Just when it seemed like Eddie Brock had taken his final bow in ‘Venom: The Last Dance’, the symbiote is slithering back, this time in animated form. Tom Hardy is on board as a producer, alongside franchise architects Amy Pascal and Avi Arad, which is an indication that Sony is not going to sleep on its antihero.
On paper, it is all logical. Sony has been extremely lucky with animation in its Spider-Man corner of the universe. The ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘ movies did not simply work; they transformed the superhero animation genre. So why does this new Venom project feel like it’s missing a pulse?
Why Animated Venom Feels Like A Risky New Direction For Sony
When viewers mention Sony and animated Marvel, the mindset is immediately shifted towards the creative genes of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Their stylistic audacity, emotional richness, and their multiverse playfulness made Miles Morales a generational icon. But so far, there’s no sign they’re involved in Venom. And it is difficult to overlook that.
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Although Pascal and Arad were listed on the Spider-Verse movies, Lord and Miller were the creators of its image. In their absence, the animated expansion of Sony does not seem like a shared universe but rather a parallel experiment. It poses a sincere question: Is this Venom included in the Spider-Verse, or outside of it?
If it’s separate, that’s a risk. The Spider-Verse brand has massive goodwill. Eddie Brock’s next chapter could be immediately followed by a connection to that animated multiverse, which would immediately increase excitement. Leaving it disconnected may make it feel like just another spin-off.
Spider-Verse Set The Standard, Can Venom Match It Alone?
The potential is still there. Animation opens the door to the live-action trilogy that has never fully adopted its cosmic horror imagery. It could show a more in-depth exploration of Knull, or even a complete re-invention of Eddie himself. Not bound by the tonal demands of live-action, Venom was finally able to indulge in the darker, stranger aspects of the symbiote mythos.
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However, consider the other possibility: Miles Morales meets Venom. A symbiote infecting a familiar Spider-Verse hero. The kinetic, graffiti-inspired animation style wraps around that oily black tendril. It is the electric version. Sony seems to be taking a different course, at least in the short term.
Perhaps it is a strategic step to see whether Venom can support its own animated division. Perhaps larger crossovers are underway. In any case, the expectations are high. Since Spider-Verse set the bar, anything animated in this section of Marvel must feel visionary.
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