The critics may not have loved Venom, but fans of the antihero were more than content with the film. Tom Hardy played Eddie Brock, a reporter turned hero who bonds with a symbiote who originally came to destroy the planet.
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Now the follow-up film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, is set to hit theaters in the fall. You can watch the trailer below:
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We got to see Carnage's host, Cletus Kasady, played by Woody Harrelson, in the first film. Kasady is a deranged killer who bonds with an offspring of Venom. It appears that the movie may follow this comic storyline very closely.
Venom was Sony's first film in their Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters franchise (I don't know why they settled on that name).
136 days until Venom: Let There Be Carnage 🔥
The plan is to flesh out this universe with films like Jared Leto's Morbius. A film based on Kraven the Hunter is in the works — plus, Olivia Wilde's secret Sony/Marvel film should start making big moves soon regarding announcements.
So where does Let There Be Carnage fit in with this ever-expanding universe that Sony is building?
1. Carnage's main purpose in the comics is often to set up a Venom and Spider-Man team-up. The two hate each other, but the appearance of Carnage always gets them to call a temporary truce.
can't wait to enjoy tf outta venom: let there be carnage
If they don't kill off Carnage in this film, then they most definitely are setting up a Spider-Man appearance. Sony may choose to grab a new Spidey (for example, casting a live-action Miles Morales for their universe while letting Tom Holland's Peter Parker live out his days in the MCU).
Or the next Spider-Man film, No Way Home, may cross over more than just the OG and Amazing Spider-Man universes. Remember, Tom Holland is set to face off against Jamie Foxx's Electro and Alfred Molina's Doc Octopus. With that in mind...really, anything could happen.
Let There Be Carnage comes out just a few months before No Way Home, and Morbius drops right afterward. Keep your eyes peeled for some universe-crossing Easter eggs (like Michael Keaton showing up in the Morbius trailer).
2. However, Carnage isn't the baddest villain out there when it comes to Venom lore. That rank is reserved for Knull. Knull is an ancient superbeing who created the symbiotes. Marvel just took readers on a sprawling cross-comic event based on Knull, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Let There Be Carnage at least hint at his existence.
I hope the VENOM franchise leads up to Knull at some point
Carnage will most likely be the setting-off point for Sony to really crack their universe open. Think of this film like the Iron Man 2 of the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters. That film expanded the MCU by introducing Black Widow, giving War Machine his armor, increasing the scope of S.H.I.E.L.D., and giving insight into the past. It was integral in fast-tracking the interconnectivity of the MCU before the first Avengers film touched down. Let There Be Carnage may follow in those footsteps by laying the groundwork for a bigger, more immersive universe.
I expect several seeds to be planted that lead to an ultimate battle down the line — one that may take a multiverse of heroes to stop — and when it comes to bringing heroes together, no supervillain fits the bill better than Knull.
3. It wouldn't surprise anyone if Leto's Morbius made an appearance as well. Once again, Let There Be Carnage is set to be Sony's Iron Man 2 of sorts. Base players in the interconnected universe are sure to make an appearance.
I feel like i'm the only one here who's excited for Morbius
Morbius is set to hit theaters only five months after Let There Be Carnage, so I can taste the interconnectivity in the air. Leto will play Dr. Michael Morbius, a man suffering from a rare blood disease that leads him to strange experimentation. As expected, that doesn't end well. Morbius becomes a vampire and serves as an antagonist to Spider-Man in the comics.
Tyrese Gibson, who will play Simon Stroud in Let There Be Carnage, signed on to a multipicture deal. Keep an eye out for the Fast & Furious alumni, as he may be the piece that weaves together Morbius and Let There Be Carnage.
4. Kraven the Hunter is another character who might be launched in Let There Be Carnage. The fierce hunter is always looking for a challenge, and what better way to test yourself than to hunt an alien species?
So now that it seems Henry Cavill is 100% done with Superman (or at least WB is 100% done with him) he is now free to play Kraven the Hunter for Marvel.
Kraven is a villain whom Spidey fans have wanted to see onscreen for years. Rumor is that Keanu Reeves was approached to play the role.
Kraven is unique among many other villains because he doesn't have some diabolical plot to destroy, enslave, or convert millions. Typically, all Kraven wants to do is capture and kill a good prey. The psychological implications of a villain who hunts victims could morph this film into a horror/suspense flick along the lines of Kiss the Girls meets Saw.
5. Many others believe that Olivia Wilde's rumored Spider-Woman franchise will start to take shape in Let There Be Carnage.
Spider-Woman vs. Venom
Sony is very eager to promote female heroes, possibly because Spider-Man's gallery of allies and villains is filled with some of the best female characters over at Marvel. Black Cat, Spider-Woman, Madame Web, Silk, and Silver Sable are all expected to appear in Sony's Marvel films at some point.
Although Carnage may be the face of the Venom sequel, expect Sony to pepper in their upcoming female stars when they have a chance. This may just be a name-drop, or possibly a crossover character. Plus, Spider-Woman has a power called "venom blasts." If that isn't an invite to include her SOMEHOW in this film, I don't know what is.
6. In the comics, Carnage also has a love interest, Shriek. Shriek will be played by Naomie Harris in the film. Her appearance in the trailer for Let There Be Carnage was a shock to many fans, but a delightful one.
First look at Shriek.
"She's a damaged soul, and she really has suffered in her childhood, but there is a real vulnerability about her, and she's in a lot of pain. ... She's been living in isolation for years, years and years," director Andy Serkis said about Harris's character. Shriek's existence also points to a potentially bigger symbiote story, such as Maximum Carnage. In that popular '90s comic storyline, Carnage and Shriek take over New York in a bloody killing spree. Spider-Man is assisted by Captain America, Venom, Cloak and Dagger, Morbius, Black Cat, Iron Fist, and more to take down the crazy symbiotes.
Of course, seeing Captain America in Sony's universe is a far reach, but several of the other heroes involved have a good chance of appearing at some point in the next few years, and Morbius is already on the slate.
7. Let's also not forget the Madame Web film that is in development over at Sony. Madame Web is a seer and an elder who could easily be introduced in Let There Be Carnage in a post-credit scene.
I think they misspelled your last name @Mmestance , but I can’t wait to watch a movie about you 👍 #ForgotThe2ndB https://t.co/tRxWkpSwmS
A quick and easy way to help expand the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters would be to get Madame Web to have a vision of the future, where fans could get a glimpse of prospective characters or storylines in pieces and parts. It would be an interesting way to highlight several storylines at once, without really giving anything away about any of them.
8. All in all, fans should expect Venom: Let There Be Carnage to be a universe-setting film that will try to cram in as many seeds for growth as possible.
The first poster for ‘VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE’ has been released.
This may hurt the film, but I hope it doesn't. It's obvious that this film's place in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters franchise is to set up the future. How far will Sony go in laying the groundwork, though? Do you expect Let There Be Carnage to dedicate the plot to universe building, or do you think it will be a true sequel that feels more like a stand-alone project?