Actor Tom Hardy has been roped in to star in the upcoming superhero film Venom, a spin-off to the Spider-Man franchise.
The Sony Pictures-backed project will be directed by Zombieland fame Ruben Fleischer, reports theguardian.com.
According to sources, Hardy is a huge fan of Venom. His only film in the superhero genre was 2012's The Dark Knight Rises in which he played Bane.
Hardy will play Eddie Brock, a freelance photographer who becomes infected by an alien life form that needs a host in order to survive.
Meanwhile, actor Tom Holland will next be seen playing Spider-Man in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project, Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is slated to release on July 7 in US.
Venom is set to hit theaters on October 5, 2018.