'Venom 2' might be R-rated

Ahead of Venom’s release there was widespread speculation that Ruben Fleischer’s take on the Marvel superhero would be R-rated.

That didn’t materialise, though, as Tom Hardy ended up starring in a relatively family friendly film. That was obviously a wise choice, as Venom went on to gross over £651 million ($856.1 million) at the worldwide box office.

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But the success of Joker, which has now made well over £760 million ($1 billion), means that studios and producers have much more faith in adult only comic-book movies thriving financially.

That’s exactly why producers are considering making Venom 2 R-rated, with Matt Tolmach telling Cinemablend, “you always have to think about” it, even though the original “worked really well.”

“Our franchise exists as it is,” Tolmach continued. “And I don't think anybody is looking to just say, ‘Hey, they [did it]!’ We have a place in the world. So it isn't like suddenly everybody's considering what to do with the rating. … I think what Joker does is it tells you that you can succeed.”

Tolmach notes that for a “very long time” it was “considered totally forbidden” to make such an expensive blockbuster solely for adults, and he is very happy that this period is over.

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“So you know, I think it's the greatest thing in the world that R-rated movies are being embraced by massive audiences. And it just means that there are more opportunities for that kind of storytelling.”

If Tolmach and the creative team behind Venom 2 decide to make it R-rated, it won’t actually be Fleischer that gets to oversee its more explicit content.

That’s because Andy Serkis is overseeing the sequel, while Hardy will be joined by Woody Harrelson and Stephen Graham in Venom 2, which is due out on October 2, 2020.