There have been rumblings for a while that Sony Pictures Animation is developing an animated Venom movie, and we now have a major update courtesy of scooper @CanWeGetToast.
Apparently, Sony has managed to enlist Seth Rogen as a writer and producer on the R-Rated project.
The actor is no stranger to adult-focused comic book adaptations after serving in those same roles on the likes of Preacher and The Boys. Rogen is also an executive producer on Prime Video's critically acclaimed Invincible, an animated series which is full of R-Rated content. The same could be said for The Boys Presents: Diabolical.
Rogen's sensibilities would be a fantastic match for a Venom project, and would likely put a spin on the character which would make comic book fans happy (particularly after the divisive live-action efforts starring Tom Hardy).
Sony bringing Rogen into the fold feels like a smart move on the studio's part, particularly after recent flops like Morbius and Madame Web. Venom will, however, have a lot to live up to when it comes to competing with the animated Spider-Verse movies!
"Honestly, probably fear," Rogen said last year about why he still hasn't boarded a Marvel or DC project. "We really have a pretty specific way we work; me and Evan [Goldberg] have been writers for 20 years at this point. It’s a fear of the process, honestly. And I say that knowing nothing about the process. There are a lot of Marvel things I love."
"It’s mostly a fear of how would we plug into the system they have in place, which seems like a very good system, and a system that serves them very well," he continued. "But is it a system that we would ultimately get really frustrated with? And what’s nice about ['Mutant Mayhem'] is that we’re the producers of this. So we dictated the system, and we dictated the process in a lot of ways."
"We are creating the infrastructure and process for them, not plugging into someone else’s infrastructure and process. We’re control freaks!"
2018's Venom has come under fire for its Spider-Man-less take on the anti-hero's origin story, and while Venom: Let There Be Carnage was an improvement, it still didn't deliver the interpretation of this character many fans would like to see on screen. A new animated Venom movie could go some way in fixing that.
This November's Venom 3, meanwhile, is expected to be Tom Hardy's "last dance" as Eddie Brock. With it looking unlikely Marvel Studios will ever pick up on Spider-Man: No Way Home's Venom tease, an animated project could be the next logical step to explore the popular Lethal Protector's story in a new way.
Venom first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #300 in 1988. Initially conceived as an alien symbiote that bonded with Spider-Man, Eddie Brock later became host to the alien costume after being introduced as a disgraced journalist seeking revenge on Spider-Man.
Characters like Flash Thompson, Mac Gargan, and Dylan Brock have all held the "Venom" moniker since, but Eddie remains a firm fan favourite and seems like the most logical choice of lead for his own animated movie.
Sony still hasn't officially announced this animated Venom movie so stay tuned for updates as we have them.