Venom: Let There Be Carnage Release Date Rumored to Be Pushed Back

UPDATE: Venom: Let There Be Carnage has officially been delayed to October.

It looks like the fears of Venom fans may actually be coming true. The latest trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Sony’s highly anticipated Venom sequel, didn’t include the planned September release date at the end, leading many to believe that the studio was considering delaying the film yet again in the wake of the recent COVID upswing. While Sony hasn’t said anything concrete on the matter just yet, a new report suggests that a move could be imminent.

According to Deadline, Sony is having discussions about delaying the Venom sequel’s release date yet again. The report suggests that moves to October 15th and January 2022 are both on the table, though the studio is also considering just staying put on September 24th. Without a dedicated Sony streaming service, the studio is likely going to keep one of its biggest tentpole properties in theaters, so the release date is an enormously important decision.

The first Venom made over $850 million when it was released back in 2018, setting the record for the best October opening in box office history (only to be beat by Joker one year later). Given the kind of success a sequel would be guaranteed under normal circumstances, it makes sense that Sony is concerned with releasing the film in the current climate.

Theaters have reopened and the COVID-19 vaccine is widely available here in the United States, but the Delta variant is causing more outbreaks amongst the unvaccinated population and we’re seeing the cases rise once again. It’s also important to remember that Venom made the majority of its money in other markets, many of which are seeing even bigger box office struggles than we are here in the States. Without a streaming plan to fall back on, Sony has to consider whatever date would give Venom the most bang for its buck.

Sony has been working closely with Netflix over the last year, sending several movies to the streamer in the wake of theaters being closed. To this point, those have been either animated films or smaller pictures. Film’s like Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Ghostbusters: Afterlife are going to have to be theatrical releases for the studio.

Do you think Venom will get delayed again? Where do you think it will move? Let us know in the comments!

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is currently set to arrive in theaters on September 24th.