Warning: Spoilers for Venom ahead.
Sony revealed the official name for the sequel to 2018’s box-office smash Venom earlier today, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, making it pretty clear who the main antagonist for the film will be.
In the comics Carnage is a serial killer named Cletus Kasady who bonds with the symbiote while imprisoned with Eddie Brock; the involvement of the character, played by Woody Harrelson, was foreshadowed in a Venom post-credits scene.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage teaser
#Venom: Let There Be Carnage – In Theaters 6.25.21. pic.twitter.com/05TUGBpQne
— Venom (@VenomMovie) April 21, 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the release date of the film is also being pushed from October 2, 2020 to June 25, 2021.
Tom Hardy, who plays Eddie Brock (the human who formed a bond with the titular Venom symbiote in the first film) also posted a very interesting image on his social media (although according to Venom Movie News, it was subsequently deleted):
Tom Hardy posted this photo on his IG AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/cOir40SHZ6
— Venom Movie News 🎥 (@VenomMovieNews) April 21, 2020
Could Hardy be presaging involvement from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in Venom: Let There Be Carnage? Or was he simply exhibiting his excitement for the sequel’s official announcement?
The first Venom film was produced by Colombia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures, in association with Marvel and Tencent Pictures. The first film in Sony’s Marvel Universe, it was directed by Ruben Fleischer and starred Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Scott Haze. The film was based on the character created by Todd McFarlane and David Michelinie. According to Wikipedia, “Venom grossed $213.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $642.6 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $856.1 million,” making it the sixth most profitable release of 2018.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be the third film Sony’s Marvel Universe (Morbius, starring Jared Leto, is still scheduled to release on March 19, 2021) and is set to be directed by Andy Serkis (motion-capture actor in Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and director of Mowgli: King of the Jungle). The film will feature the return of Tom Hardy in the role of Venom/Eddie Brock, Michelle Williams as Brock’s former flame and introduce Woody Harrelson as Carnage.
Do you think another symbiote added into the mix via Carnage will be too similar to Venom fighting Carlton Drake AKA Riot (played by Riz Ahmed) or will the film be able to put a unique, interesting twist on the rivalry?
