Spider-Man Spin-off Venom: See The First Official Image

Although Sony made a deal with Disney in 2015 to allow Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the former studio still retains the overall movie rights to characters from the webslinger's comic books. As a result, a series of spin-off Spidey movies are in the works, the first of which is this year's Venom.

The first official image from the film has now been released. It shows star Tom Hardy as photographer Eddie Brock; it's not the most exciting image, and we're yet to see the titular alien symbiote who takes him over. Nevertheless, it's good to see something official released, following the on-set videos and the early promotional banner we've had so far. Check the image out below, via IGN:

Venom hits theaters on October 5, 2018. It also stars Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams. Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer is directing.

There was initially some confusion about whether Venom would be part of the MCU, and whether Spider-Man could appear in any of the spin-offs. Both Marvel boss Kevin Feige and Spidey actor Tom Holland have stated that the two universes are entirely separate. However, last year, former Sony boss and Spider-Man: Homecoming producer Amy Pascal suggested otherwise, before subsequently switching to Feige's position.

In terms of other Spidey spin-offs, Venom will be followed by Silver & Black. That movie will focus on Silver Sable and the Black Cat, and is currently set to arrive on February 8, 2019.

In related news, Sony recently released a trailer for a new animated new Spider-Man movie titled Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. This one focuses on Miles Morales, who started life in the Ultimate Universe but has since crossed over into various other Marvel comic realities. Check it out here.