Credit: Inside the MagicOver the last few days, casting updates for the upcoming Venom 3 have been coming at us left and right, hinting that the film is inching closer to beginning principal photography. And now, it looks like one supporting actor from the Doctor Strange franchise might be making the leap from the MCU to Sony’s extended Spider-Man universe.
Sony Pictures had an unexpected box office hit with 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the highly-anticipated sequel to 2018’s Venom. Once again starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote, Venom, the movie raked in over $500 million worldwide.
Unsurprisingly, the success of the billion-dollar Venom franchise prompted the studio to give the green light to a third installment, and now, it seems like casting is moving forward at full speed.
While story details have yet to be revealed, Eddie and Venom’s next big adventure will be helmed by Fifty Shades of Grey screenwriter Kelly Marcel, who’s moving to the director’s chair after having penned and co-produced the previous Venom films.
So far, only Hardy’s return has been confirmed, though it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Michelle Williams reprise her role for the threequel, among others. However, it’s strongly rumored that Ted Lasso breakout star Juno Temple is confirmed for a major, undisclosed role in the film.
Additionally, it had been previously reported that Owen Wilson was in talks to bring his MCU character, TVA Agent Mobius, to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. But now, that seems to have fallen through according to a report via ComicBookMovie, which states that Wilson was never intended to play his Loki character in Venom 3, but rather, a new role altogether.
Regardless, the actor still seems to have stepped away from the project, though some other Marvel veterans are allegedly still in the running. One such individual is Chiwetel Ejiofor, best known in the superhero space for playing Baron Karl Mordo in the MCU’s Doctor Strange franchise.
Ejiofor certainly has an impressive resume, having appeared in several award-winning films. He notably earned an Oscar nod for his leading performance in 12 Years a Slave (2013), and more recently, was nominated for Outstanding Narrator at the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the nature documentary, The Elephant Queen (2018).
Sony Pictures reportedly offered a villainous role in Venom 3 to Ejiofor, as well as Moana star Jemaine Clement. However, it’s still unknown if either of these performers has taken the offer yet.
As of yet, a release date for Venom 3 has yet to be revealed. But with this year’s CinemaCon kicking off in Las Vegas this week, fans may be given an update on when they can expect to see the “Lethal Protector” return to the big screen for his third go-around.
Would you like to see Chiwetel Ejiofor join the Venom franchise in the upcoming film? Share your thoughts in the comments below.