Venom 3: How Chiwetel Ejiofor's Rumored Marvel Villain Could Be Tied To Iron Man

Chiwetel Ejiofor has officially joined Sony's shared universe of Spider-Man villain-related flicks, and while it hasn't been officially announced who he will play in "Venom 3," the title being used during the production of the third film is reportedly "Orwell." This has led some to believe that the Academy Award nominee could be playing General Orwell Taylor from the comic books. While this is just a rumor, if it does pan out, there is a chance it could lead to a fascinating connection to the character of Iron Man.

Orwell Taylor was first introduced in "Venom: Lethal Protector #1" in December 1992. The United States Army General's son named, Hugh Taylor, was killed by Venom working as a guard at the Vault after his tour of duty with the military. In order to get revenge, Orwell assembles soldiers and guardsmen that served with his son into a group called the Jury, who all have armored suits based on designs stolen from the same company responsible for Iron Man.

If Ejiofor turns out to be playing Orwell, it will be interesting to see if there will be any involvement from Stark Industries should the movie decide to tackle the formation of the Jury, who also have ties to US Agent and The Thunderbolts in the comics. The introduction of Orwell and his crew of Iron Man-looking justice seekers could leave the door open for possible crossovers to the MCU, which is quite intriguing, especially since there's a chance "Venom 3" will address the already established connection.

The rumor that Chiwetel Ejiofor could very be playing a character from the comics with ties to Iron Man arguably adds to the speculation that there may be some big crossovers in the works, especially with everything that has been hinted in post-credits scenes from films in both shared universes. Michael Keaton's Vulture showing up at the end of "Morbius" and Venom leaving a piece of the symbiote behind in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has clearly indicated that the multiverse shenanigans going on throughout the MCU have been affecting the SUMC, and leaks from the "Venom 3" set may indicate more information on Eddie Brock's dimension jumping endeavors could be on the way.

Several videos of Tom Hardy from the production have been posted on Twitter, and while at first glance they don't seem very interesting, the outfit he is wearing is worth noting as it has a striking resemblance to the ensemble he was seen donning when he was transported out of the bar after learning about Thanos. The location where one of the videos takes place also seems to be similar to the setting from Brock's MCU scenes as well. Hardy himself also posted an image from the set on his Instagram, where the same shirt can clearly be seen. 

While nothing has been confirmed, it does seem like "Venom 3" could possibly provide fans some clarity regarding Eddie Brock's time in the MCU and what it all could mean for the future of the two mega Marvel franchises. Whatever happens, it will be exciting to find out if the Iron Man connection becomes a factor in the arc for Ejiofor's character.