Venom 2's release might be getting pushed back for the fourth time, according to a new report.
Vulture has claimed that Venom: Let There Be Carnage will no longer launch in theaters on October 15. Instead, multiple sources have told the news outlet that Sony Pictures will finally unleash the Marvel anti-hero on the big screen in January 21, 2022.
Sony's recent three-hour long CinemaCon presentation was packed with information and trailers concerning its upcoming movie slate, including the first teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Venom 2, though, was conspicuous by its absence at the event – the reason being that Sony allegedly plans to hold back its release for three months.
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Venom: Let There Be Carnage has been beset my numerous release date setbacks. Originally slated to land in October 2020, the sequel has since been pushed to June 25, 2021, September 17 and, finally, October 15 before this latest development.
The hold-up has been attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, with rising cases of the Delta variant, particularly in the US, being seen as the main reason for another potential delay.
Per Vulture's sources, Sony is waiting until CinemaCon ends on August 26 before making an official announcement. One individual reportedly told Vulture: “They [Sony] didn’t want to flash to exhibitors that they’re scared of the early fall [regarding the Covid-19 pandemic]. Why would you move it three weeks? Buys you nothing.”
We've reached out to Sony for comment and will update this article if we hear back.
Analysis: Venom 2's delayed release will impact the Morbius movie
Venom: Let There Be Carnage isn't the only Sony superhero flick that's been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Morbius, the next Spider-Man spin-off movie on Sony's slate, could be the fall guy again as the studio looks to rejig part of its upcoming film schedule.
The Jared Leto-starring movie has been pushed back five times already from its original July 2020 launch date, with the film currently slated to arrive in theaters on January 28, 2022.
With Venom 2 expected to arrive just one week before that date, however, it's likely that Morbius will be rescheduled for the sixth time. Sony won't want two of its movies to go head-to-head – and eat into each other's profits as a result.
Our guess? Venom 2 will launch in theaters on January 21, 2022 and Morbius will be delayed again until March or April 2022. By that time, it'll over 18 months since Let There Be Carnage was supposed to arrive and almost a two-year wait for Morbius.
If it wasn't for the fact that Venom 2 stars the charismatic Tom Hardy – and its predecessor performing above expectations at the box office – it's likely that audience interest in it would have waned by now.
The same can't be said for Morbius, though. Leto and the movie's supposed ties to the MCU (Michael Keaton's Vulture showed up in Morbius' first trailer, remember) should entice fans to see it.
But general audiences may have grown tired of waiting and opt for another superhero movie if Morbius is rescheduled for early 2022. Warner Bros' The Batman and Marvel's Doctor Strange 2 arrive in March 2022, while Thor: Love and Thunder lands in May 2022.
So Sony has a dilemma on its hands: release Morbius around those other superhero movies and hope that its box office takings aren't hit too hard. Or, release it in April (or even June) without any competition and pray that audiences are still interested in seeing it.
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