Eddie Brock’s adventures with the Venom symbiote continued with Venom: Let There Be Carnage. After fighting off Carlton Drake and Riot in the first movie, Eddie and Venom took on Cletus Kasady and Carnage in the sequel while dealing with their own relationship issues.
As an opinionated reporter, Eddie made a lot of judgment calls in these two movies, ranging from the way he interacted with people to how he’s dealt with his role as a vigilante alongside Venom. All things considered, Eddie was right as many times as he was wrong and it’s worth seeing the impact these decisions have made.
Right: Placing His Trust In Mrs. Chen
Mrs. Chen learned about Venom’s existence at the end of the first movie and was surprisingly calm for a person who witnessed a monstrous alien devour a human. While it appeared as if she was having second thoughts about protecting Eddie and Venom’s secret, she turned out to be a true friend.
Eddie was right to trust Mrs. Chen as she had no intentions of selling him or Venom out. This was shown when she refused to help Anne when she asked for her assistance to track the protagonists in Let There Be Carnage. Mrs. Chen even had Eddie and Venom’s feelings in mind when she berated Anne for breaking their heart.
Wrong: To Judge People When They Didn't Conform To His Views
Eddie was an extremely confrontational person in his first appearance, where he even judged his fiancée, Anne, for working closely with Carlton Drake whom Eddie considered to be a shady man. Eddie also judged Venom to be a sadistic and hungry symbiote without regarding his feelings.
He had to learn the hard way that it wasn’t his place to judge anyone as both Anne and Venom ultimately saved him. Eddie didn’t realize that Anne was doing more good than harm as a lawyer while Venom had his own thoughts and feelings apart from his instinctive nature to hunt.
Right: Instilling A Sense Of Right & Wrong In Venom
There were more than a few questions Venom had that Eddie answered about existing on Earth, with the former ultimately finding a new purpose in life. Eddie took it upon himself to educate Venom about which people were good, which prevented the symbiote from feeding ravenously.
It took a lot of effort for Eddie to instill these values into Venom and he made significant inroads as Venom now sees being a hero as better than giving in to his carnivorous nature. Eddie’s efforts also paved the way for the duo to become best friends in the weird way they are stuck together.
Wrong: His Belief That Venom Only Cared About Himself
Eddie called Venom a pariah during their big falling out in the second film, voicing his belief that Venom only cared about himself and was using Eddie for his own needs. He was altogether wrong to think so, as Venom truly did look out for Eddie.
Venom was shown to be despondent without their bond after he left. He had Eddie's best interests at heart when he attacked Cletus Kasady for insulting him. Venom also wanted Anne to get back together with Eddie because he wanted to see his friend be happy.
Right: His Instinct About Carlton Drake's Evilness
Carlton Drake put on a facade of a well-to-do businessman that fooled just about everyone. Eddie wasn’t impressed and was convinced that Drake was engaging in illicit practices. Although he was in way over his head when he broke into Drake’s facility, Eddie was right on target with his assessment of Drake’s character.
Drake turned out to be even worse than anticipated, as he sought power through controlling the symbiotes and bonding with Riot. Eddie didn’t get to revel in his belief in Drake’s evilness due to his experience with Venom, but there’s no doubt that he had the right idea about the villain’s character.
Wrong: Portraying Cletus Kasady As A Remorseless Criminal In His Exposé
Cletus’ claim of letting Carnage loose in the first film’s stinger remains one of the best quotes from 2018’s Venom. However, Cletus turned out to be a tragic figure when he confessed to Eddie that he had been severely abused by his mother and grandmother as a child.
Eddie decided to publish his exposé in a way that made Cletus seem like a remorseless killer by omitting his tortured childhood. Eddie realized he was wrong to do so by the movie’s end when he was confronted by Cletus, going so far as to apologize for what he did. After all, Cletus had placed his trust in Eddie to tell his true story but was betrayed.
Right: Intending To Form A Partnership With Venom To Help Innocents
While the popular perception of Venom is still as Spider-Man’s greatest enemy, the live-action version has become a hero. It came about through Eddie’s decision to embrace his role as a vigilante by forming a partnership with Venom.
The ending of Let There Be Carnage saw Eddie reach an agreement with the symbiote to go around the world to help innocents, which was the decent thing to do with the abilities he had. It signified that Eddie realized he was doing better by actively helping people rather than chasing personal glory.
Wrong: Threatening Venom's Pet Chicken
Eddie became petty in his attempt to hurt Venom when he targeted the latter’s pet chickens. The fact that Venom didn’t eat the birds was proof that he had it in him to be emotionally attached to living things but Eddie didn’t care about this at all.
Realizing he couldn’t physically harm Venom, Eddie decided to threaten his chicken’s life, claiming he would go through with harming it in order to make Venom beg for forgiveness. It wasn’t a high point for Eddie, as he was willing to hurt an innocent animal just to win an argument.
Right: To Acknowledge That Dr. Dan Was The Best Man For Anne
Dr. Dan was very helpful toward Eddie in the first movie where he looked after his health and didn’t clash with Eddie over their romance with Anne. However, Eddie was quick to try and convince Anne not to marry him when he learned about their engagement.
Dan proved to be one of the most likable characters in Venom 2 as well by once again helping Eddie, this time against Carnage. Eddie ultimately acknowledged that Dan was indeed a good person and more deserving of Anne. He parted with the doctor on good terms and his acceptance of Anne and Dan’s relationship allowed Eddie to make peace with his and Venom’s partnership.
Wrong: Blaming Venom For His Own Problems
The lack of progress in resurrecting his career and his despondency over Anne’s relationship with Dr. Dan made Eddie bitter toward life in general. Still, it was his own problem and no one else’s, but Eddie lashed out at Venom over it by claiming he wasn’t a real person and didn’t deserve to feel emotions as Eddie did.
It was an uncalled-for shot at the symbiote who had only moments earlier attempted to cheer Eddie up. Venom also correctly pointed out that Eddie had ruined both his career and relationship with Anne before they had ever met, meaning Eddie’s problems were his own doing and he was wrong to blame Venom for them.