Sony’s upcomingVenommovie just got another huge star. Oscar-nomineeMichelle Williams(Manchester by the Sea,Drive) is in talks to join the cast, starring alongsideTom Hardyas the female lead. That positions the first movie in Sony’s planned Spider-Man Cinematic Universe with two incredibly strong performers in the lead roles. Dare we say, this movie could actually be pretty great.
Varietybrings us the news that Michelle Williams is currently in talks to join theVenommovie, but they weren’t able to say specifically who she’s playing. However, their report does note that she will play a district attorney and that she will possibly be playing Tom Hardy’s love interest. Hardy is playing Eddie Brock, akaVenom, withRiz Ahmed(Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,The Night of) also on board, but his role has yet to be specified.Venomis set to be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and is expected to go into production next month.
Back in July, it was reported that Marvel Comics character Ann Weying is being introduced inVenom. Ann Weying first showed up in The Amazing Spider-Man #375 as Eddie Brock’s ex-wife, a successful lawyer who is probably best known for turning intoShe-Venom, or the Bride of Venom and temporary symbiote, which lead her down a path that didn’t end so well. It’s very possible that this is the character Michelle Williams will be playing, since her character is confirmed ti be a lawyer.
The idea of havingSony develop a new Marvel cinematic universeusing Spider-Man characters, such asVenom, without actually having Marvel’s beloved webslinger in them is something that has many fans feeling a bit cautious. Understandably so. However, this movie seems to be attracting some seriously big-name talent, which should serve to encourage those who may have their reservations. Tom Hardy is one of the most in-demand actors working in the business today, so the fact that he choseVenomas his next project says a lot. Michelle Williams is also a very respected actress who keeps quite busy. She doesn’t seem like the type who would do something like this just for a paycheck.
Plot details forVenomare being kept under lock and key for the time being, but we do know that Eddie Brock is going to be something of an anti-hero in this version, as opposed to the straight-up villain he is usually depicted as in theSpider-Mancomics. And the much-maligned version we saw in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man 3. We also know that Carnage is going to be the main villain of the movie, but it hasn’t yet been announced who is going to play the very violent Marvel bad guy. Though, there was some initial speculation that Riz Ahmed could be taking on the role of Cletus Kasady.
Sony has setVenomfor an August 22, 2025, release date, so we should be getting some solid plot details fairly soon. The studio is also currently developingSilver and Black, a movie centered on Silver Sable and Black Cat that will also be part of this Spider-Man Cinematic Universe that is in no way involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is going to succeed or fail largely based on how thisVenommovie turns out and, while we can’t say just yet which way it will go, they definitely have some major talent in front of the camera.
