Credit: Sony PicturesAt long last, Marvel/Sony’s “Lethal Protector” is heading to Disney+ nearly five years after Venom‘s initial release date.
The relationship between the Disney-owned Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures has been a complicated one, having been defined by a bevy of copyright squabbles ever since Marvel sold the rights to the Spider-Man franchise, leading Sony/Columbia Pictures to produce its first Spider-Man film in 2002.
However, In 2015, things seemed to change for the better when Disney and Sony worked out a deal to collaborate on two Spider-Man films for the MCU, which Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige could co-produce with former Sony Pictures Chairperson Amy Pascal. The result? The widely-successful Tom Holland-led Homecoming trilogy, which opened doors for the future of the MCU’s Spider-Man universe.
Being a key figure in both the comics and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy, it seemed imminent that the character of Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote, Venom, would eventually appear in Sony’s new Spider-Man universe. Topher Grace originally portrayed Eddie/Venom in Spider-Man 3 (2007), though the character wouldn’t appear again on the big screen until much later.
Finally, in March 2016, work began on a new version of Venom that would start a shared universe featuring the non-Spider-Man Marvel characters that Sony held film rights to. In October 2018, Tom Hardy’s Venom came crashing into theaters after a long theatrical hiatus to impressive box office numbers, yet mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, was released in 2021, cementing the character as a fan favorite.
Despite being met with overall success, when Disney announced the rollout of its new streaming service, Disney+, Venom was strangely absent. Instead, in the US, the superhero flick was stuck on STARZ for several years, on top of being available to rent and purchase on home video.
Still, Venom wasn’t the only Sony/Marvel franchise that’s been in streaming limbo. Though most Marvel movies have one home under Disney+, the Spider-Man series had been a glaring hole in the streaming platform’s catalog—despite the Tom Holland-led trilogy grossing billions of dollars at the worldwide box office.
But now, fans will finally be able to stream movies from Sony’s Sider-Man universe on Disney+—including Venom. The company announced today that Venom has officially “found a new host” on the streaming platform and will be available to watch beginning May 12:
Venom’s found a new host. #Venom is coming May 12 to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/speSx58aJa
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) April 20, 2023
Aside from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and the latter two instillations of Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy, the web-slinging universe seems to have gotten a happy ending of its own as well. Maguire’s entire Spider-Man trilogy and Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) arrive on Disney+ on April 21, and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) will follow suit on May 12.
🕸 Spider-Man: Homecoming arrives May 12 on #DisneyPlus. (6/6) pic.twitter.com/sXeaxRsOXN
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) April 20, 2023
It remains to be seen if Disney+ will add Let There Be Carnage to its roster in the coming months. The idea that the streaming company would leave out certain installments of its Spider-Man extended universe seems unusual, especially considering a Venom 3 is currently in development. But for now, fans of Venom can at least revel in the fact that Hardy’s Eddie Brock will finally make his Disney+ streaming debut after years of waiting patiently.
Are you excited to see Tom Hardy’s Venom make its way to Disney+ next month? Let us know in the comments below.