Having already taken in several fine superhero movies in 2018 alone, I must confess I’m excited to realize that Venom is next on the docket. Controversial as the decision to give Eddie Brock his own flick that’s completely free of Spider-Man has proven to be, that doesn’t change how I think this film looks pretty badass. Really, have many people just put their complaints aside and thought about how this thing may actually turn out well?
Not meaning to start any sort of debate today, let’s instead discuss the material itself. Already, this week has provided generous fruit in the form of a new international trailer and some fresh photos by way of Entertainment Weekly.
Speaking of which, the publication recently caught up with lead actor Tom Hardy and director Ruben Fleischer, with the former revealing what attracted him to the role:
“There’s a tragic clown element, which I find funny and is harmonious with some of the work that I like to do. There’s something funny about the circumstances of having a gift but it’s a tragic gift. It’s a superpower you don’t really want, but at the same time, you love it. It makes you feel special. He’s a reluctant hero and an anti-hero.”
Somewhat elaborating on this notion was Fleischer himself, who spoke of these two beings who are forced to occupy the same space:
“Usually a human gets imbued with powers or an alien comes from outer space and has to figure out how to live on our Earth. But this is really about a relationship between two people who have to work together to create this hybrid symbiotic relationship.”
Following that, Hardy likened this coexistence to, of all things, animated favorites Ren and Stimpy:
“It’s a bit like Ren and Stimpy, you know? They have different sounds. I always saw Venom as sounding like a James Brown lounge lizard, and Eddie Brock is kind of…” — he switches to an aw-shucks American accent — “I don’t know, an everyday kind of guy. But he’s inherited this massive ego, this beast.”
Like I said, I’m more than willing to enter my local cinema with an open mind once the time comes. In my view, it’d be harder to miss the mark worse than Spider-Man 3 did back in 2007. I mean, the character did look cool and all, but what we got back then in terms of delivery just wasn’t what many True Believers were expecting.
That said, fingers remain crossed for a memorable moviegoing experience when Venom arrives in theaters on October 5th.