Sony's Marvel Film Universe: 8 Things You Need To Know

5. Tom Hardy Is Signed On For Venom

What a coup this was.

Granted, Hardy is involved in pretty much everything going on in Hollywood right now, but he's the exact kind of presence Sony need to make this whole thing work. He's talented - unrecognisable, if be - and will have an absolute field day with the role given the necessary freedom.

What makes Hardy such a good pick for the role isn't just his box-office draw, but the fact that Eddie Brock is far more multi-dimensional than previous features would suggest. The fact is that there's much more to Venom than the creepy aesthetic, and Brock - while of course memorable for his vendetta against Peter Parker - is the perfect Jekyll to the Symbiote's Hyde.

Inspired by the efforts of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein during the infamous Watergate affair, Brock dropped his tools and became a journalist, determined to write stories with a purpose and to rise through the ranks as the voice of New York for the Daily Globe. When he finds his reputation in tatters, the Symbiote comes a knocking - it's a downfall all too many fans ignore.

Like most Spidey villains, the genius lies in the inherent tragedy of the character's origins - a tragedy that Hardy will look to convey with relative ease. In Venom's case, there should be plenty of Brock for our buck, particularly if it wants to stand out as an altogether different kind of comic book film than what we've seen recently.