Sony’s Venom franchise has been one of Sony Pictures’ biggest Marvel hits, with Tom Hardy’s live-action trilogy earning strong box office returns worldwide. Venom: The Last Dance ended Hardy’s Eddie Brock era, and since then, the focus has been on what is next for the symbiote. Following the end of Hardy's Venom trilogy, speculation has grown over the symbiote's future as Sony continues expanding its universe of Marvel characters.

Sony has now revealed what the future holds for Venom, with Amy Pascal confirming the franchise's next big-screen chapter. 

Sony Pictures producer Amy Pascal has confirmed that an animated Venom movie is officially moving forward, expanding the studio's slate of Marvel movies beyond live action. The filmmakers behind Final Destination: Bloodlines, Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, have been tapped to direct the feature, she revealed while talking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The announcement is the beginning of a new chapter for Venom. 

“There is, yes,” Pascal said, confirming that the movie will give the symbiote franchise a new direction beyond its live-action films. 

In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Pascal looked back at the many ideas the creative team pondered for Sony’s Spider-Man universe, including the potential inclusion of a handful of Marvel’s most iconic characters like Kingpin and Daredevil, adding to its street-level repertoire. 

The discussion also moved toward the oft-discussed possibility of pairing the MobLand actor, Tom Hardy's Venom, and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in a live-action movie. Pascal said the crossover has not happened, but she thinks it is still an appealing idea. The idea has long been one of the most requested crossovers among Marvel fans, despite the two characters existing in separate cinematic universes.

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While Venom's future is now heading in a new direction, the character's live-action journey has already left a lasting mark on Sony's Marvel universe.

Venom centers around investigative journalist Eddie Brock, whose life is turned upside down when he becomes the unwilling host of Venom, an alien symbiote that gives him superpowers. As Eddie learns to co-exist with the unpredictable creature, the duo become unlikely protectors, battling powerful enemies and other symbiotes that threaten humanity. The trilogy follows Eddie and Venom’s strange relationship as they take on more and more dangerous challenges, and Venom: The Last Dance closes out their live-action adventure on a heartbreaking note.

The future of Venom’s live-action appearances is unclear after Venom: The Last Dance, but Sony seems eager to keep the symbiote in the spotlight in its Marvel plans. The studio is adding to its slate of superheroes and opening a new chapter creatively by taking the character into animation, directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein. Fans are still speculating about a potential crossover with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, but the animated feature will be Venom’s next cinematic film and a new direction for the long-running franchise. 

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Do you think an animated Venom movie is the right next step for the franchise, or would you rather see Tom Hardy return in live action? Let us know in the comments.