Spider-Man may be back in the good ole’ MCU for now, but Sony Pictures isn’t slowing down one bit on their burgeoning spider-verse of characters. Venom was a massive box office success for the studio last year, and now they’re hoping to replicate that victory with Morbius The Living Vampire’s solo movie. Not to be outdone by a science vampire, Venom 2 is already deep into development on the symbiote sequel, which will be directed by Andy Serkis.
Fans got a tease of the serial killer super villain known as Carnage in the post-credits scene of Venom, with Woody Harrelson reveling in the role. Now it has been revealed that Carnage isn’t the only evil executioner that Venom will be going up against in the anti-hero sequel. Deadline is reporting that the female villain known as Shriek will be teaming up with Carnage to paint the town red in Venom 2, sort of like the Bonnie and Clyde duo of alien goo monsters.
Shriek first appeared in Spider-Man Unlimited #1 back in 1993 which was the kick-off to the famous Maximum Carnage storyline. Also known as Frances Barrison, Shriek is a mutant with the power to manipulate sound, which she can use to fly, shoot energy blasts, and even influence people’s emotions. Shriek eventually bonds with a symbiote of her own that gives her a third arm.
It sounds like Eddie Brock/Venom is going to have his hands full of symbiotes in his next go around on the big screen. But if you think Venom is encountering too many alien antagonists in his flicks then this next bit of news is just for you. Ruben Fleischer, the director of the first Venom, has been making the press rounds for his upcoming movie Zombieland: Double Tap and was of course asked about the all-teeth-and-tongue alien anti-hero—specifically, if Tom Hardy’s Venom would ever go up against Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in an ultimate battle of the Toms.
In response to the query, Fleischer said:
“That’s where it’s all going to lead. And that’s the exciting thing, because we changed the origin of Venom … in the comics, he evolved from Spider-Man but because of the Marvel-Sony thing we weren’t able to do that. And so, the thing I think it’s building towards, and will be exciting to see, is when they actually do confront each other.”
We have to point out that Fleischer is not directing the next Venom flick, so we do not know how up-to-date his information is. But if those in control behind the scenes on Venom were discussing the symbiote’s eventual meet-up with Spider-Man back on the first movie, one would have to assume that the plan is still on the table. Kevin Feige’s statement announcing Spidey’s return to the MCU even mentioned the web head’s ability to jump between universes as some kind of tease for a future installment.
What do you think? Is Shriek one too many villains for Venom to handle? How many British Toms can share the screen together before we’re overrun by tomfoolery? Venom 2 opens in theaters next Halloween season on October 2, 2020.