The news continues for the future of the Spider-Man franchise’s animated saga: in addition to the films Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk and the animated TV series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Sony has also announced a spin-off about Venom.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, directors of the 2025 hit horror film Final Destination: Bloodlines, will direct and produce the Venom animated film. Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach will serve as producers, and superstar Tom Hardy will be “involved in some capacity,” according to official sources. However, “it is unclear whether he will simply serve as a producer or return to voice the character.”
If Tom Hardy reprises the role, it is clearly possible that this new Venom film will be set in the same narrative universe as his previous appearances as Eddie Brock, serving as a sort of sequel to Venom: The Last Dance; at the same time, however, this is unclear, and the project could very well be something original and stand-alone. Furthermore, the production company warns that, although this animated version of Venom is officially in development, it is still too early to disclose further details and it will likely take years due to the lengthy animation development process; not to mention that Lipovsky and Stein are also busy developing a new Gremlins movie.
It has been widely reported that Marvel Studios has its own plans for the Venom symbiote, with Mac Gargan/Scorpion potentially becoming the MCU’s Venom (a precedent that exists in the comics). As fun as it would be to see Eddie’s version of the Spider-Man franchise after “Brand New Day,” it might be wise to separate the two characters.
Loved and hated by fans alike, the Venom franchise has been an undeniable success for Sony: although the films have never received much critical acclaim (each installment has also grossed less than the previous one at the box office), the Lethal Protector has grossed over $1.8 billion overall, across three films without Spider-Man. There was even talk of a possible Venom 4 focusing on Agent Venom, but after the flop of Kraven the Hunter, the studio suspended all of its live-action Marvel adaptations. Now, however, Eddie Brock is set to return to the big screen in an animated film about Venom…
Beginning with 2018’s Venom, directed by Ruben Fleischer, the franchise centers on Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who becomes Spider-Man’s antagonist after an alien symbiote bonds with his body. The character, created by writer David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane, first appeared in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #300 in 1988 and, prior to Tom Hardy’s involvement in the franchise, appeared on screen in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, played by Topher Grace.
Venom is Sony’s most successful standalone film dedicated to Spider-Man’s villains: the first film grossed over $856 million worldwide and led to the successful sequels Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Venom: The Last Dance, in 2021 and 2024 respectively.
Lipovsky and Stein are enjoying a moment of great popularity after directing Final Destination: Bloodlines, which last year established itself as the highest-grossing and best-reviewed installment in New Line’s Final Destination series, with over $317 million at the global box office. Since then, they have decided to collaborate on writing a new Gremlins movie with Chris Columbus, and have initiated other projects, including The Earthling for Columbia Pictures, Long Lost for Universal, and The Traveler for Paramount.
About the Author
