He was Bane. He was briefly a member of the Suicide Squad. Many wanted him to be the new Wolverine. But, instead, Tom Hardy will be Venom.
Sony announced to day that the Oscar-nominated actor has been cast to play the titular character in 2018’s Venom. The studio also announced that Ruben Fleischer will be directing the project.
Tom Hardy is Eddie Brock in #Venom, the upcoming film from Sony’s Marvel Universe releasing October 5, 2018 – production starts this fall. pic.twitter.com/OZQqDEvoum
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) May 19, 2017
Hardy has the mix of acting skills and physique that makes him a natural target for producers of comic book films. In addition to playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, he was briefly considered for the lead in Doctor Strange and apparently was cast in Suicide Squad but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. He was also Hugh Jackman’s choice to replace him as Wolverine, but that doesn’t seem likely now. Although, as Josh Brolin proved, one actor being cast in two separate Marvel franchises at different studios can happen.
Fleischer also has had a dalliance with comic book films. He was on the short list to replace Edgar Wright on Ant-Man before Marvel settled on Peyton Reed. Fleischer made his mark with the inventive Zombieland, but as of late has been directing television shows like Santa Clarita Diet and Superstore.
This shows that Sony is willing to take the bump that surely will come after Spider-Man: Homecoming and run with it to make the shared universe it always wanted. However, the appeal of the Venom character is his connection to Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Eddie Brock hates Peter Parker, which makes him the perfect host for the alien symbiote after Parker rejects it. I don’t know where this origin will fit in in the latest reboot. Brock doesn’t seem to be Homecoming. Perhaps the alien symbiote will be introduced in Avengers: Infinity War?
More on this as it develops.
