Sony schedules two release dates for untitled Marvel movies, which are possibly suring the global haul of last year's Justice League. It definitely seized control of the zeitgeist, seeing that Eddie and the Venom symbiote are one of the Internet's most 'shipped couples.
These developments all but ensured a Venom sequel would come through the pipeline, but Sony didn't officially confirm any details in the wake of the original's surprising success. Now, however, they're starting to take the necessary steps to get the next installments of their Marvel-based universe through development.
Related: How Venom's Success Could Change the MCU (And Spider-Man)
According to Justin Kroll of Variety, Sony secured release dates for "Marvel-Spidey spin-offs." The first is a "non-sequel" on July 10, 2020, while the second is a "sequel" slated for October 2, 2020. Check out his Twitter post in the space below:
Kroll's hypothesis these dates are for Venom 2 and Morbius is sound, as it lines up with Sony's plans. The latter, which stars Jared Leto as the titular character, is aiming Morbius would be their next movie out of the gate, so it makes sense for it to land in July 2020. As for Venom 2, there haven't been many updates to report on that front, though October 2020 is a reasonable window for it to premiere. After the original dominated the fall season, Sony would be wise to stake claim to similar territory now while they still can. The box office competition is less intense during October, which would make it easy for Venom 2 to become another massive hit for the studio.
For Sony, the fact they're able to do this has to come as a major relief. In the past, they've attempted (and failed) to spearhead a comic book franchise with the 900 Marvel characters they own the rights to. After The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony needed to strike an unprecedented deal with Marvel Studios to restore Peter Parker's cinematic reputation. There's still a long way to go before Sony's Marvel Universe becomes fully-formed, but at least the creative team knows they're on the right track and can make something that'll connect with audiences around the globe. If Venom 2 receives better reviews than its predecessor, there's no telling how high it can go.
More: Venom Has Outgrossed Every X-Men Movie
Source: Justin Kroll