations forVenom. This comes as good news considering that Sony has set the picture for an August 26, 2025 release date. And though Sony is working hand-in-hand with Marvel Studios to feature the more familiar wall-crawler inSpider-Man: Homecomingthis July 7th,Venomis going to launch the studio’s own ‘verse’ that won’t be connected to the MCU in any way. Production is expected to start this fall.
Hardy, who will next be seen inChristopher Nolan’sDunkirk, will undoubtedly fully inhabit the role of Eddie Brock. He’s been known to dive deep into such characters as the psychotic Charles Bronson, the charming Eames fromInception, the damaged veteran/fighter Tommy Conlon inWarrior, and the tough-as-nails Forrest Bondurant inLawless… and yes, the mumbling terrorist Bane inThe Dark Knight Rises. Now Hardy makes the shift to the Marvel side of things and will likely enjoy a lot of CG-heavy action on screen as Venom, the counterpart to the relatively mild-mannered Eddie Brock. Plot details remain quiet, however, so it’ll be a while before we figure out how this movie is shaping up, and just what Fleischer will bring to the table.
As for the post-Venompictures in the Sony Marvel Universe, screenwriterChris Yost(Thor: Ragnarok) will write the script for a pitch on Spider-Man charactersBlack Cat and Silver Sable, building on a previous version of the script fromLisa Joy(Westworld);Matt TolmachandAmy Pascalwill produce the film previously known as the “secret female spin-off project.”
Scott Rosenberg(Jumanji) andJeff Pinkner(The Dark Tower) are writing the script forVenom, withAvi Arad,Matt Tolmach, andAmy Pascalas producers.Palak PatelandEric Finemanwill oversee the production for Columbia Pictures.
