Warning: This feature contains spoilers for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
There have been three live-action films featuring the Marvel character Venom over the past 15 years, but how do they rank against one another? Two of these movies are part of the MCU, Venom and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and then the infamous incarnation of Venom in the third entry of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. The MCU duo features Tom Hardy in the role of Eddie Brock, the human to which the symbiote that calls itself Venom attaches, while the Raimi version was played by Topher Grace.
The two portrayals of the dual character are often compared but are different in a couple of respects. In Spider-Man 3, the Venom symbiote is aggressive and ultimately evil, bringing the worst out of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and amplifying Brock's animosity to an extreme degree so that he recklessly harms any who stand in his way. In the more recent Venom movies, Venom is still aggressive and has a hunger for human brains but is often restrained by Brock who allows the symbiote to cohabitate in his body and attempts to limit Venom's kill count to villains.
Audiences have enjoyed each of these movies to varying degrees with most preferring the performance of Hardy over Grace’s, whom many believe was miscast in the role. All three of the movies are messy, which is sometimes accepted and at other times heavily criticized. Although opinions may differ on various aspects of the three Venom movies, here is how they rank against each other and why.
3. Venom (2018)
Venom’s introduction into the MCU falls last on the list, largely because of the plodding nature of the plot. Riz Ahmed provides an odd performance as Carlton Drake, an inventor studying symbiotes who eventually bonds with one named Riot whom Venom must face off against. Michelle Williams’ Anne Weying is left undeveloped as a character and is pushed to side-lines for much of the movie, excepting a short appearance as She-Venom towards the end. Though Venom set the stage for Tom Hardy’s one-man odd couple performance that works so well in the sequel, it isn’t able to overcome the messiness in the same way, leaving it at the bottom of the ranking.
2. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
The final entry in Raimi's trilogy pits Brock against Peter Parker from their very first scene together, setting the character up as the villain he is traditionally recognized as in the original comic iteration. Grace's performance is slightly too hammy to be taken seriously both before and after bonding with the symbiote but the parallel arc of the character to Maguire's Spidey is compelling. Venom is also at a disadvantage in this movie, competing for screentime with Sandman and New Goblin. The movie also explores the symbiote's effect on Peter, giving us the iconic black spider-suit. Though Spider-Man 3 is the weakest of Rami’s trilogy because of its overpacked and uneven plot, the corniness of the film is enjoyable and has given life to many memes in the years since its release.
1. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
This follow-up on the 2018 origin story is the best and most fun portrayal of the Venom/Brock relationship, with a couple of stand-out scenes by Tom Hardy that show how frustrating life can be when you're sharing your body with a hungry alien. Viewers were also very excited to see Venom take on Carnage (the even more violent offspring of Venom) on the big screen and Venom: Let There Be Carnage delivered on the anticipation with a fiery showdown between the two. Still messy and over-the-top sometimes, the film was an overall improvement on its predecessor by rounding out a few characters and providing a peek into Venom's future in the MCU.
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