Sony Sets Two Marvel Movie Release Dates, Possibly For Morbius & Venom 2

[Nergal]

 

 

Sony schedules two release dates for untitled Marvel movies, which are possibly Venom 2 and Morbius. Earlier this year, the studio rolled the dice by launching a potential franchise with Venom, starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock. Despite being panned by critics, the comic book adaptation proved to be a sizable box office smash. Breaking October records, Venom has currently grossed nearly $800 million worldwide, surpassing the global haul of last year's Justice League. It definitely seized control of the zeitgeist, seeing that Eddie and the Venom symbiote are one of the Internet's most 'shipped couples.

These developments all but ensured a Venom sequel would come through the pipeline, but Sony didn't officially confirm any details in the wake of the original's surprising success. Now, however, they're starting to take the necessary steps to get the next installments of their Marvel-based universe through development.

According to Justin Kroll of Variety, Sony secured release dates for "Marvel-Spidey spin-offs." The first is a "non-sequel" on July 10, 2020, while the second is a "sequel" slated for October 2, 2020. Check out his Twitter post in the space below:
 

 

Kroll's hypothesis these dates are for Venom 2 and Morbius is sound, as it lines up with Sony's plans. The latter, which stars Jared Leto as the titular character, is aiming to begin production in February 2019. Leto even teased the start of production is right around the corner, sharing a video on social media where he shaved off all his facial hair. Additionally, Venom producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach stated Morbius would be their next movie out of the gate, so it makes sense for it to land in July 2020. As for Venom 2, there haven't been many updates to report on that front, though October 2020 is a reasonable window for it to premiere. After the original dominated the fall season, Sony would be wise to stake claim to similar territory now while they still can. The box office competition is less intense during October, which would make it easy for Venom 2 to become another massive hit for the studio.

For Sony, the fact they're able to do this has to come as a major relief. In the past, they've attempted (and failed) to spearhead a comic book franchise with the 900 Marvel characters they own the rights to. After The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony needed to strike an unprecedented deal with Marvel Studios to restore Peter Parker's cinematic reputation. There's still a long way to go before Sony's Marvel Universe becomes fully-formed, but at least the creative team knows they're on the right track and can make something that'll connect with audiences around the globe. If Venom 2 receives better reviews than its predecessor, there's no telling how high it can go.