Prolific British character actor Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire) has joined Tom Hardy in Venom 2.

According to Deadline, Graham's role in the superhero sequel is being kept under wraps. But the casting caps off a bumper 2019 for the actor, who's appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, Elton John biopic Rocketman, and the latest season of hit British crime drama Line of Duty.

Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, and Naomie Harris are already signed up for the sequel to 2018's Venom, which grossed $855 million at the global box office despite rather mixed reviews. Harris will be playing a villainous character called Shriek who's set to cause trouble for Hardy's title character.

Andy Serkis has signed up to direct the sequel, which was confirmed by producer Amy Pascal in June. There's no official release date yet, but Sony has earmarked an October 2020 release date for an unknown Marvel movie, which fans are speculating could be Venom 2.

In the meantime, you can catch Graham and Hardy on screen together – alongside their Venom director Serkis – in the upcoming BBC/FX adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's written by Peaky Blinders/Taboo creator Steven Knight and is due to debut December 19 on FX.

Are you looking forward to Venom 2?