‘Venom 3’ gets major casting addition in ‘Ted Lasso’ star

We still have a ways to wait before Venom 3 graces the big screen but some new developments reassure fans the third film in the Sony franchise is getting closer to completion. Little is known about the new film other than the fact that star Tom Hardy is set to reprise his role as Eddie Brock and will be co-writing the film with longtime friend, producer, and director Kelly Marcel. Today, news broke that Ted Lasso star Juno Temple is finalizing a deal to join the cast of Venom 3 in a lead role.

An exclusive Deadline report reveals Temple will be playing a major character but her role has yet to be disclosed. Temple currently plays Keeley Jones, an influencer turned PR consultant, in the beloved Apple TV series Ted Lasso. The show is believed to be in its final season, freeing the Emmy nominated actress up to pursue new projects like the upcoming third Venom film. Neither Sony nor Temple’s reps have commented on her involvement as of writing.

Keeley was a breakout role for Temple, who has been acting since childhood. Temple had notable roles in films like 2008’s Atonement, The Dark Knight Rises, and Lost Transmissions but her star has only risen since joining the cast of Ted Lasso. As Keeley, Temple has shown her versatility as an actress; Keeley easily could have been a one-note character when she was introduced as AFC Richmond’s star player’s girlfriend, but Temple expertly showed viewers Keeley’s complexity. The transition from model/influencer to a career in marketing felt natural and Lasso fans can’t help but root for Keeley. A role in a popular movie franchise like Venom feels like a great next step for Temple at this point in her career.

Sony has yet to reveal much about Venom 3‘s plot but we do know Hardy will be contributing to the story and after directing the first two Venom films, Marcel will be returning to direct. In February of this year, Hardy confirmed the film was in pre-production after previously teasing the script in a June 2022 Instagram post. There’s speculation that Venom 3 will be Hardy’s last time playing Eddie Brock, but neither the actor nor Sony has confirmed. A trilogy does feel like a fitting end to the surprisingly massive Venom franchise but as the first two films respectively made $806 million and $506 million in the box office, the Venom films are huge moneymakers for Sony and it’s unlikely to ease up on the property while there’s a profit to be made.