How many symbiotes are too many? Well, we could be about to find out.

There’s no doubting that the likes of Venom, Carnage and Toxin are some of the most interesting characters in the Spider-Man corner of Marvel Comics, but it looks as if next year’s Venom could be about to overdo it from the get-go. Just when we were starting to get a little on board with the Tom Hardy-headlined effort, now comes word that the film could see Hardy’s Venom going up against enough symbiotes to have casual fans scratching their heads at what they’re seeing

As per MovieWeb, it’s now being reported that Venom will adapt the first arc of the Venom: Lethal Protector story. In that tale, Eddie Brock finds himself battling five symbiotes.

To get you up to speed on Lethal Protector, the official blurb on that comic book story reads:

Before the story begins, Venom makes an agreement with Spider-Man that they will leave each other alone, on the condition that Venom commits no crimes. Venom then moves from New York City to San Francisco and takes up with a group of Californian mole people. Shortly thereafter the father of one of Venom’s victims seeks him out with a group of super-powered mercenaries to take revenge. Spider-Man, seeing misleading coverage of Venom on television, heads to San Francisco to confront him and instead winds up fighting alongside Venom against five new offspring of the Venom symbiote: Scream, Phage, Riot, Lasher, and Agony.

Of course, there will be no Spider-Man in Venom, but we do know that both Carnage and She-Venom will be making appearances – bringing the symbiote total up to a potential eight including Brock as Venom. Then again, this is far from official right now, so it could be that other elements of Lethal Protector are used rather than introducing five further symbiotes in to the fold.

Maybe it’s just us, but you’d think that maybe keeping the symbiotes to a minimum would make Venom himself feel more special and unique. After all, having so many other characters in the film who can do pretty much exactly what your headline act can do doesn’t seem like a particularly wise move and simply serves to water down your main attraction. But what do we know.

As well as Hardy as Eddie Brock, at this stage Venom also has Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate and Riz Ahmed on board, while Reid Scott is currently in talks to join the film.

Venom, of course, is the first film in Sony Pictures’ shared cinematic Spider-Verse – which won’t actually be featuring ol’ Web-head any time soon. In addition to Venom, Silver Sable and Black Cat have the Silver and Black team-up movie in development, and there are also currently loose plans to give solo pictures to both Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter.

To be directed by Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer, Venom is currently set for an October 2018 release.