Venom's big screen version of the titular antihero doesn't sport a spider insignia, and now director Ruben Fleischer explains the logo's absence, revealing that it's entirely due to the character's changed origin.
All in all, Venom's design is remarkably comic-accurate. The light plays off the surface of his skin in fascinating ways, creating a texture that almost feels like a liquid. The extended teeth are cruel and jagged, slightly yellowed so as give a sense of savagery. When that tongue extends, it's like a weapon, stretching out to embrace its prey; notice the patterns and folds, making it feel almost like flesh. This is truly the Venom of the comics - except for one notable difference. Venom lacks a spider logo on his chest.
Related: Venom Director Ruben Fleischer Shares Some Fun (Non-Spoilery) Easter Eggs
Speaking to Comic Book, director Fleischer addressed this absence directly. Fleischer is a Venom fan himself, and he drew liberally upon the comics, working with 3D modelers to get everything right - "his posture, his scale, his size, his mass, and then obviously the iconic mouth, and eyes, and tongue. That was super important." But when it came to the chest, Fleischer swiftly realized he was going to have to deviate from the original comics. As he explained:
There was a lot of legal considerations, but the most important thing was more creative which was if Spider-Man's not gonna be in the movie, and his origin is not from Spider-Man, then logically it doesn't make any sense that he would have a spider. So, as soon as we knew that Venom didn't originate from Spider-Man in our version of the movie, then we had to figure out something else to put in the spider's place.
It's interesting to note that there were some "legal considerations," presumably related to Sony's Spider-Man deal with Marvel. Fleischer carefully avoids giving any detail of those, though, and instead focuses on the story itself. Although Venom is traditionally seen as a Spider-Man foe, this film is essentially designed to stand on its own two feet. As such, Venom's origin has been completely rewritten; Eddie Brock will still be exposed to an alien symbiote, but that symbiote will never have encountered Peter Parker or his web-slinging alter ego before.
In place of the spider symbol, Sony settled for what Fleischer calls a "pattern of veins" that run across his chest. These have been emphasized in recent TV spots, and one even suggested that the battle with Riot will leave a jagged scar as a substitute for the spider logo. The idea is visually similar to the Ultimate Comics version of Venom, an alternate-universe creature noted for its symbiotic strands. Fleischer appears to have drawn inspiration from both the mainstream and Ultimate iterations of Venom, allowing him to find a solution for the symbol's absence.
More: Ruben Fleischer Says It Was Challenging Developing Venom Without Spider-Man
Source: Comic Book
