Eddie Brock just can't seem to catch a break. After several significant release date delays due to the pandemic, the upcoming sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage has been delayed once again. Recently, rumors were swirling that Sony was opting to push back the movie's premiere in theaters to October or even early 2022. On Thursday, the studio officially confirmed that the sequel will now premiere on October 15 instead of its scheduled Sept. 24 release date. The movie now shares the same release date as Blumhouse's Halloween Kills.

The move might be seen as a disappointment for many, but it's not particularly surprising. COVID-19 cases are back on the rise in the United States due to the Delta variant, news that's resulting in delays and cancellations for various special events in the summer and fall. The surge has also brought about a decline in consumer confidence in heading back to movie theaters at this time. Sony is also without its own exclusive streaming service, unlike some of its competitors, and the plan is to stay committed to a theatrical release.

Andy Serkis directs Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Hardy, who returns as Eddie Brock/Venom in the sequel, contributed to the story with screenwriter Kelly Marcel. Woody Harrelson also stars as serial killer Cletus Kasady and the alien symbiote Carnage. The movie also stars Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, Naomie Harris as Frances Barrison aka Shriek, Reid Scott as Dan Lewis, and Stephen Graham as Patrick Mulligan.

While the movie isn't even out just yet, Hardy is already thinking about ideas for Venom 3. He recently explained that he had to keep some possibilities for the future in mind when crafting the story for Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Because Hardy initially signed up to make three movies, he could potentially appear in a Venom 3, and he's very interested in doing so. According to Hardy, Sony is waiting to make sure Let There Be Carnage is a hit before giving Venom 3 the green light. Of course, it might be hard to judge that given the state of movie theaters.

"Should both sides be willing, and it be beneficial to both sides, I don't see why it couldn't be," Hardy also told Esquire about a potential Spider-Man crossover with Tom Holland. "I hope and strongly, with both hands, push, eagerly, towards that potential, and would do anything to make that happen, within what's right in business. But it would be foolish not to head towards the Olympic Games if you were running 100 metres, so yeah! I want to play on that field."

As it stands now, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is scheduled to be released in theaters on Oct. 15, 2021. That could very well end up changing again depending on how the next few weeks go. This news comes to us from Variety.