The first Venom movie was a lovable mess, but Tom Hardy’s comedic performance as Eddie Brock and an impressive box-office haul made a strong case for a second movie. Luckily for us, Tom Hardy’s taking up the symbiote mantle once again in the sequel, which is punningly titled Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Will this one connect with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe? Is Michelle Williams along for the ride again? Will there be both carnage and Carnage? Here’s what to expect from Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

When will Venom 2 hit theaters?

Venom 2 was supposed to come out October 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, its release was delayed to June 25, 2021. It was supposed to be preceded by another SUMC release: Morbius, a standalone film for the Spider-Man vampire villain of the same name, but that film which stars Jared Leto, was delayed from March to October 2021. 

Who will be in the sequel’s cast?

Tom Hardy will of course return as Eddie Brock. It’s unclear if he’ll plunge himself into a bath of lobsters this time around, but Hardy is sure to bring the same charm that almost made Venom a comedy to its sequel. Michelle Williams is also set to return as Anne Weying, Eddie’s ex-fiancée. 

As promised via Venom‘s mid-credits scene, Woody Harrelson will star as longtime Venom villain Cletus Kasady, a serial killer who will eventually become the symbiote villain known as Carnage.

Also sure to return is Venom’s extremely long tongue. 

Past that, no other cast announcements have been made for the sequel. There have been wishful rumors of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man making an appearance in a Venom movie; while technically possible, it seems unlikely.

Does Venom 2 have an official title?

Yes! The film formerly known as Venom 2 is officially titled Venom: Let There be Carnage, which sounds sick and definitely means that Harrelson’s Carnage will play a huge part in it. Sony announced the new title in April via the very dramatic video above. 

What’s the plot of Venom 2?

With Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake (who eventually fused with the symbiote Riot) out of the picture after, uh, exploding inside a spaceship towards the end of the first film, Eddie and Venom’s initial nemesis will most likely not be back. Luckily, Venom‘s mid-credits scene was a strong, bankable indicator as to who is going to fill the villain void in the sequel.

Woody Harrelson’s character Cletus Kasady was revealed in the scene. Brock, once again working as a journalist, interviews Kasady, a captured serial killer in prison. It’s creepy as hell, but there’s not much to go off of plot-wise other than Kasady’s promise that, “When I get out of here — and I will — there’s going to be carnage.”

That line is an on-the-nose reference that confirms Kasady’s identity. In the comics, he merges with a symbiote named Carnage, a kind of “offspring” that Venom shed once while breaking Brock out of prison. Carnage bonds on a deep level with Kasady, developing violent abilities that even Venom doesn’t possess. It’s uncertain how much of Carnage and Kasady’s storyline will be pulled from the source material for Venom 2, but we can be certain that it’s going to bloody and violent as all get out. 

Deadline also reports that, according to two sources close to the project, comic book villain Shriek has been also incorporated into the plot of Venom 2. A Sony spokesperson declined to comment, stating that the project is still in its early stages. In the comics, Shriek is a drug dealer named Frances Barrison, whose severe trauma caused her latent mutant powers — which include sonic blasts, flight, and the ability to incite dark emotions — to emerge. Historically, she’s both Carnage’s accomplice and love interest, so her addition to the sequel makes sense. Currently, Naomie Harris (Moonlight) is in talks to star in the role. 

Who’s involved with Venom 2?

In August, Sony announced that motion-capture legend turned filmmaker Andy Serkis would direct the sequel. Famous for his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis takes over for Venom director Ruben Fleischer, who was thought to likely direct the sequel but instead directed the 2019 movie Zombieland 2. The script is being written by Kelly Marcel, who was part of the writing team for Venom. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Amy Pascal are producing.

Is this the last Venom film?

The short answer: it’s uncertain. Tom Hardy is signed onto a three-picture contract with Sony. Given the commercial success of the film and Sony’s future plans for its Marvel characters, if the sequel does well Venom 3 doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, get Streamail for more entertainment, and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.