Will The Venom Movie Be Like Spider-Man 3 and Fall Flat On Its Face?
Will The Venom Movie Be Like Spider-Man 3 and Fall Flat On Its Face?
After the failed attempt at rebooting the Spider-Man franchise with Andrew Garfield dawning the tights, it was a surprise to see Sony announce that they would be spinning it off into Spider-Man related, but non-Spider-Man movies. Yes, they had eluded to it at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with the various costumes of the Sinister Six, but once the movie bombed, no one thought they would continue with it.
Instead of the Sinister Six, we get the Eddie Brock symbiote, Venom. I for one am excited. While Eddie Brock can be considered the exact opposite of Spider-Man, he can strangely be considered the mirror reflection. Like Spider-Man he wishes to protect the innocent and save the needy.
What separates him is his intense hatred for the wallcrawler. The two have a storied history and it is nearly impossible to utter Spider-Man without the name Venom following. I know that Venom has been cast before but I’ll remind you, that atrocity that was Spider-Man 3 should be burned and never spoken of again.
A Venom movie? A Venom recap…
The Venom character was introduced in 1988 inside the pages of Spider-Man #300. The story tells a tale of an average journalist named Eddie Brock who always felt inferior to Peter Parker. You see, Parker was always getting the glory because of his relationship to/as Spider-Man. He was able to take better pictures and get better stories.
Always the laughing stock of the Daily Bugle, Eddie vowed revenge.
After being fired from the Bugle because of fraud, Eddie blamed his happenings on Spider-Man. While confessing his sins, the now freed Symbiote that had bonded with Peter crawled down and bonded with Eddie. The two immediately formed a symbiotic relationship and grew close. This closeness was fueled by their shared hate of Spider-man.
How to make this version better…
By now we all know that Tom Hardy is set to play the anti-hero. And you know what? I think the choice is perfect. The Reverent, Mad Max Fury Road and the Dark Knight rises all speak volumes to what he is capable of. I think that his take, like so many other roles he has done, will be spot on.
Tom Hardy has the tools to take on the complexity of Venom.
Tom Hardy is exactly what Venom needs.
This movie could become incredibly compelling if another symbiote was introduced. Of course, I’m talking about Carnage. With the slew of rated ‘R’ comic book movies that have come out and are coming, it is a natural fit to include Carnage. Carnage is hostile, without recourse, and has a hatred for mankind unlike any character in comics. He is brutal, violent, and bloodthirsty. In truth, he may be exactly what Sony needs.
The introduction of Carnage could lead into the fan-favorite storyline, Venom/Carnage Unleashed. The world has longed to see a symbiote showdown and perhaps Venom is the beginning of it?
Maybe an anti-hero is only the beginning…
What if he was an anti-hero but towards the end of the Venom movie, he gets tired of the doing the right thing? What if he begins a full out assault on New York? While I’m at it, what if they start to introduce all the Venom’s in the Marvel Universe? What if Toxin makes an appearance?
What if he gives into his urges and is successfully able to put Spider-Man’s head on his mantle? Speaking of a mantle, maybe Kraven will finally make an appearance. Well, not likely, but what if?
If Sony does this right (and their record at doing this is spotty) they have the potential to unleash a series of movies that could rival Fox. I can’t say that they will rival Marvel because they won’t, but they do have a legitimate shot at Fox…especially after that awful X-Men: Apocalypse movie.
And?
Whatever direction Sony chooses to take the Venom movie they better do it right. They better get a stellar cast who not only knows how to act but is a fan of the genre. They better acquire the best screenwriters in Hollywood and pull the plug if they director doesn’t know what they are doing. Most importantly, it better be ‘R’ rated.
They may not realize it but the future of the franchise depends on it.
Cheers,
Jeff
