Which Venom Will Star In Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoff?

It looks like Sony Pictures is looking to make its superhero films a bit more venomous. Fans have known for some time that the studio wanted to spin-out a film about Venom, one of Spider-Man‘s most notorious villains. However, many didn’t believe Sony was gunning for the film to hit theaters so soon. Earlier today, news broke that the studio had landed a release date for the film, and the information had fans surprised.

More: Every Venom In The Marvel Universe Ranked

Currently, the Venom spin-off is expected to hit theaters on October 5, 2018. For those in the know, the new date was once held by Aquaman over at DC Entertainment, but the swashbuckling flick has since been moved to December 2018.

In a little over a year, fans will be treated to yet another Spider-Verse flick, and fans are ultimately curious about how the movie will fit into the studio’s bigger plans. This summer, Sony and Marvel Studios will bring Spider-Man back to theaters in a new standalone, so there is no telling if the two will make arrangements to work on Venom together as well.

For now, fans can only take a moment to speculate which storylines Venom will entail. And, most importantly, there’s the question of which incarnation of Venom will be leading the film. Here at ComicBook, we are breaking down the most likely suspects for the standalone. Hopefully, your favorite will get caught in Sony’s web.

The official Spider-Man: Homecoming synopsis is listed below.

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

The cast includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. It also includes Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Kenneth Choi, Michael Mando, Selenis Leyva, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., JJ Totah, and Hannibal Buress.

Next up for Marvel is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5, 2017. Spider-Man: Homecoming lands on July 7, 2017, followed by Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017. After that Black Panther debuts on February 16, 2018, while Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018. Ant-Man and the Wasp is slated for July 6, 2018, followed by Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.

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Lee Price

If Sony is looking to flip Venom’s traditional storyline on its head, then the studio might want to check out Lee Price. The character may not be one which casual fans know well, but Price’s tenure as Venom’s host was well received. The character made his debut in Venom #1 under Mike Costa and Gerardo Sandoval, and Price made readers feel bad for the Venom symbiote.

After bonding with Price, the symbiote quickly discovered the man was even more cruel and sadistic than it was. As time goes on, Price racks up a horrifying list of offenses, and the Venom symbiote finds itself desperate to escape its hosts grasp.

While Price is one of Venom’s more interesting hosts, it doesn’t seem likely Sony will include the character. The host does not have the same popularity of other characters who’ve hosted Venom, and Price’s ultra-violent personality may clash with Sony’s ultimate vision for the Spider-Verse franchise.

Flash Thompson

If Price is too dark, then Sony may want to opt in for Flash Thompson. The character may be known as a classmate of Peter Parker, but Thompson became much more important in the 1990s. Just when Venom’s popularity began to wane, the symbiote hitched a ride back to stardom with the older character, and their tenuous partnership reimagined how Venom could fit into the Marvel universe.

Originally, Thompson became Venom after the symbiote bonded with him after the man came home injured from Iraq. As time went on, the two came to a fraught understanding as Flash began working with Venom as a one-man black ops mean. Known as Agent Venom, the hero assisted teams like the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.

In the Ultimate Spider-Man series, Thompson was still introduced to Venom but at a much younger age. The boy grew up being childhood friends with Parker, but Thompson was exposed to the symbiote in college.

Eddie Brock

When it comes to Venom, you can’t talk about hosts without giving props to Eddie Brock. The character was the first to take on the name and house the symbiote. And, for many Marvel fans, Brock is the definitive version of Venon to-date.

The character hails from the true ‘grim-and-gritty’ days of comic books. Known for his unapologetic violence, this iteration of Venom had one goal in mind: kill Spider-Man. Under Brock’s guidance, Venom became known for his monstrous appearance and violent outbursts which eventually tapered down. Further down the line, Brock’s take on Venom toned down his desire to kill Spider-Man and became a dangerous anti-hero complete with a villain and everything.

If Sony is wanting to go classically dark, then Brock is their man. The character has a long history behind him, and it is one that could easily support a few films. And, if that means fans get to meet Carnage as well, then it’s a story many will rally behind.