Hello True Believers! I hope everyone’s not too spent with The Amazing Spider-Man 2; because that’s just the tip of the iceberg – and boy do we have an iceberg on the horizon! Put all those pesky No. 6’s, tentacle arms and vulture wings to the back of your mind (and Rhino mech-suits *shudders*), because one character’s getting all the spotlight to himself – Spider-Man’s symbiotic, host devouring, bad-ass: Venom!
Back in December, Sony confirmed a solo Venom outing via an official press release, alongside their plans of the web-slinger’s future adventures; with writing duties being given to Star Trek/Transformers scribes Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Men In Black writer Ed Solomon, with Kurtzman attached to direct.
Venom since his first solo comic debut in 1993 has gone on to spawn numerous symbiote copycats, has led one of the largest scale super-villain prison break outs, and has even been on the CIA’s payroll and even an Avenger! (sort of) while constantly killing many innocent bystanders in the process… So what do we want from his first ever solo cinematic debut?
6. The Ultimate Version
In Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy, it felt like it was quite heavily rooted in the comics of the 60s, and this new Spidey era seems more in the vein of the Ultimate comics from the early 2000s; and with all this mystery building of the loss of Peter’s parents, I can’t imagine a better way to introduce the symbiote/Venom.
You see, in the Ultimate universe of Spider-Man, the symbiote was created as a cure for cancer by Peter’s father, collaborating with another scientist, Eddie Brock Senior. When they found out their research was going to be used for military purposes, they tried to put a stop to it, which eventually led to both of them being killed off in a horrific place crash (sound familiar, recent cine-goers?). This leads Eddie Brock’s son, Eddie Brock Junior down a path, with the only known sample of the suit left in his possession, to uncover the truth.
We’ve already had the original alien rendition on-screen (poorly) in Raimi’s over-crowded Spider-Man 3 and throughout The Amazing Spider-Man 2, keen detectives should note that the phrase ‘Spider Venom’ is thrown around at some very key and important points, and by the end just being referred to as Venom! (*strokes imaginary beard* Interesting…)
Also in the film, with the Osborn family curse, and Peter’s genetics being the key to making the Spider Venom work, this all starts to gets very suspicious in regards to a possible black Spidey suit, and the eventual birth of Venom; so I say ultimate take all the way!
5. A Force To Be Reckoned With (Someone Needs To Be Eaten!)
Now I’m not saying I want Venom to eat somebody’s brains on-screen, like in “Venom: The Hunger”; but really making Venom a tour de force performance and including some of the primal aspects of the character could be a load of fun to watch.
His movements should be more animalistic, running on all fours, jumping from building to building, web-slinging, and multiple symbiote arms coming off him. Make everything about him quick and dangerous.
Some of his more odder traits like the power of the suit feeling like a drug, the paranoia, and its reliance on phenethylamine, a chemical found in the human brain that the symbiote needs to survive; and really emphasising the jealousy and rage of Eddie Brock under its influence which doesn’t involve dancing down a street (black eyeliner optional) will really help show audiences that this isn’t the same Venom that we were sadly given a few years back.
4. That Classic Venom Look!
We want the grin. We want the teeth. We want the tongue…and the big white Spidey emblem would be a bonus! Venom’s signature smile with all those pearly whites is his No.1 attribute and getting to see it on-screen for more than 30 seconds would be great. Just imagine being a mugger down a dark alleyway and seeing that come towards you.
It’ll be cool to also see the symbiote use its camouflage skills just like in the Spiderman: The Animated Series and in the comics and morph into their hosts’ clothes when they’re not suited up, something we’re yet to see on the big screen – which makes it super practical and time-saving, meaning you never have to take it off, whilst also allowing it to slowly consume you and take over your mind and body (there’s always a con…). It’s this gimmick that makes the symbiote one of the best costumes ever in my mind!
3. We Want Eddie Brock, And We Want It Personal!
Supporting The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s marketing is a Tumblr blog of The Daily Bugle, which has already uploaded an article written by the reporter Eddie Brock (more on that later); already telling us two things: Eddie Brock exists in this cinematic universe and he already works for The Daily Bugle.
So hopefully, after being finally being introduced to The Daily Bugle fully and J. Jonah Jameson, we can see more of the classic Peter Parker – Eddie Brock relationship form, which could eventually lead to Brock being fired, leading him down the path of finding the symbiote and becoming Venom.
They’ll maybe even merge this tale with the Ultimate take, Peter and Eddie working together to find out what happened to their parents, leading to some black suit action!
Venom should be Spider-Man’s ultimate nemesis, and I can’t think of anything more devastating that having your arch-foe knowing the names of your loved ones and where you live.
When Spider-Man and Venom finally cross paths, Peter needs to fear Venom and I can think of no better way than Venom playing some of his classic mind games by showing Peter how completely defenceless he is because the symbiote blocks his Spider Sense ability. And I’d love to see a big screen adaptation of the time he had tea and crumpets with Aunt May (oh, that fiend!), her all alone and vulnerable; and all Eddie did was say thank you and leave.
But I feel this is more of an upcoming Amazing Spider-Man story, not Venom’s solo plot. But it could be who knows? Andrew Garfield hasn’t even signed on to The Amazing Spider-Man 4 yet, according to an interview with Yahoo! Movies, so who’s saying Spidey couldn’t turn up in any of these solo films?
2. An Anti-Hero
The idea of Venom being an anti-hero may distress some, but for him to work in his own solo film, he’s gonna need a lot more depth to him than just being another traditional villain.
When I say an Anti-Hero, I mean it’ll be cool to see Eddie Brock to use the Venom suit to dish out his own twisted sense of justice. The amount of fun we could see, all out of spite for Spider-Man, to prove that he’s better than him. Although in the comics, where Spider-Man saves the city, Venom’s first random act of kindness is to save a bunch of homeless people (so you tell me who’s the real people’s champion!)
When Eddie Brock isn’t consumed by his rage and anger, he actually has a hidden good side, which is occasionally shown in the comics; giving Eddie the ability to fight the symbiotes urges of total mayhem and use its powers for his own gain – becoming a Lethal Protector.
Unlike most other superheroes, when the villain is defeated, off to an asylum or prison they go – Venom just outright kills you…and possibly eats your brains.
1. Carnage
This one’s a no-brainer! (get it?) When most people say Venom, the next thought in your head is Carnage – the other symbiote of the Spider-Man universe.
Cletus Kasady – a deranged serial killer who happens to be in a prison cell with Eddie Brock, who by luck would have it, manages to get himself some high-quality symbiotic goo; transforming him into the unstoppable monster we all love – Carnage.
And I can’t imagine any other villain we’d rather see Venom go up against. Both equally matched, both equally dangerous. The only thing setting them apart is Eddie Brock.
Carnage has been all but confirmed, as in the Tumblr blog mentioned earlier, the article that Eddie Brock has supposedly written is about the incarceration of Cletus Kasady! Which you guys can read here to get your Spider-senses tingling!
In an interview with IGN, Matt Tolmach, producer of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 said to the idea of Carnage being in the Venom movie:
“The idea of Venom and Carnage… taking it into consideration. Watch out for this Venom movie. We are crazy excited.”
So have a throw-down set in the Ravencroft Institute for the Mentally Insane (owned by Oscorp in this universe) and allow Carnage some screen time by himself to really let loose!
Then this film just may be, the Venom movie we’ve been waiting over 25 years to see! We’ll have to wait just a little longer – until May 4th 2018 and beyond to find out what exactly is in store for us and old web-head.
If you’re feeling like you can’t wait for the Venom film, quench your nerdy thirsts on this little gem from last year’s comic-con; ‘The Truth In Journalism’ by the producer of Dredd, Adi Shankar and starring True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten to see Venom done right!
But what do you guys want to see from the Venom Movie? Sound off in the comments below or send us your thoughts on Twitter! Excelsior!