Sony’s Spider-Man Universe continued with Venom: Let There Be Carnage that introduced the most iconic symbiote apart from the titular anti-hero. The movie brought back Eddie Brock and Venom’s dysfunctional relationship as they took on Cletus Kasady’s vendetta against him with the aid of Carnage.
The main cast was kept minimal and there were few main characters, although they all had their own traits and developments. The movie gave enough reasons to hate the players that viewers were supposed to hate and like the heroes in their designated roles, but the level of their likability varied. It’s interesting to see where every character ranked based on what they contributed to the plot and how they were portrayed.
Carnage
It’s common for fans unaware of the comics to question Venom’s link to Carnage, and the movie adapted the latter’s status as Venom’s offspring. Unlike the comics, though, Carnage had little to no personality, with the character having one dimension, wanting to kill people.
Carnage lacked the flair and edge of his comic book counterpart and is pretty interchangeable, in that any symbiote could have taken his role for the same impact. Carnage had zero redeeming qualities with his bloodlust, with even Cletus and Shriek despising him for the way he attacked his own cohorts.
Shriek
The only redeeming thing about Shriek was her love for Cletus, which would have made most viewers anticipate their reunion. However, she was sadistic for no real reason and her motives of wanting to kill Mulligan were evil to begin with.
Shriek also spent half of the movie trapped in the psychiatric facility, which didn’t help her character since viewers weren’t shown anything about her other than her desire to kill. Her eventual death didn’t have much of an impact and most wouldn’t find any reason to mourn her.
Mulligan
Mulligan was a chaotic good character who was brash and was a jerk toward Eddie but had the right motivation of catching the antagonists. His attitude can be understood, as he was injured by Shriek on the job and was hardened by this experience.
Mulligan’s role didn’t develop as much as it could have, and he ended up being more of a hindrance to Eddie and Venom than an ally. Shriek’s torture made him sympathetic, but it wasn’t something that would remain in fans’ minds for too long after Mulligan was left injured. The indication of him turning into the Toxin symbiote in the next movie does hold promise, however.
Cletus Kasady
Cletus’ warning of upcoming carnage was the best quote in 2018’s Venom, and he followed through on that promise as this movie’s antagonist. Cletus was responsible for numerous police officer deaths and showed no regrets about being a serial killer.
Still, there was a sympathetic quality to Cletus because of an explanation of the abuse he had to experience as a child by his mother and grandmother. He also had a villainous charisma that made it difficult to hate him, while his overall motive was out of love to reunite with Shriek.
Eddie Brock
The deep bond between Eddie and Venom was known only to comic book fans until this movie stressed upon that point. Although Eddie’s annoyance with Venom was understandable, the latter’s strangely adorable quality made Eddie out to be a bit of a jerk for the way he took his anger out on Venom.
Eddie did step up when it counted, and he was a big enough man to let Anne go after she got engaged. His likable quality also comes from the way he seemed like an older brother figure to Venom, along with Eddie’s deep sense of morality that he used to prevent Venom from harming others.
Venom
There are more than a few reasons to consider Venom as Spider-Man’s greatest villain, and this movie confirmed that when Venom expressed his desire to eat Spider-Man in the post-credits scene. He was this way for the entire movie, as his hunger for brains made him angry, but it helped that this was mainly played for laughs.
Venom’s good qualities were greater than his tendency to be a jerk, he genuinely cared for Eddie and behaved like a child who didn’t understand he was throwing tantrums. With moments like Venom’s mic drop at the dance club to his mouth off on Dr. Dan, Venom was a very funny character whose development was a joy to watch.
Mrs. Chen
Mrs. Chen was shown as the only person in contact with Eddie and Venom who knew their truth, and despite her annoyance with them, she certainly had their back. Mrs. Chen rooted for both Eddie and Venom when she met Anne, revealing that she wanted to protect the boys from getting their hearts broken.
She was also likable for the banter she shared with the protagonists, with Mrs. Chen having her fair share of comebacks for Venom’s insults. Although a supporting character, she was memorable for the way she stood up for herself and her friends.
Dan Lewis
It’s rare for a romantic rival to be such a genuine personality, and Dan continued this aspect of his characterization from the first movie. He showed up late but was instrumental in fighting off Carnage and rescuing Eddie, Venom, and Anne. Dan proved he was a nice guy by taking Venom’s insults and never holding it against him.
He was shown to be more than just Anne’s love interest, as Dan had a rapport with Eddie as well and turned up at the right time to attack Carnage with fire. Viewers were encouraged to see Dan as a person who was willing to help, and fans should be excited to see him again in the next movie.
Anne Weying
It’s too bad that Anne’s role was much smaller compared to the previous movie, as she only appeared at the beginning and in the climactic battle. Still, the movie portrayed her to be a great person by showing her keeping in touch with Eddie and continuing to take care of him and Venom even when she didn’t need to.
Anne’s likability factor went to a further high when she refused to give up Eddie and Venom’s whereabouts despite Shriek and Carnage promising to give her a painful demise. Anne didn’t hold anything against the protagonists even at the end, and it’s easy to see why Eddie, Venom, and Dan are in love with her.