Venom: Let There Be Carnage's VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal consulted fan forums to ensure Carnage's transformation would satisfy audiences. Three years after the first Venom became a breakout hit, its sequel has once again defied expectations at a time when the prospects for new movies are shaky. Venom: Let There Be Carnage arrived in theaters last weekend after being delayed from 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic. Venom 2 beat out Black Widow to score the biggest opening since late 2019 by raking in $90 million over its first three days. Fan reception has been overwhelmingly positive as well, with Venom 2 earning an 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Directed by Andy Serkis, the movie once again stars Tom Hardy as both Eddie Brock and Venom, the alien symbiote who lives inside his body. The two are still struggling to find a way to cohabitate peacefully, though their efforts are disturbed by the arrival of the far more fearsome symbiote Carnage. Taking up residence in the body of serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), Carnage is eager to carry out as much destruction as possible, and he first sets his sights on Venom.
Carnage's arrival in Venom 2 has been eagerly anticipated by fans ever since the first movie's post-credits scene teased his inclusion in the sequel. Because of that, the creative team working on Let There Be Carnage knew it was important to get the details right. Speaking to Variety following the release of the movie, VFX boss Duggal opened up about how she approached bringing Carnage's transformation to life. Her desire to get things right led her to places like Reddit and Twitter, where fans would discuss just what they wanted to see. "I wanted to see what they wanted from this character and what behavior and look was important to them. We wanted fans to be very happy with this," Duggal said. She also studied comic books from over the years for additional inspiration.
It's safe to say that Carnage's introduction was well worth the wait. Duggal, Serkis, and the rest of the Venom 2 creative team put a lot of work into ensuring Carnage's look and style of movement was different from Venom's; for example, to really nail Carnage's way of moving, they drew inspiration from scorpions. When watching a movie like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it's easy overlook some of the smaller details that are required when developing a creature like a symbiote. That's why learning about the behind the scenes process is fascinating.
It remains to be seen if Carnage will return in another movie in the future, though anything is possible when it comes to the Marvel universe. Still, if this is to be his only big screen outing, it's nice to know the creative minds behind it knew the gravity of bringing him to life. Marvel fans have long been interested in seeing Carnage join Venom onscreen, and that it finally happened in Venom 2 was a huge achievement. Duggal's research paid off in a big way, too; Carnage's admirers are definitely pleased.
Source: Variety
