 This film was well known to have an extremely difficult production history. The film was originally envisioned as a direct spin-off from Spider-Man 3, though Tofer Grace was not slated to return to the role. Shortly after the films were rebooted, the film was announced once again, though this time within the continuity of the web series. Chris Silke expressed interest in playing the characters Flash Thompson in iteration, which was currently running in the comics at that time. Once the amazing Spider-Man 2 was released, Sony announced that Venom, Carnage, would be a part of their Spider-Man cinematic universe. Soon afterward, Sony and Marvel decided to collaborate with the Spider-Man films, opting to reboot again, and placing a Venom spin-off on hold.