Venom 2 rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence and action"

Venom 2 is officially rated PG-13.

While that might be a tad disappointing for those of you who want to see the symbiote in glorious, gory action, don't worry too much – according to FilmRatings.com, the rating is for "intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references." (H/T ComicBook.com) Considering Venom was also rated PG-13, we can expect the sequel to be fairly similar in terms of tone, though that movie was rated for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language."

The Sony sequel, officially titled Venom: Let There Be Carnage, sees the return of Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, host to the titular symbiote. They'll be going up against Woody Harrelson's Cletus Kasady, who ends up a host for Carnage. Michelle Williams is also back as Anne Weying, while Stephen Graham joins the franchise as Detective Mulligan, and Naomi Harris appears as Shriek.

Interestingly, JK Simmons might also be making an appearance. Simmons is best known in the Marvel world for his portrayal of Daily Bugle boss J Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, but UK cinema chain Vue lists the actor as part of the Venom 2 cast. 

That's not the only Raimi-related link, either: the Daily Bugle logo seen in a trailer matches the one used in those movies. However, director Andy Serkis has poured water over multiversal speculation: "But in this, we're treating this very much as it's his own world. The Venom story is his own world." Don't get too carried away with the theorizing, then (save that for Spider-Man: No Way Home).

Venom 2 is currently slated to arrive this October 15 – though it may or may not be debuting in January 2022 instead. Until the sequel arrives, check out our guide to all of 2021's upcoming major movie release dates.