When a major movie franchise drops a dud, the studio responsible typically steps back to reevaluate... so why has Sony announced Venom 3 mere weeks after Morbius choked on critical and commercial garlic? Finally released in Spring 2022 after numerous delays, Morbius promised much. A horror-tinged antihero with MCU/Spider-Man connections, played by the Oscar-winning Jared Leto sounded suspiciously like a good idea on paper. In practice, Morbius has endured torrid reviews and a largely negative response online - a punchline spurred on by Leto's growing perception as a pretentious method actor. Not since the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot has a comic book movie been so unloved.
Studios have historically responded to such setbacks by altering the course of whatever franchise faltered. In Fantastic Four's case, future plans were simply axed, but the DCEU drastically changed heading after Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, while spinoff trouble prompted Star Wars' migration from theaters to Disney+. Sony itself aborted initial Sinister Six intentions after The Amazing Spider-Man 2 failed to stick the landing. Strange, then, how Sony has now confirmed Venom 3... a little more than 3 short weeks after its Morbius mauling.
Sony's odd timing is partially circumstantial, with the studio's CinemaCon panel already scheduled for the same month as Morbius' release. No doubt Sony was hoping to ride into CinemaCon upon a wave of fang-frenzied buzz, rather than skulking in sheepishly like a vampire on the beach. Alas, it wasn't to be. Sony could have held off announcing further Sony Spider-Man Universe movies, at least while the Morbius chuckles died down. Instead, the studio deliberately chose to announce Venom 3 - its intention, surely, to move on from recent Leto let-downs, and correct-course the SSU as quickly as possible.
Morbius always carried a high element of risk, but Tom Hardy's Venom franchise is a proven hit. Though neither Venom nor Venom: Let There Be Carnage wowed critics, both fared strongly in box office terms, and general consensus held that Andy Serkis' 2021 sequel improved upon its predecessor. Venom 3, therefore, is Sony's strongest play in terms of getting the SSU back on track. Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web are already in the pipeline, but Venom 3 provides a reliable guarantee the franchise can fall back upon.
Sony's quickfire Venom 3 announcement also serves as a statement of intent from the studio. As detailed above, franchises have changed course over much less, but by confirming Eddie Brock's threequel, Sony immediately dispels rumors or reports that the SSU will be derailed by the Morbius misfire. A postmortem will undoubtedly be conducted behind the scenes, but Sony's outward message is clear - the Sony Spider-Man Universe isn't going anywhere.
If Sony intended Venom 3's announcement as a salve for the SSU's Morbius burns - a valiant show of faith in its broader Marvel franchise - the effect was completely negated by confirmation of another Spider-Man villain project - the Bad Bunny-fronted El Muerto. Although El Muerto has attracted plenty of chatter online, this is largely a mixture of confusion and ridicule as Marvel fans point out the title character only appeared in a grand total of two comic issues (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #16-17). If unveiling Venom 3 was supposed to bring stability back to Sony's Spider-Man Universe after getting bitten by the Morbius criticism, the El Muerto reveal has only invited more questions over the franchise's overall direction.
