With Marvel and Sony’s joint Spiderman: Homecoming set to swing into theaters this July, Sony is looking to expand their own slate of Spider films. This includes Venom, the spin-off film centered around one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains.
The Hollywood Reporter announced today that Tom Hardy will play Eddie Brock, the man who eventually becomes Venom. Topher Grace first brought the character to life in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. Hardy has played a superhero villain before, appearing as Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. He joins a growing list of actors, including Josh Brolin and Ryan Reynolds, who have appeared in adaptations of both Marvel and DC properties.
Ruben Fleischer is set to direct Venom. He has most recently directed episodes of the Drew Barrymore vampire horror-comedy show The Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix. He is also a producer on Brie Larson’s (aka Captain Marvel) directorial debut, Unicorn Store.
Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner wrote the script for Venom. The two men have worked together before as the creators of the CBS show Zoo. Pinkner also wrote the screenplays for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and the upcoming Dark Tower adaptation.
Production for Venom will begin this fall. It is set for release on October 5th, 2018 as part of Sony’s Marvel Universe.
What do you think of this casting choice? Will Hardy make a menacing Eddie Brock? Let us know in the comments below!