Sony Pictures and Disney have a somewhat symbiotic relationship due to the former’s tutelage over the Spider-Man series. This is just like the kind of agreement Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock has with his own symbiote in the new Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer, which finally gives fans a glimpse at Venom’s red nemesis, Carnage.
Back when it was released in 2018, Venom did great things to redeem the name of Eddie Brock, as Hardy delivered a much more layered character than he could have been in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, giving fans a Venom that did his Marvel comic book counterpart great justice. With the movie’s final scene teasing Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady, it became apparent that Venom had nowhere else to go but up from there.
That setup has finally paid off, as the new Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer not only promises to give the San Francisco native Brock a new symbiote competition but also further elaborates on his relationship with his gooey roommate and his former fiancée (played by Michelle Williams). The trailer opens up with Brock and Venom simply making breakfast and living their relatively normal lives. It then shows a bit of what will be Carnage’s origin story in the film and some cleverly placed easter eggs for more keen-eyed fans.
While the rumored possibility of Peter Parker or Spider-Man showing up in Venom: Let There Be Carnage is nowhere to be seen here, the trailer does include a shot of a Daily Bugle edition that looks taken straight out of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man universe, which could hint at some potential crossover in the future. The Venom sequel’s director is none other than Andy Serkis and also stars Naomie Harris as Shriek, another villain entering the fray and the Bonnie to Carnage’s Clyde.
Although the first Venom film received positive reviews, critics and audiences still felt it failed to reach the same heights as Tom Holland’s web-swinging adventures, most notably because its best parts were often the hilarious scenes featuring Hardy interacting with his symbiote. The Venom 2 trailer certainly looks to keep that chemistry, yet now the sequel packs a much more interesting and famous villain in Carnage, whose on-screen presence will surely be boosted by Harrelson’s talent.
Despite not really seeing too much of Carnage in this first trailer, what's there looks as gruesome as ever while still sticking to the PG-13 rating Venom: Let There Be Carnage producers targeted for the film, to leave Deadpool as Marvel’s only mature offering. As the sign on Brock’s wall says, the only rule is “no eating people.”
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is planned for release on September 24, 2021.