'Venom 2': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything you need to know about Tom Hardy's return as the anti-hero symbiote
After playing Bane, the hulking, deadly nemesis of the Dark Knight in the DC world, Tom Hardy forayed into the Marvel universe to play Eddie Brock aka Venom in the Spider-Man spin-off. Despite negative reviews (it averaged 29% on Rotten Tomatoes), 'Venom' had a good run at the box office raking in $856 million and now, the wise-cracking, power-packed symbiote and Eddie, best known for the combined line: "We are Venom" return with a sequel.
Here's what we know so far:
Release date
'Venom 2' is yet to get a confirmed release date, but Sony has marked a tentative date. If it all goes as planned, we may see 'Venom 2' release on October 2, 2020.
Plot
In 'Venom', Eddie Brock (played by Tom Hardy), is a failed reporter who bonds unwittingly with an alien entity, one of many symbiotes who have invaded Earth. But the being takes a liking to Earth and decides to protect it against evil, crime, and corruption. In 'Venom 2', we have a couple of speculations in mind.
Will there be a Spider-Man cameo?
Honestly, we don't know. But Venom and Spidey have quite an interesting history and we may probably see the web-slinger make an appearance at some point in the sequel. The post-credits scene of 'Venom' featured some footage from 'Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse', but that was only because Sony was producing the animated blockbuster.
According to a report by DigitalSpy, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that a crossover "seems likely at some point". Producer Amy Pascal is a big fan of Tom Holland but didn't specifically say that Holland would be in a 'Venom' movie. "We have big plans for Tom Holland to be a part of everything," she said. "Every movie we ever do! He needs to be in every movie that I ever work on!"
The introduction of Carnage
Venom's offspring, Carnage, makes an entrance at the end of the film and the relationship between the two could be one storyline. It remains to be seen if the plot is borrowed from the comic, 'Absolute Carnage'. If that is the case, then a Spidey cameo is most definitely a possibility.
Cast
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock
The Oscar-nominee has an impressive CV. His works include 'The Revenant', 'Star Trek: Nemesis', 'Bronson' and 'Warrior' to name a few. Hardy has also appeared in three of Christopher Nolan's films, 'Inception', 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Dunkirk'.
Michelle Williams as Brock's ex-wife Anne Weying
Williams is best known for or her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in 'My Week with Marilyn'. Her other films include 'Blackbird', 'Cabaret' and 'The Greatest Showman'
Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady aka Carnage
Harrelson is known for playing Tobias Beckett in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', and Maney Gault in 'The Highwaymen'.
Currently, we can expect these three characters to reprise their roles. We'll update this section as when the cast info pours in.
Writer/Director
Ruben Fleischer is not returning to helm the sequel. After meeting with other filmmakers, Sony selected Andy Serkis to take the lead. Serkis has had his share of screentime in the MCU as well. He portrayed Ulysses Klaue in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015) and later reprised his role in 'Black Panther' (2018).
He is noted for helming 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle'.
Trailer
There is no official footage of the film just yet, but we can expect a couple of first-look posters to be rolled out in the upcoming D23 expo.
News
Talking about directing the sequel, Serkis, in an interview with Cinemablend said: "The fact that it's Tom Hardy playing Venom is everything, really. You know, he's already created an extraordinary tension between himself and the character of Venom, and that's what we want to really mine in the next story. But I can't say too much about that."
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