Venom 3 must address the increasingly toxic relationship between its two main characters, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the Venom symbiote. They have been bonded for several years now, acting as the new "Lethal Protector" of San Francisco, but their partnership continues to build in toxicity with each passing appearance, coming closer and closer to the relationship between their counterparts in Marvel Comics. When the pair of antiheroes return for the third and final film in the Venom franchise, the true depth of their one-sided relationship must take center stage, revealing that Venom doesn't really have Eddie's best interests at heart at all.
Venom 3 is the final chapter in the Sony franchise that kicked off a cinematic universe of Marvel-related characters, including Kraven the Hunter and Morbius the Living Vampire. As a result of the trilogy's end, it remains unclear what part, if any, Venom will play in future films. While rumors contend that Tom Hardy's character can still return in films like Avengers: Secret Wars and Madame Web, the fate of the Lethal Protector remains quite mysterious. However, if the current status quo between the Venom symbiote and Eddie Brock continues as is, there may not be much room for the bonded pair to appear in any future projects.
The Venom Symbiote Is Killing Eddie Brock
Although the Venom symbiote allowed Eddie to cheat death on several occasions, the effect that the alien parasite has on the human body is more likely to kill its host in the end than save him. Marvel Comics proved as much with its depiction of Venom's relationship with Eddie. In the comics, it is revealed that Eddie had cancer before bonding with Venom, who staved off the disease for years. However, this made Eddie strictly dependent on his symbiote to live, causing his health to rapidly deteriorate if he was ever separated from Venom. Sensing Eddie's growing weakness, Venom callously abandoned him to die in search of a stronger host.
While the Venom franchise shifted the symbiote's villain characterization to make him more of an antihero, the Lethal Protector may still be slowly killing Eddie Brock. Any human who has become Venom's host for too long died as a result and, though the symbiote claims that Eddie is his perfect host, a similar fate will certainly befall him as well. Ultimately, the name "symbiote" is an inaccurate term to describe Venom and the other Klyntar, because they do not form a symbiotic relationship with their hosts at all. Venom is no symbiote, but a parasite, using his bond with Eddie Brock to serve himself and eventually leave his host dead.
The Venom Symbiote Was Never Really The Hero
Let There Be Carnage adopted a lighter tone than its predecessor in an attempt to frame its main characters' actions as heroic, but inadvertently proved that the symbiote isn't really the hero at all--and never has been. Although Eddie and Venom have named themselves the Lethal Protector of San Francisco, even their chosen name betrays each entity's motivation. Eddie wishes to be a protector, helping people in danger. Venom, on the other hand, wishes to kill. If Venom has to protect innocents in order to get away with killing bad people, he will do so, pretending to be a hero in order to continue his lethal agenda.
Marvel Comics has repeatedly proven that the Venom symbiote is powerfully brutal by nature, and even the lighter-toned films cannot change this. Let There be Carnage proves this in the core conflict between Eddie and Venom in the film, which depicts their disagreements on how to protect the city. It becomes clear that the pair's heroic actions have been the result of Eddie's efforts, not Venom's. Ultimately, the symbiote facilitates Eddie's heroism but has very little desire to act as a hero himself. In the midst of their bond in both films, Eddie alone is proven the hero, not Venom.
Can Eddie Ever Free Himself Of The Venom Symbiote?
In the midst of their incredibly toxic relationship, Eddie Brock can still free himself by becoming the Marvel hero known as Anti-Venom. In the comics, Eddie becomes Anti-Venom after being abandoned by the symbiote, which left him to die of cancer. However, as he stood at death's door, Eddie encountered Martin Li, otherwise known as Mister Negative, whose powers inadvertently cured him of his cancer. When the Venom symbiote attempts to selfishly re-bond with Eddie, its presence has an adverse reaction to his new antibodies, creating a new hero. Anti-Venom emerged with the ability to remove superpowers, especially those provided by the Venom symbiote.
The Venom franchise could build to Eddie becoming Anti-Venom after finally realizing the symbiote's villainous intentions. In addition to an amazing costume, Anti-Venom has a better future as a superhero than Venom ever could. As Anti-Venom, Eddie can finally take full control of his crimefighting career, using his powers to actually help people and free the world from the presence of malevolent symbiotes like Venom. Ultimately, Venom 3 can act as the end of one chapter in Eddie Brock's life and the beginning of a bright new day for the burgeoning superhero, free of the toxic influence that once kept him from achieving his full potential.
