It seems Venom is merely the beginning of Tom Hardy’s dalliance in the Spider-Man universe.

It’s the actor’s first major comic book role since he brought grit and gravitas to Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, though anyone who’s seen Venom‘s mainline trailers will know that Eddie Brock is worlds apart from Gotham’s reckoning.

For one, Tom Hardy is actually playing the part of two characters – one ill-tempered reporter in Brock, and the alien symbiote that begins infecting his mind, whispering threats and nightmarish thoughts as two become one. And while a small corner of the Internet is convinced that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker will be swinging by for a cameo this October, it’s looking increasingly likely that Eddie Brock/Venom will take on a much larger role in proceedings, and “may well appear” in Sony’s other Spidey spinoffs.

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So far, the studio has committed to live-action renditions of Morbius, Silk, Silver & Black, Nightwatch and Kraven the Hunter, and while each individual project largely hinges on the success of Venom – or lack thereof – it looks increasingly likely that Sony is building towards a full-blown Sinister Six movie.

It’s a project that has eluded the limelight for years, and though Esquire’s report hints at the possibility of Tom Hardy becoming the fixed anchor point of Sony’s Marvel Universe, the actor isn’t all that bothered, stating:

If the odds are stacked against Sony, that’s not my fucking business. It’s irrelevant.

To his credit, the British thesp is fully focused on Venom ahead of its theatrical release in October, and only then will we be able to get a better read on Sony’s franchise plans.