Expanded cinematic universes are all the rage these days, especially when it comes to superhero movies. Marvel basically created the concept with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they were soon followed by Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe, along with Deadpool expanding Fox's X-Men universe. Now Sony is looking to start their own superhero movie universe of Spider-Man side characters, and they're kicking off their efforts with Venom. So does this mean there will be a Venom sequel to continue the universe, or will the symbiotic antihero be a one-and-done character?
Unless the movie is an outright box office bomb, you can count on there being at least one Venom sequel. As stated earlier, the film is looking to kick off not just its own franchise, but an entire cinematic universe for Sony, so it has a lot riding on it. As such, the film is being very heavily marketed (you've no doubt seen ads for it everywhere) in an attempt to ensure that the movie is successful. Star Tom Hardy, who portrays Venom AKA Eddie Brock in the film, has even already signed on for two more Venom movies, according to an interview the actor did with Total Film Magazine, via Comicbookmovie.com. "We've signed up for three of them," Hardy told the magazine. "So it's very much an open case. We'll see what people's responses are to it. I think it's an awesome character. I love playing both of them. It's an amuse-bouche, and for Sony, it's the Venom-verse launched in isolation, as it were."
Woody Harrelson, who has a cameo role in the film and is rumored to be playing the villain Carnage, recently told Collider that he expects to have a larger role in the film's sequel. "I’m in a little fraction of this movie, but I’ll be in the next one, you know?" Harrelson said. "So I haven’t read that script, but anyways, just rolled the dice."
The film's potential sequel(s) are already partly planned out, too, according to director Ruben Fleischer. "We've definitely laid some groundwork for different directions that the franchise could go but obviously it all hinges on people's excitement about this film," Fleischer told Comicbook.com at San Diego Comic Con. "I hope people will stay and see what seeds have been planted."
It seems like a foregone conclusion that there will be at least one Venom sequel, as at least two are apparently planned, but even if for some reason there is no Venom sequel, the character could still return to the big screen. That's because Sony's Spider-Verse already has a bunch of characters with films in various stages of development, such as Black Cat, Silver Sable, Kraven the Hunter, Morbius the Living Vampire, Silk, Jackpot, and Nightwatch, according to Variety. Venom could show up in any number of these films to help the universe feel cohesive.
While fans shouldn't expect an official sequel announcement until after Venom debuts, it seems extremely likely the movie will not be the last time we see the character's uncomfortably long tongue in theaters.
