Venom 3: What Tom Hardy & Director Andy Serkis Have Said

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

With the bombshell post-credits scene in Venom: Let There Be Carnage piquing audience interest, here's what Tom Hardy and director Andy Serkis have said about Venom 3. Venom 2 racked up a monstrously good $11.6 million on its preview night alone, with the movie expected to break $50 million in domestic ticket sales for its opening weekend. Venom: Let There Be Carnage has opened to a decidedly mixed bag of reviews, but as with the first Venom, this critical consensus will mean little to audiences keen to see Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiote integrated into the MCU proper.

Venom 2 aptly promises to up the ante from the first film, delivering more visceral fight scenes, Marvel Easter eggs, and a glut of slithering symbiote fun despite its slick 1.5-hour runtime. The sequel introduces several new superpowered characters, including the eponymous Carnage (Woody Harrelson), his mistress Shriek (Naomie Harris), and a brief look at Mulligan's (Stephen Graham) bonding with Toxin. Put simply, a lot is happening during the short runtime of Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

After waiting three years for a Venom sequel, the furor around Let There Be Carnage has understandably been intense, and not just from fans. Many of the core team have not been shy about speculating on where the Venom franchise will go next. Here's what Tom Hardy and the director have said about a potential Venom 3.

Tom Hardy Says Venom 3 Will Only Be Greenlit If Let There Be Carnage Is Successful

Tom Hardy confirmed plans are already in motion for a third Venom movie contingent on the success of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Hardy states that he worked on his untitled Venom 3 script in tandem with filming Venom 2 to engender a feeling of continuity to both movies. (via Esquire) Hardy was much more involved in the writing process for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, sharing story credits with returning screenwriter Kelly Marcel and displaying his continued attachment to the role he has undoubtedly made his own since Venom's debut in 2018. While box office success will ultimately determine whether Venom 3 sees the light of day, Hardy confirms that the studio (Sony) was "really, really pleased with number two," which bodes very well indeed for Venom's future.

Andy Serkis Teased More Ravencroft Villains For Venom 3

Tom Hardy's confidence that a third Venom will be greenlit is shared by director Andy Serkis, who is already mocking up ideas for the next Venom movie. Venom 2 introduces the Ravencroft Institute, a shady facility designed to contain and study dangerous (and often criminally insane) superpowered individuals. Andy Serkis recently told Screen Rant that there is "real mileage in some of the other supervillains that reside in Ravencroft," indicating his desire to utilize the asylum in future installments. Talk of a villain-centric Sinister Six movie persists following the MCU's shift into multiverse territory and utilizing the setting of Ravencroft would be a smart move by Serkis, allowing him to integrate all manner of Marvel villains seamlessly into the Venom narrative.

How Venom 2's Ending Sets Up Another Sequel

The final frames of Venom 2 see Venom sharing his symbiote knowledge with Eddie before the room starts shaking and multiple realities flash before them. Emerging from the vision sequence to find themselves in a different hotel room, now during the day, they realize it wasn't Venom's doing. Instead, they see a TV set projecting J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) mid-tirade about Tom Holland's Spider-Man. This, of course, is a direct confirmation that Venom's next sequel will finally provide a scintillating opportunity for Spidey and Venom to come face to face.

Will Venom 3 Be Set In The MCU?

Peter Parker with his mask off in Spider Man Far From Home

The post-credits scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a nexus event for the franchise that officially places Venom within the esteemed company of the MCU. Peter Parker's on-screen photo foreshadows a meeting between two classic Marvel characters for Venom 3. While it is unclear exactly how this new reality has been engendered, Marvel Studios are certainly stepping up their efforts to make the MCU's multiversal Phase 4 the best one yet, and including Venom in their plans at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a great way to get started.

Next: Why Venom Should Lead A Movie Team Of Antiheroes (Like The Suicide Squad)