HOLLYWOOD HEROES™: Last night, the world finally got a real look at Venom. Go figure, it even included Venom (what a concept, right?). After a Teaser Trailer around the time of the Super Bowl that kept the title character basically a secret, we now can actually see the longtime Marvel villain. Instead of antagonizing Spider-Man in one of those films, the character is getting its own spinoff. This concept always seemed like it could be either a stroke of genius or a misguided cinematic choice, and now we have a Trailer to suggest one of those two directions. You’ll be able to see it at the end of the article, as per the usual…
The movie currently has no official plot, but we can sort of figure out the broad strokes of it all. Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) seems to be an investigative reporter, one who runs afoul of Dr. Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), someone who appears to be testing out a mysterious symbiotic element on humans. Seemingly tipped off by Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), he investigates what the scientist is up to, with poor results. Eddie is bonded with the symbiote and is forced to go on the run from Drake’s goons. Slowly, he seems to learn the extent of his newfound powers. Action ensues. Ruben Fleischer directs a script by the group of Will Beall, Kelly Marcel, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg. The supporting cast, which may or may not include a cameo by Tom Holland as Spider-Man, includes the likes of Woody Harrelson, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, and more. Cinematography is by Matthew Libatique, which was surprising to see.
Looking at this Trailer, Hardy is playing Brock as an unwilling hero, while when he actually becomes Venom, an antihero of sorts. Other than that? Things appear pretty muddled. Nothing about this is immediately thrilling, but the R rating creates some opportunities to do something a little different. It won’t be funny like Deadpool, but hopefully it doesn’t play it safe. Frankly, that probably is what the case will be, but hope springs eternal. Hardy is usually a picky actor, so fingers crossed that something besides the paycheck inspired him to sign on, with the same going for Williams as well.
Odds are, we won’t see Holland’s Spider-Man, but it’s possible that Peter Parker or Spidey is referenced. It just seems like the material is too different to make it feel even a little bit organic. More likely, Sony will attempt to build out this world by using other characters. Ahmed’s character here could end up as Carnage, though if not, Harrelson’s mysterious character may well be Cletus Kasady, who is the original incarnation of the super villain. If not, look for Kasady or just Carnage in general if there’s ever a sequel to this one. Venom obviously wants to be a spinoff franchise, though time will tell in that regard.
You can see the Venom Trailer below, and if nothing else, it actually shows you what this take on Venom looks like. Fans of the character will undoubtedly have many different takes on this interpretation, but if you don’t care about the former villain, the allure of Hardy and Williams might be enough to draw you in. Regardless, the film won’t be out until early October, so we’ve got plenty of time between now and then. Take a look at the Trailer and sit tight for more on Venom between now and the fall. I’m sure we’ll have more on it in a few months…
Here now is the Trailer for Venom:
Stay tuned for more on Venom as the year progresses!
