Seth Rogen has carved out a very unique niche for himself. As a producer, Rogen has been at the helm of some very successful adaptations of superhero comics like Invincible, The Boys, TMNT, and Gen V. However, the actor-producer has been public about his reluctance towards working with superhero giants like Marvel and DC, but it looks like that might change with the latest project that he has put in development.
It has been reported that Seth Rogen is developing yet another Spider-Man universe, this time focused on Venom, in the form of an R-rated animated film, which will be distinct from Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man, Tom Hardy’s Sony Venom series of films and Sony’s animated Spider-Verse films. Given Rogen’s track record with R-rated comic book properties, it seems the project is in good hands, which begs the question: Why dilute the Venom brand?
Seth Rogen is breaking his own rule by doing a Venom movie
Seth Rogen has gone on record to say that he is afraid of working with Marvel and DC. Speaking with Polygon about the lack of Marvel and DC in his superhero resume, Rogen said:
“It’s mostly a fear of how would we plug into the system they have in place, which seems like a very good system, and a system that serves them very well. But is it a system that we would ultimately get really frustrated with?”
Rogen also mentioned that his tastes in comic books usually skewer away from Marvel and DC. regarding which, he commented:
“It’s everything that is not Marvel and DC. So that eliminates a lot right away. I grew up going to comic book shops, and it’s funny, video stores are making a slight comeback in some ways. This idea of browsing and not having things fed to you — as I think people feel we are now when it comes to entertainment — but instead entering the fair market of entertainment and just wandering around and seeing what catches your eye.”
However, given that reports suggest that the producer has partnered with Sony for a Venom project, signifies that the actor might have changed his attitudes toward Marvel properties at least if not DC. The prospect of having Seth Rogen produce an R-rated Marvel property might be the boost Sony needs, which could refocus the company on producing quality animation such as Beyond the Spider-Verse, rather than trying to construct a cinematic universe around Spider-Man, without Spider-Man in it.
Fans are pretty excited about Seth Rogen doing an R-rated superhero film
Fans are pretty excited about Seth Rogen going ahead with more superhero content, given how well the work from the actor-producer has been received so far. Be it Preacher, Invincible or The Boys, R-rated superhero fiction is where Rogen finds his strength.
Seth Rogen has worked on some amazing projects recently: Invincible, The Boys, Gen V and Ninja Turtles. I believe he can deliver an AMAZING Venom movie ✅🔥
— Austin Medeiros (@austin_medz) March 23, 2024
After the run he’s had, I trust him with any comic book property! pic.twitter.com/gtcZhzwar5
— Diego Mesa (@DiegoMesaDiez) March 23, 2024
He knows how to cook 🔥
— Adam McConnell (@adammcco27) March 24, 2024
Seth Rogen?! This about to cook
— Dame to the Heat lol jk (@MiamiFights) March 24, 2024
Fans are looking forward to what Rogen does with the IP, given that the R rating allows for more freedom for the producer. Venom is one of the most iconic characters in the Spider-Man mythos and has also had a heroic streak in the past few years. Perhaps Sony is trying to build towards a Venomverse showdown? It is possible that the show could be about Agent Venom, conducting secret black ops missions, which would suit an R-rated tone well. It would also be a version of the character that has not been seen on screen in a major capacity.
Why create another Spider-Man universe though?
As of the writing of this article, here are the Spider-Man properties that are part of a multiverse but are not narratively connected: There is the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, directed by Sam Raimi. Then there is The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield.
Then there are the animated Spider-Verse films which are currently awaiting their third film, and Sony’s Universe of Spider-Man characters which has had Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web share a universe, with Kraven the Hunter joining it later this year. Not to mention, there is also the Spider-Man in the MCU that Sony shares with Marvel.
Even if the former two are disqualified on the account of them not being active franchises anymore, that still puts the total number of active Spider-Man franchises for Sony at three, which already dilutes the brand quite a bit. To introduce a fourth IP, based on a character that already has a presence on the big screen, even if it is from Seth Rogen and his comic-book expertise, might not be in the best interests of Sony.