Many audience members who saw Spider-Man 3 were disappointed in the film’s portrayal of Venom and Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), resulting in the character's reinterpretation in the 2018 film Venom. Spider-Man 3 is often rated as Sam Raimi’s worst superhero film due to its overabundance of characters and underdeveloped portrayal of Eddie Brock and Venom. Since then, Venom and Eddie Brock have been readapted in their own Venom films starring Tom Hardy. These films have given Eddie and Venom more character development, but they are lacking one aspect that was executed well in Spider-Man 3.
In Spider-Man 3, Eddie Brock was portrayed as an unlikeable character with no morals. He edited photos to make Spider-Man look like a criminal to edge out Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) as the Daily Bugel’s leading photographer. After Peter exposed Eddie’s lies, Eddie went to a church where he prayed that God would kill Peter Parker. Simultaneously, Peter rid himself of the symbiote and accidentally gave the suit to Eddie. Eddie and the symbiote then sought revenge against Peter. Meanwhile, in the first Venom movie, Eddie Brock did not interact with Peter Parker, although many want Venom to face Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man. He was a well-intentioned journalist who cared about the truth. He became infected with the symbiote after he tried to expose a corrupt corporation. From then on, he worked to control Venom and use his powers as a source for good. Venom and Eddie's relationship with one another, and their dedication to stopping evil, were further explored in Venom: Let there Be Carnage.
Although Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage expanded upon Eddie Brock and Venom's character, Spider-Man 3 managed to make Eddie and Venom terrifying villains. Because Eddie Brock in the Venom movies was a stalwart man, the audience knew he would do everything in his power to redirect Venom towards helping those around him. Whereas in Spider-Man 3, both Eddie Brock and the symbiote together as Venom were ruthless and managed to incur lasting damage on Spider-Man. It's this darker characteristic that's lacking from the later Tom Hardy Venom films.
Even though Sam Raimi didn't want Venom in Spider-Man 3, he still capitalized on Venom’s terrifying nature to make him a legitimate threat to Peter Parker. Eddie Brock in Spider-Man 3 didn't have a sense of shame or decency, so when the symbiote attached itself to him, they became a rage-filled monster with no moral conscious who would stop at nothing to hurt the people around them. Since Sam Raimi is a veteran horror director, he ensured many of the scenes with Venom in Spider-Man 3 were tense and terrifying. Venom and Eddie even managed to kill Harry Osborn, a character who had been deeply important to Peter since the first Spider-Man film.
On the other hand, the Venom films starring Tom Hardy made it clear that Eddie Brock did have a moral conscience and had lines he was unwilling to cross, so this Venom wouldn't fit in the Sinister Six. Since Venom and Eddie were the protagonists of their film series, they couldn't sink too far into darkness, otherwise, they would lose the audience's sympathy. So the Venom films focused on Eddie and Venom's wacky relationship rather than demonstrating Venom's terrifying potential for villainy. Instead of killing Spider-Man's friends, Eddie and Venom saved the planet on multiple occasions, making them heroic.
While the Venom films succeed at making Eddie Brock and Venom much more likable and heroic, as a result, they lose some of their more terrifying attributes. Venom still wanted to devour his enemies, but Eddie did everything he could to redirect Venom towards eating chocolate instead of Brains. In fact, more often than not, Venom's craving for human flesh was played for laughs in the Venom films. Whereas in Spider-Man 3, there were no limits to how far Eddie Brock and Venom would go to ruin the lives of those they hated, which made him a much more terrifying and ruthless villain.