Director Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Hardy and Riz Ahmed debuted awesome new Venom footage at Comic-Con today, talked about the dark tone of the film, and teased the potential for the character to face off with Spider-Man in a future film.
A Much Darker Character
Speaking of Venom, Fleischer said, “We made this movie for you guys. Because we share a passion [for] this character. He’s a much darker character. This is grittier, more grounded, and more violent. There are no heroes in this movie. It’s full of complicated characters.”
Speaking of Tom Hardy playing the title character, he said, “There’s no one more perfect to play Venom than Tom. When I heard he was excited to play Eddie Brock, it was a dream come true. What’s unique to this character is the duality, and he elevates it to the next level.”
It’s Easy to Love Eddie Brock
Hardy said of the character, “I think Venom is the coolest Marvel superhero that there is. I like the way he looks, first and foremost. And my son is a massive Venom fan, which was a strong influence on me. I really wanted to do something that my son could watch.
“I read the script, fell in love the with character, and it’s a double act. It’s really two characters that I’m playing … Eddie Brock falls on hard times, and he’s a bit of a loser in some aspects. But he’s an anti-hero. He’ll figure out a goal and does whatever he has to to get that goal. His ethical structure is really off. His moral code is questionable. He means well. He’s got a true and noble heart. And this is what’s wonderful about him finding his perfect opposite partner. This huge, great alien beast that arrives and lives rent-free in his body.”
Why Stop at Just One Villain?
As for his villainous character, Riz Ahmed explained, “Carlton Drake is a genius. A billionaire. And an inventor. He’s trying to answer the question of what the future of humanity looks like. And it’s in exploring that that he comes across the symbiote.”
And he isn’t the only baddie in the film, as Fleisher explained, “Riot is in the movie. Riot is Venom’s adversary. He’s stronger and more powerful. He can jump to different hosts, so you never know where Riot will show up.”
He added, “There may or may not be other villains in the movie …”
The Fight We All Want to See
As for whether there could be a crossover with the Spider-Man movies, Fleischer said, “I think we can all agree it would be pretty amazing to see Spider-Man and Venom face off in a film. I have to think the studio is thinking the same way.”
While when asked if he’d like to fight Spidey onscreen, Hardy said, “Go toe to toe with Tom Holland? I’ll have a go, yeah. You’ve got to have a go, ain’t you. Who knows?”