Venom Movie Trailer Review: Will Sony Get Their Spider-Hit?

Venom is one of the biggest movies still to come in 2018, and the latest trailer has sparked a lot of debate about the upcoming release. Can it deliver on the character's immense popularity?

Sony has been trying to make a movie based on Spider-Man's symbiote nemesis for years, with the project first green-lit as part of The Amazing Spider-Man's planned universe. The eventual Venom movie is now the start of what the studio hopes will be its own Spider-Man villain shared universe (although a connection to the MCU is persistently not ruled out). The plot follows Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock, the well-meaning reporter corrupted by the symbiote, who goes up against the Life Foundation and a host of other symbiotes.

Today's trailer was just the latest step in a long-drawn marketing campaign that's both raised eyebrows and broken records. Here, Screen Rant's editors and writers weigh in with what they think of Venom's hopes.

Alex Leadbeater - Lead Features Editor

I have no doubt that Venom is going to surprise everyone. Not that it'll be some grand, moving entry in the superhero genre necessarily, but it will make bank. Every trailer thus far has been met with wry cynicism - at Tom Hardy's accent, at the overly 90s aesthetic, and the very idea of a Spider-Man-less Spider-Man movie - which is extended to then claim that it'll be both bad and a box office failure. However, while Sony's handling of the Spider-Man license is fraught with missteps, I don't think this will be one of them, at least not financially. There's a general excitement around Venom building and hunger for more - the last trailer was the most-watching Spidey preview ever. I rarely stake a box office claim, but with Venom I'm calling this as a hit.

That said, I am still a little unsure on what we've seen. The movie looks uber-90s, which is a blessing and a curse: embracing that style is essential given the source, but skirting too close risks dredging up memories of 1990s superhero movies we'd all rather forget. It all lies on how it balances the tone; Venom needs to be all-in but also in on the jokes everybody's making. From the latest trailer, it's kind of getting it.

Molly Freeman - Lead News Editor

I feel the need to preface this by saying I haven’t read the comics, and I’ve only seen Spider-Man 3 once (and laughed through most of it), so I don’t have a pre-existing attachment to Venom. Still, Tom Hardy doing a comic book movie is intriguing and Venom as a character seems cool enough. The latest trailer for Venom balances offbeat humor and violent action in a way that walks the line between superhero film and B horror movie, which makes it feel like a combination of two of my favorite genres so I’m pretty much ready to love it.

Whether Venom will actually hit with audiences in general is harder to pinpoint. It totally could if Venom strikes the exact right balance between silly/ridiculous and horror/action, which it might since Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) directed. Plus, with Venom hitting theaters in the superhero off-season of October and tapping into the pre-Halloween horror audience, Sony’s latest superhero flick could have a solid run at the box office. So, it has the makings of a hit, but it wouldn’t be the first time Sony looked to be gearing up for a success that ultimately flopped.

Chris Agar - Associate News Editor

I was in Hall H for the Venom panel at SDCC this year, and the footage screened there definitely went over well with fans. The trailer is essentially a shortened version of what we saw, covering the same basic plot points. I'm still not entirely convinced Venom is going to be a good movie (some of the dialogue is weak), but the trailer is a step in the right direction. I think they've completely nailed the look and sound of the Venom character, and Tom Hardy is an immensely talented actor who gives his all to every role he plays.

If nothing else, Venom looks like it will be a different kind of comic book film, leaning on the body horror elements. Hopefully, it's a successful breath of fresh air for the genre and there can be more installments - possibly one with a certain wall-crawler doing battle against his nemesis.

Thomas Bacon - News & Features Writer

Marvel fans have treated Venom with a lot of skepticism, especially after Sony released a first, pre-CGI teaser trailer. This latest trailer really does demonstrate that we’d be fools to write Venom off, though. It’s well put together, there’s a strong sense of narrative, and the CGI is very effective indeed. The scene where Riot and Venom battle, with the symbiotes in conflict as much as their hosts, is tremendous.

The first trailer was the most-viewed in all the Spider-Man film franchise, which should give an indication of just how much interest there is in Venom. It even beat Spider-Man: Homecoming! This second trailer’s central pitch – “The world has enough superheroes” – is perfectly designed to make Venom stand out. It reminds viewers that they’ve seen a lot of superhero films this year, but promises that this one is different.

Comic book readers are fairly divided on Venom, mainly because it’s an origin story that lacks Spider-Man. Ironically, though, this really does look to lift so many ideas from the comics – especially the much-loved Venom: Lethal Protector arc. If this trailer is anything to go by, comic book fans will find a lot more to enjoy in Venom than they expected.

What did you think of Venom's latest trailer? Share your thoughts and expectations down in the comments.