Venom didn’t necessarily prove that Sony can build its own Spider-Verse without Spider-Man. It just proved that Venom is a wildly popular, wildly entertaining character with a huge fanbase of his own. And pairing that infamous symbiote with a great actor in Tom Hardy was a recipe for success. Now Sony is going to see if doubling up on that winning formula will prove twice as good, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage starring Woody Harrelson as another comic book favorite. If the film’s first trailer is any sign, the answer will be a resounding yes. Just maybe not for all the people Venom and Carnage eat.
Tom Hardy is back as everyone’s favorite human who shares his body with an alien, Eddie Brock. This first look at the film gives us a glimpse at the uneasy equilibrium the pair have reached since we last saw them. Venom is not allowed to eat anyone, so he has learned to cook. Apparently, he hasn’t learned that making breakfast does not mean cooking every single breakfast food at once.
But the trailer takes a far more sinister turn when it focuses on Harrelson’s Cletus Kasady. (Now sporting a far less clownish haircut than the one we saw in Venom‘s post-credits scene.) The mass murderer’s execution goes awry when the equally sadistic symbiote Carnage breaks free. From there it’s total chaos, as this new-old threat will force Eddie to hand the reins over to Venom. We also get our first look at Naomie Harris’ Shriek, who will only complicate things for everyone.
This trailer embraces what worked best in the original: the comedic relationship between Eddie and Venom. But the action and dramatic sequences here already look like a vast improvement over the first film. As does the villain. Woody Harrelson will get to have a lot more fun than Riz Ahmed did as Carlton Drake/Riot in the 2018 movie.
Directed by Andy Serkis with a screenplay from Kelly Marcel, the film also marks the return of Michelle Williams. Venom: Let There Be Carnage comes to theaters September 24.
