'Venom: There Will Be Carnage' Looks Like It's Repeating The First Movie's Problems
Venom may have just been one of the strangest and most divisive comic book films of the last few years. It seemingly split fans down the middle, creating two distinct groups: those who enjoyed the movie's campy tone and willingness not to take itself too seriously, and those who hated it for, essentially, the same reasons.
For better or worse, depending on the perspective, the sequel Venom: There Will Be Carnage, appears to be doing the exact same things as its predecessor. The newly released trailer contains many of the same elements seen in its predecessor, meaning that even a change in directors hasn't changed the direction of this young franchise very much.
Present right away is the same comedic back and forth between Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock and his symbiote partner/roommate. The very first scene shown involves black tendrils making breakfast for Brock while creating a gigantic mess (the end product also does not look entirely appetizing either). What's strange about this trailer choice is that this supposed superhero movie is being framed as a domestic comedy right from the get-go.
This was part of what some viewers disliked about the first film. While MCU films often get criticized for being too funny or using too much humor throughout their stories, they do not explicitly frame themselves as comedies. Venom, on the other hand, appears to be leaning heavily into the idea that audiences are supposed to be laughing at the exploits of this classic Spider-Man villain. Whether that will work or not remains to be seen, but it's an odd way to characterize Venom.
That being said, this is an aspect left over from the first film, but there could have been a degree of course correction to make Venom more monstrous and less clownish. Will this sequel be serving up yet another "turd in the wind" moment for fans to groan over? There certainly isn't any line as bad as that one in this trailer, but time will tell. Venom's gravelly voice singing along to oldies on the radio certainly comes close.
As for an actual plot, there is not too much to speculate about in this trailer. As was promised in Venom's post-credits scene, Eddie appears to have some sort of professional relationship with Woody Harrelson's Cletus Kasady (who thankfully has lost that terrible wig), and as faithful webheads know, Kasady eventually becomes tied to a symbiote as well (one born from Venom) that turns him into Carnage.
Harrelson is an inspired choice for the role. Rather than playing up the high-pitched, too-much-energy version of Kasady seen in the animated Spider-Man series from the 90s, Harrelson opts for a more tempered menace, one that will likely work well to contrast with the sheer monstrousness of Carnage.
However, even the presence of this venerable Marvel villain appears to be repeating a problem from the first movie. In that one, when Venom faced off against Riot, there was far too much CGI and motion blur to really be able to tell what was going on. Thankfully, rather than having Venom fight a gray symbiote, Carnage will at least be red, offering a bit more color contrast.
Still, if the fights are staged at night (and much of this trailer appears to be taking place in low light), the fight scenes could be just as muddled and confusing. That would be an unfortunate turn of events for fans who have been waiting so long to see these two symbiotes face off against one another on the big screen. Then again, with motion-capture veteran Andy Serkis at the helm, it's possible that this movie's CGI slugfest will look a lot better.
Hardly seen in this trailer is Michelle Williams, who will hopefully be able to play a larger role in this film than she was given in the first one. However, with the addition of another major character in Carnage, it's hard to say whether there will be enough space in the story to let her character grow. On top of that, Let There Be Carnage looks to be expanding Sony's own comic book universe with the inclusion of Ravencroft (a prison for supervillains not unlike Arkham Asylum), Shriek (played by Naomie Harris), and even a quick glimpse at the Daily Bugle.
In all fairness, the first Venom movie was a success, and despite comparisons to pre-MCU comic book movies, some viewers did get a kick out of the tone the movie set for itself. The sequel could aim for the same feeling, and in its defense, that would help it to stand out in a sea of adaptations. Rarely now are there comic book movies that dare to take their source material less than 100% seriously. By doing so, the Venom films are at least able to shine and offer something different.
Still, comic book movie sequels that succeed are able to build on their story, deepen their characters, and build a larger universe for them. If all Venom: Let There Be Carnage wants to do is double down on the first film's silliness, that could be a big problem going forward.
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