After co-writing and co-producing the first two Venom films, Kelly Marcel has been tapped to direct Tom Hardy in the upcoming Venom 3. The hiring of Marcel is a promising sign, not just because she has a well-established working relationship with the actor whose gonzo performance carries the whole franchise (Marcel and Hardy shared a story credit on Let There Be Carnage), but because her strengths as a storyteller exemplify what the Venom movies need more of. Sony marketed Let There Be Carnage as a quirky romantic comedy about the complicated relationship between a man and his alien parasite, but it ended up being another generic comic book actioner with low stakes and a mediocre villain. Based on Marcel’s previous work – namely, Saving Mr. Banks and Fifty Shades of Grey – depicting complex relationships is her greatest strength as a storyteller. Since she’s calling the shots for the threequel, Venom 3 is Marcel’s chance to explore Eddie’s relationship with Venom in as much depth as the corporate skirmish between Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers and movie tycoon Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, or the toxic sadomasochistic romance of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey in Fifty Shades. With Marcel at the helm, Venom 3 might finally deliver the offbeat superhero romcom that Let There Be Carnage promised to be.