Venom: Tom Hardy Praises Tony Todd After Spider-Man 2 Release

Venom actor Tom Hardy has praised Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Venom actor, Tony Todd, following the release of the new game. Spider-Man has an elite team of villains ranging from the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Carnage, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, and of course, Venom. The latter character made his debut in the 90s, serving as a spawn of the signature black symbiote once Peter sheds the suit. Venom is often seen as an near-unstoppable force of pure evil. His hulking look combined with the big teeth, long tongue, and terrifying eyes make him a real sight and he's been a fan-favorite of Spider-Man fans ever since. He has been featured in numerous games, gotten his own standalone movies, and most recently, appeared as the big bad in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. 

Actor Tony Todd did the voice for Venom, providing a menacing and gravely tone to the sound of the character. When he appears on screen, Venom is immediately a total powerhouse and wrecks shop on everything in his path. It's not long before he even takes down a major character in the game either. Venom doesn't get a ton of screentime, but Tony Todd's performance is instantly iconic and one of the best talents to grace the villain. While many fans are singing his praises across social media, actor Tom Hardy chimed in on Instagram to call him a "legend" in a post dedicated solely to Todd. Hardy has played Venom in two solo movies as well as a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. A third Venom film starring Hardy is currently in the works and is expected to resume filming after the actors' strike concludes.

Hardy doesn't cite Todd's performance as Venom as the reason for the post, but the timing suggests that is likely the case. He may have avoided mentioning Venom due to the ongoing strike. As of right now, it's unclear if Tony Todd will return to play Venom in other games, films, or projects. Insomniac Games has suggested it is open to making a Venom game if there's enough demand, but nothing has been confirmed or set in motion.

Venom 3 Release Date

Venom 3 is currently slated to release on July 12th, 2024, after initially being slated to release in October 2024. The film began shooting back in June 2023, but halted production in July 2023 due to the strikes. Sony has not moved the date for the film, but it would not be surprising if the movie gets pushed back if the strikes continue for much longer. Kraven the Hunter was meant to release earlier this month, but it was delayed all the way to August 2024 a few months before its release. It's unclear if there's anything in either movie that would contradict their timelines and impact the way they're released. Either way, we can expect Tom Hardy in at least one more outing as Venom. Beyond that, Sony hasn't outlined where they will take this incarnation of the character.