In 2018, 11 years after Topher Grace’s Eddie Brock antagonized Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man 3, Tom Hardy took on the Venom mantle for a movie centered on the symbiote-powered antihero. While not exactly a critical darling, Venom was a powerhouse at the box office, so it wasn’t that surprising when Sony Pictures decided to green-light a sequel. Alas, Venom 2, a.k.a. Venom: Let There Be Carnage, has had to be pushed on the theatrical calendar a few times, and now we have another delay on the record.
Sony announced today that Venom: Let There Be Carnage is exiting its June 25, 2021 release slot and is moving to September 17, 2021. So the Venom sequel will no longer be a summer offering, but as least the delay isn’t nearly as big as the last one, when the sequel was shifted from October 2, 2020 to the aforementioned June date. Because Let There Be Carnage now rests on September 17, the Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson-led Man from Toronto, which was previously slotted for that date, is now undated.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage now finds itself opening the same day as Death on the Nile and The Boss Baby: Family Business, so there’ll be plenty of cinematic options to choose from that weekend. Other notable movies opening in September include Jackass 4, the Resident Evil reboot, Dear Evan Hansen and The Many of Saints of Newark. Interestingly enough, while Let There Be Carnage was once envisioned to be the third movie in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, even with this latest delay, it’s still primed as the second release since the Jared Leto-led Morbius was moved to January 21, 2022.
While no specific plot details for Venom: Let There Be Carnage have been officially revealed yet, the first movie laid the groundwork for Eddie Brock’s upcoming clash with one of Marvel’s most notorious serial killers. Following his battle with Carlton Drake/Riot, Eddie visited the incarcerated Cletus Kasady (hey, look, Woody Harrelson again), who promised then when he escaped prison, there’d be carnage. It was on the nose, sure, but it got the job done.
So naturally, Venom: Let There Be Carnage will involve Cletus Kasady breaking free and bonding with the Carnage symbiote. We’ll also meet his love interest, Shriek, played by Skyfall’s Naomie Harris, although it’s unclear if she’ll have the same powers as her comic book counterpart or if she’ll also end up bonding with a symbiote. Let There Be Carnage’s other returning faces include Michelle Williams’ Anne Weying and Reid Scott’s Dan Lewis, while Stephen Graham and Sean Delaney have been cast in undisclosed roles.
As for the talent behind the scenes, Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote the first Venom screenplay with Jeff Pinker and Scott Rosenberg, penned Venom: Let There Be Carnage as a solo job. Andy Serkis, whose other comic book movie experience includes playing Ulysses Klaue in the MCU and Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman, inherited directing duties from Ruben Fleischer. Principal photography began in November 2019 and ended in late February 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic started interfering in so many film and TV productions.
It may be taking longer than originally expected, but we’re slowly closing in on Venom: Let There Be Carnage finally playing on the big screen. If you’re curious about what else opens in theaters later this year, browse through our upcoming 2021 movies schedule.
