Venom star Tom Hardy details one of his next projects: a sci-fi comic book that sounds like Mad Max meets The Matrix

Cover art for Tom Hardy's Arcbound #1
(Image credit: Dark Horse Comics)

With the Venom movie trilogy soon to come to a close, actor Tom Hardy is firming up his next projects. As announced late last year, one of those will be working on his first comic book, sci-fi series Arcbound. Now Deadline has confirmed further details of the project, including that the series will be published by Dark Horse. Hardy's role on the project is that of "creative collaborator," with the book being written by Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri, with art from Ryan Smallman and colors by Frank William.

Dark Horse's official synopsis for the new series reveals that Arcbound is set on a future Earth that has become reduced to a barren wasteland. 

"Zynitec harnesses the unmatched energy of Kronium to assert its dominion across the stars. When Kai, a rising star Mediator in Zynitec's army, gets an unexplained message from a mysterious entity, everything he thinks he believes is thrown into question, leaving him to explore what it truly means to be human in a world where the boundaries of technology and identity blur." 

Cover art for Tom Hardy's Arcbound #1

(Image credit: Dark Horse Comics)

Hardy told Deadline, "I've always been drawn to the creative process in all aspects of storytelling – one of the biggest reasons I love comics is that the canvas is limitless, a vast expanse to explore the human condition, character depth, and boundless realms, all only limited by our collective imagination. It's an honor to work alongside such legends as Scott, Frank, and Ryan in helping to bring the Arcbound universe to life."

Yep, the Arcbound universe. The intention is that, much like Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR franchise, the comic will be the starting point of a new multi-media franchise. 

"I'm beyond excited to build not just this book, but an entire universe alongside some of the greatest storytellers from across mediums," said Nick Rose, CEO of Arcbound Studios. "Working with such a talented and diverse team allows us to create a rich, immersive world that transcends traditional storytelling. We're crafting something truly special, with the thrilling potential to leap off the pages and come to life in film and other media. I can't wait for fans to experience this epic journey."

Arcbound #1 will be published by Dark Horse Comics on November 13.


Tom Hardy isn't the first celebrity to dabble in comics nor will he be the last. Check out our list of notable celebrities who have written and drawn comic books.

Will Salmon
Comics Editor

Will Salmon is the Comics Editor for GamesRadar/Newsarama. He has been writing about comics, film, TV, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he has previously launched scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for over a decade. He sometimes feels very old, like Guy Pearce in Prometheus. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places and he runs the micro-label Modern Aviation, which puts out experimental music on cassette tape.