2018 will be remembered, in part, as the year of surprising superhero success stories. Despite heavy competition from other superhero blockbusters like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and AvengersInfinity War, other films like Aquaman and Venom were severely underestimated before release, but managed to strike a chord with audiences worldwide.

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While Venom might have not reached the same level as success as Aquaman, it was still a huge global hit for Sony. It was such a hit, in fact, that it helped Sony Pictures blow away financial predictions. According to TheWrap, Sony managed to exceed Wall Street’s expectations for the company's quarter three profits. The Sony Pictures film division (including film and television production) managed to earn almost $20 million more than they produced the previous year.

A lot of this has to do with Venom. The film, starring Tom Hardy as the titular "lethal protector," earned $855.5 million at the global box office. The success of Sony was also bolstered by the release of Spider-Man for PS4, which has also proven to be a big hit for the company.

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A sequel to Venom is currently in development at the studio.