According to insider Daniel RPK, Sony Pictures has effectively paused all live-action Spider-Man Universe spin-off projects — a move that reportedly impacts the ambitious introduction of Knull, the god of the symbiotes, in the upcoming Venom 3.
The news comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding Sony’s standalone Marvel films, following critical failures like Madame Web and underwhelming reception to Morbius. While Venom 3, starring Tom Hardy, is still moving forward and expected to release later this year, the larger roadmap for Sony’s Spider-Verse appears to be in flux.
“Knull actually was the first character we went in to design for this movie,” an insider reportedly told RPK. “Before Venom-Horse… Xenophage and Knull were the first two [characters] that went into the works in terms of design. We knew we had to get Knull right. He’s a massive, massive fan favourite.”
The report also claims that Andy Serkis, director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, was set to portray Knull through motion capture and voice acting. Serkis, known for legendary mo-cap roles like Gollum and Caesar, was apparently always in the creative team’s mind.
“We knew Andy Serkis would be Knull from Venom 2,” the insider continues. “Looking at Andy every day as he’s directing, we’re saying: ‘Well, he’s the greatest.’ There’s only one person for that.”
Despite Knull being a fan-favorite villain from Marvel Comics — introduced in Donny Cates’ Venom run — and early design work being completed, the rumored pause casts doubt on whether the character will make his cinematic debut anytime soon.
With Marvel Studios rebooting the Fantastic Four and the MCU entering its next phase, Sony may be recalibrating its Marvel output in response to shifting audience tastes and franchise fatigue.
Sony has not issued any official comment on these developments.
