Tom Hardy's New Venom Movie Is Missing 1 Key Ingredient

Nothing can keep Marvel's black symbiote down for good, not even the definitive conclusion of a live-action movie trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance. Rather than let the character go, Tom Hardy is already back and involved in determining Venom's future, as he's attached to produce a new animated Venom movie.

The project is being spearheaded by Final Destination Bloodlines filmmakers Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, but the original reporting about the movie confirmed Hardy's involvement. He's not the only one working on it who has a history with the character. Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are also producing after working on the live-action trilogy, while franchise producer/writer and The Last Dance director Kelly Marcel is also involved.

That gives this new Venom movie lots of connections to the $1.6 billion franchise that proved the character's movie leading capabilities. But there is something missing with Sony's upcoming animated Spider-Man movie.

The Venom Animated Movie Doesn't Include Spider-Verse's Creators

Sony's interest in making more movies with Venom is a no-brainer after the success of Hardy's trilogy, and the move to animation is sensible too after the incredible success they've had with the Spider-Verse movies (winning two Oscars and $1+ billion at the box office).

Sony Pictures Animation has expanded that franchise's plans beyond Miles Morales' story. And each time, franchise creators and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were linked to the new projects for Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk. So when the animated Venom movie was first announced, I figured that they'd be involved here, too. But there have been no signs of that in any reporting.

Pascal and Arad have been credited producers on the Spider-Verse films, but Lord and Miller are more-so the brains behind the franchise's success. And that's where them not being involved in this new animated Marvel movie becomes strange.

There's no question that Sony is only making a Venom animated movie because of how well the Miles-focused films have gone. By not including Lord and Miller, it shows the studio expanding its efforts in this medium without consulting and utilizing the filmmakers who helped usher in this new avenue.

Venom's Animated Movie Would Be More Exciting With Stronger Spider-Verse Ties

The lack of Lord and Miller's ties to Venom also suggests that the movie is not connected to the Spider-Verse franchise. Initially, this announcement led me to think that Venom would be in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, with the third chapter in Miles' franchise being used to set up the symbiote spinoff.

Now, there's little reason to think that's the case. It feels more likely that the Venom movie will be a fresh relaunch of the symbiote character or continue Hardy's characterization of Eddie Brock in some fashion. Perhaps the feature is even planned as a new way to pay off Venom: The Last Dance's ending and credits scene.

That could deliver a great new movie for Venom, but I'd be more excited if the feature was coming from the Spider-Verse team. Lord and Miller (and other creatives they've worked with on these films) have shown they have a strong grasp on the Spider-Man mythos and have constructed an incredible multiverse of characters. They haven't touched anything with Venom (yet), but there's no doubt they'd handle him well.

Additionally, the movie existing in that animated multiverse would give it a direct connection to a series audiences adore, rather than one that left viewers regularly split. Putting Venom in the Spider-Verse also holds exciting story ramifications, whether that means a known character getting the symbiote or setting up a showdown with Miles or even Knull.

Perhaps those ties will come, though. Lord and Miller could become involved down the line, and the film's connection to the Spider-Verse franchise may depend on how Beyond the Spider-Verse performs. In any case, Sony would be smart to get their input on the Venom animated movie.