Content Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe technically began with a comedy of errors, as Eddie Brock made a series of bad judgment calls to bond with the symbiote. Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s story of Carnage and Cletus Kasady’s vendetta against Eddie and Venom was a result of the protagonist’s own mistake, with Eddie continuing to make ill-advised decisions.
Looking back at the choices Eddie made in both movies reveals the impact they had on the overall plotline and it’s interesting to see how it affected Eddie personally. With the series set to move forward with Spider-Man’s inclusion in the multiverse, it’s worth tallying all of Eddie’s decisions to judge which ones were the worst.
His Attempt To Save Maria
Maria was a homeless woman and acquaintance of Eddie who participated in the symbiote trials by the Life Foundation. Eddie found Maria trapped at the facility when he infiltrated it and attempted to save her, only to be jumped by her as Venom had already bonded with Maria.
It was Eddie’s ill-advised attempt to save Maria that got him embroiled with the symbiote, with Venom deciding to take possession of Eddie. This began Eddie’s troubled time dealing with the fact that he was a host to an alien parasite, although it worked out in the long run when Venom decided to change allegiances and become an antihero instead of a murderous villain.
Not Telling Anne That He Was Still Harboring Venom
Eddie decided against revealing that Venom was still alive to Anne at the end of the first movie, with the latter thinking the symbiote had died. It was in the second movie when she questioned Venom’s survival that she deduced why Eddie had behaved erratically for so long.
While one way Eddie changed from the first Venom movie was to accept the end of his romantic relationship with Anne, he still can't be entirely truthful to her about Venom. Eddie could have salvaged his friendship with Anne by being honest with her and his choice to keep her in the dark didn’t work out. Anne also proved useful in Venom 2 by helping Eddie and Venom resolve their differences, meaning the pair could have been on good terms the whole time had Eddie shared Venom’s presence with Anne in the first place.
Going Off-Script In His Interviews Without Evidence
Eddie’s career was on the rocks even before the series began due to his tendency to accuse shady individuals based on instinct rather than evidence. He was fired from the Daily Globe as a result of constantly going against orders and reverting to his usual style of accusations.
Although Eddie meant well, his decision to be so confrontational ultimately harmed only himself. Eddie became jobless and was unable to find work until Anne pulled some strings to get him his vlogging show at MNBN broadcasting network. Eddie’s knack for going off-script also made him infamous rather than the justice-seeker he thought himself to be.
Keeping Venom Trapped In His House
For many fans, Venom is the best Spider-Man villain but he’s much more sympathetic in this live-action universe. Venom became depressed and agitated after spending years hidden in Eddie’s apartment and wanted to experience freedom, only for Eddie to deny him his request.
Eddie’s overprotectiveness of his and Venom’s identities festered in the latter to the point where he became highly aggressive, leading to the pair’s explosive fight in Let There Be Carnage. Eddie could have chosen to give Venom a bit more freedom by heading outside with a low profile and his decision not to nearly shattered their partnership for good.
Insulting Venom By Calling Him A Pariah
The symbiote’s retort to Eddie calling him a parasite remains one of the best quotes in 2018’s Venom but that was for the benefit of comedy. Venom 2 saw Eddie repeat his insult in a hurtful way when he claimed that Venom had ruined his life and that he was a pariah who didn’t even fit in his own world.
Eddie’s insults angered Venom to the point where the latter began assaulting him and breaking his things. Eddie ended up with a trashed apartment and without the presence of Venom, who decided to leave. He came to regret his insults when Eddie learned that Cletus was after bonding with Carnage and he had no defense without Venom’s presence.
Holding Out Hope To Reconcile With Anne
Anne is easily the most likable character in the Venom movies, with just about everyone falling for her. Eddie blew his chance with her after betraying her trust but was encouraged by Venom and even Stan Lee not to give up on her.
As it turned out, Eddie’s decision to keep pursuing her was only holding him back from being happy. His anger with Venom had stemmed from his frustration with losing Anne, with Eddie falling into a bout of depression. It was after Anne confirmed that she had no intention of getting back together with Eddie that he moved on and realized that Dr. Dan was the better man for her.
Using Anne's Connection To Carlton Drake To Confront Him
Unable to control his urge of digging dirt on people he interviewed, Eddie broke into Anne’s computer to access a confidential email of hers about the Life Foundation’s unethical practices. He then used the information to accuse Carlton Drake during their interview, resulting in both Anne and Eddie getting fired.
Eddie’s decision had even worse consequences as a furious Anne broke up with him for his betrayal of her trust. His confrontation with Drake didn’t get him anywhere either, as Eddie became broke and alone for the next six months until he stumbled upon Venom.
Portraying Cletus Kasady As A Remorseless Killer In His Exposé
Cletus Kasady gave Eddie a choice to either leave him be or write a sympathetic exposé in return for confessing where he’d hidden the bodies of his victims. Eddie chose the latter option but decided to paint Cletus as a remorseless killer by omitting his childhood abuse at the hands of Cletus’ mother and grandmother.
Cletus was enraged upon learning that Eddie’s exposé had gotten him sentenced for execution and Eddie was his first target after he bonded with Carnage. Eddie was also remorseful for the way he hurt Cletus, as he apologized to him in the climax for disregarding his inner pain.