How Venom Movie Sets Up A Sequel

Sony's Venom movie is all about the setup for a sequel - one that could be far better than this first installment. Director Ruben Fleischer has been openly discussing his plans for Venom 2 since as far back as July, although he's stressed that whether or not it actually happens all depends upon reception and box office performance of the first film. Tom Hardy has revealed that he's signed up for three movies, although he seems open to extending his contract should Sony wish him to do so.

It's true that critics haven't been kind to Venom - the film's critic score on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes currently sits at just 31 percent. But, perhaps in part because of a late review embargo, that doesn't seem to have dented the movie's performance at all. Early tracking predicted Venom would beat October's previous box office record, and the signs are good that it's doing just that. Given Venom is believed to have only had a budget of $100 million, it's all but inevitable that Sony will sign up for the sequel.

The good news is, the sequel should be far better. Venom was all about setting the scene for what comes next, and as a result, the plot was pretty economical, with the real focus being on the screwball relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote. Now that's been done, Venom 2 can build on these foundations and tell a far better story - potentially with some important new allies and enemies. Let's take a look at everything that's been set up for the sequel.

This Page: Lethal Protector
Page 2: She-Venom and Carnage

Lethal Protector

The plot of Venom draws inspiration from the classic Lethal Protector miniseries from back in the '90s. Oddly enough, though, it's only by the end of the film that the tongue-slavering symbiotic antihero has taken on the actual role of "Lethal Protector." Eddie strikes a deal with the symbiote; he won't stop it munching on people's brains, but they have to be bad guys. The symbiote isn't really clear on what constitutes a "bad guy," but it's willing to strike this bargain and accept Eddie's tutelage on the point. Lo and behold, a few minutes later, Eddie stumbles upon just one such "bad guy." Venom initially intends to let the thug live, but reconsiders because he's feeling hungry. These scenes set up the status quo of the Lethal Protector miniseries; that Venom is a hero after a fashion, fighting against crime and in defense of the innocents, but that he's willing to take lives in order to do it.

But how will San Francisco respond to their "Lethal Protector?" What will the people make of the fact that robbers and muggers keep (literally) losing their heads? And will Venom get a bit more careful about morphing between his forms, given he really won't want the police to work out that he's really Eddie Brock? The Venom sequel really needs to explore all these questions.

Page 2 of 2: She-Venom and Carnage

She-Venom

Comic book readers were delighted to see Ann Weying transform into She-Venom, and Ann admitted that she felt it was something of a rush. That idea is lifted straight from the comics, but it would be great to see it developed more in Venom 2.

Related: Venom's 20 Best Easter Eggs

In the comics, Ann Weying was shot by the villainous Sin-Eater. The symbiote bonded with her in order to save her life, and she lashed out against the men who had hurt her with a violence that actually scared Eddie. He summoned the symbiote away from Ann in order to end her rampage; horrified, she claimed the symbiote had forced her to do it, but Eddie didn't believe her. He felt the symbiote had unlocked something dark and dangerous inside Ann, something that she didn't want to admit was there. Not long after, the police attempted to use Ann as bait in a trap to capture Venom, giving Eddie the bright idea of sending the symbiote instead, and Ann was able to break out. In a nice inversion, Ann gave up her role as She-Venom when Eddie was injured, passing the symbiote back to him in order to save his life.

Venom 2 could potentially explore She-Venom in far greater detail; indeed, there were already hints of it in the first film, with Ann horrified at the fact she'd eaten someone's head while bonded with the symbiote. Perhaps Venom 2 could see the symbiote pass between Eddie and Ann, shining a light upon Ann's dark side just as much as the first film did upon Eddie's.

Carnage

The post-credits scene of Venom introduced viewers to Woody Harrelson's Cletus Kasady, the man destined to be Carnage. According to director Ruben Fleischer, Carnage was deliberately saved for a sequel. "The intention or the ambition was to show that there are legs for the franchise," he explained, "in that a fan favorite let alone played by Woody Harrelson would be something we could look forward to in the future." Fleischer claimed he doesn't yet know how this story would play out, but it's notable that the Venom franchise seems to be taking a slightly different approach to Kasady. In the post-credits scene, he's already obsessed with Eddie Brock and warns Eddie that he'll be coming for him the moment he breaks out.

Carnage's powerset is very similar to the one used by Riot in Venom, right down to the habit of morphing his hands into sharp weapons. It's possible that, rather than be Venom's spawn as in the comics, Carnage will instead be another team leader - albeit a symbiote that bonds with a madman, whose psychosis will overwhelm the symbiote's own.

A Symbiote Invasion

Meanwhile, it's important to remember that the symbiotes are still coming en masse. Venom revealed that the Klyntar had discovered life on Earth, and that the comet stumbled upon by the Life Foundation was their idea of a vessel; a means of getting from their homeworld to Earth. Given the comet clearly didn't possess thrusters, it could have been traveling across the cosmos for millennia; the Life Foundation took samples and unwittingly gave the invaders a spearhead force, but the main invasion is still on its way. Presumably, they're still some way out, though, so the symbiote invasion may be reserved for a later movie.

There's strong comic book precedent for this idea. In 1995, Marvel published an arc called Planet of the Symbiotes. This revealed that - just as in the movie - the Venom symbiote was unlike the rest of its species. The symbiotes were portrayed as a race of conquerors who travel between worlds, feeding upon the life-force and memories of other races for sustenance. Venom was an aberration, a symbiote who sought to belong rather than to dominate, and was thus judged insane by the rest of his race. "Hosts have a limited term of utility," Venom explained to Spider-Man. "Entire races are used up, meeting extinction before the vampiric rush-lust of the thrill-seeking symbiotes."

It's interesting to note that Carnage played a major role in Planet of the Symbiotes. He proved able to consume other symbiotes, to absorb them into himself - and become incrementally more powerful. In the end, of course, it was Venom himself who defeated the invaders. The symbiotes are empathic receptors, and Eddie Brock and Venom were able to bond more closely than ever before and release a wave of pain and grief. The invaders were unable to endure the pain, and chose to commit mass suicide rather than continue to endure it, crumbling into dust.

Given Carnage's role in Planet of the Symbiotes, this could actually be Sony's ultimate plan for the Venom franchise; first to introduce Carnage, and then to set up an epic in which Eddie Brock must battle to save the entire world from a full symbiote invasion.