During the production of Spider-Man 3, Sony executives forced Sam Raimi to include Venom, even though he didn’t really like the character all that much and he didn’t have a place in the story, so that they could start work on a Venom movie. Ironically, Spider-Man 3 was panned by critics for its overstuffed plot and contrived symbiote storyline, so Sony canceled the Venom movie.
Years later, when the MCU had turned comic book movies into Hollywood’s favorite currency, Sony revived the Venom project with Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer at the helm. The resulting movie was a mixed bag, to say the least.
Right: Tom Hardy’s Eccentric Performance
In a world where tons of actors take superhero roles way too seriously, Tom Hardy’s zany portrayal of Eddie Brock and his bonding with the Venom symbiote was a delightful breath of fresh air.
Hardy reportedly based his performance on a combination of filmmaker Woody Allen, UFC fighter Conor McGregor, and rapper Redman. This wacky cocktail of influences ensured that even the most mediocre scenes in Venom were fun to watch.
Wrong: The PG-13 Rating (!!!)
After the tremendous success of the Deadpool movies and Logan, one would wonder why Sony felt that they couldn’t go R-rated with a Venom movie and instead played it safe with a PG-13 rating.
Venom is one of the most violent characters in the Marvel universe, and his movies should reflect that. With a PG-13 rating, the action in Venom felt watered down.
Right: Eddie And Venom’s Relationship
Eddie Brock is a different kind of superhero in that his powers aren’t his own; he gets them from the Venom symbiote, who is a completely separate entity. They have a kind of Jekyll-and-Hyde dynamic, if Jekyll was conscious for Hyde’s illicit activities.
The movie treated Eddie and Venom’s relationship like a romance — which led to some viewers ‘shipping the characters and Sony marketing the home media release as a rom-com — and Tom Hardy nailed that dynamic.
Wrong: Wasting Riz Ahmed
Riz Ahmed’s talent has finally been recognized by Hollywood in recent years, but his roles in blockbusters like Rogue One, Jason Bourne, and indeed Venom, have completely wasted him.
In Venom, he plays Carlton Drake, a ruthless businessman who wants to weaponize the symbiotes. It’s the same generic one-note villain that audiences see in a dozen comic book movies every year.
Right: The Venom Look
Venom didn’t quite look right in Spider-Man 3. He was too small and the way Topher Grace played him was far too goofy — goofy in the wrong way; he can be a little goofy.
When he got his own movie, the filmmakers got the look of Venom right. He towered over his enemies with milky-white eyes, razor-sharp teeth, and a giant pointy tongue.
Wrong: Over-Explaining Symbiotes
When Venom gets going, it really gets going, with bombastic action sequences and high-stakes fun — but it takes a really long time to get there. The first act is filled with exposition that over-explains the made-up science of the symbiotes.
Fans who read the comics and already know about the symbiotes don’t need to hear it and fans who don’t read the comics don’t really care about the symbiotes. Either way, viewers are just waiting for the action.
Right: Riveting Action Sequences
From the motorcycle chase to the police fight, Venom is filled with riveting action sequences, brought to life with dazzling visual effects.
The final battle was pretty generic, devolving into a rock-‘em-sock-‘em fight between Venom and Riot that could’ve been taken from any old blockbuster, but on the whole, Venom had exhilarating action.
Wrong: Sidelining Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams is one of the greatest actors working today, as proven by her powerful performances in Brokeback Mountain, Manchester by the Sea, and My Week with Marilyn, but she’s sidelined as the love interest in Venom. As Eddie’s ex-fiancée, there was room to make Anne more interesting than the average comic book movie love interest, but the movie fell short.
A brief glimpse of She-Venom hinted that she’ll have a more exciting future in the franchise going forward, but her role in the first movie was sadly limited.
Right: Teasing Carnage In The Mid-Credits Scene
In Venom’s mid-credits scene, Woody Harrelson cameoed as Cletus Kasady, as Eddie drove out to a prison to interview him for a piece he was working on. This hinted that in the sequel, Venom will face off against his arch-nemesis, Carnage.
While it would’ve been fun to see Carnage in the first movie, the obligation to tell Venom’s origin story superseded it. Now that the origin is out of the way, the sequel can dive right into the action with Venom’s greatest enemy.
Wrong: No Spider-Man
Legal issues with Marvel may have prevented Sony from featuring Spider-Man in the Venom movie, but either way, there’s no denying that Venom isn’t as interesting without his connection to Spidey.
Even a minor cameo appearance by Spidey — any version of Spidey, not necessarily the current one played by Tom Holland — would’ve meant a lot to fans.