The Venom movie is coming! On October 5, 2018, we will get to see a film starring the anti-hero that is set in the same world and timeline as Spider-Man: Homecoming . Now, we don’t know exactly what to expect from the movie yet. I mean, it is not like a script has leaked. But a major trailer appeared on April 23, 2018, and it offered a host of new information about the characters and movie.
In case you missed it, here’s that full Venom trailer.
First of all, the new Venom origin story will not involve Peter Parker in any way. He was the Venom Symbiote’s first host in the comics, as he found it on an alien planet. Since this is a film grounded on Earth and Spider-Man does not appear in it, it makes Eddie Brock, the most famous Venom host, its star. But the trailer focuses on two other important parts. One is that Eddie is an investigative journalist looking into The Life Foundation. The other is that Eddie is shown seeking help in hospitals before combining with the Symbiote, suggesting it is remaining true to the origin story where Eddie has cancer. This means the Symbiote would need Eddie’s adrenaline to live, while Eddie would need the Symbiote to stay alive in spite of the disease.
Now, another important feature is the fact that we do not just see one Symbiote. In the teaser, we only saw confirmation of the Venom Symbiote and its canister. But in this more full bodied trailer, we see a second canister with another Symbiote. Now, the fact that The Life Foundation is here and Eddie is investigating them brings up what role the organization had in the comics. It wanted to have a utopian society where it took seeds from the Venom Symbiote to create Agony, Lasher, Phage, Riot, and Scream. This suggests a part of the plot could involve Venom dealing with these offspring.
The Venom trailer notes some interesting chases. Eddie appears to be chasing the truth about The Life Foundation and Symbiotes, as we see him in a laboratory and investigating part of a corpse there. The trailer also shows a crash site with some sort of space ship. But, we also see Eddie being pursued. While he is on to The Life Foundation, The Life Foundation is also on to him. Considering Agony, Lasher, Phage, Riot, and Scream were the Guardians, it could be that these others are after him.
One final thing this Venom trailer points out is a possible explanation for how Eddie and the Symbiote bond and their resulting relationship. In The Life Foundation, we see computer screens showing Subject Brock. He does not seem willing or happy, considering the screams. Once the Symbiote is there, Eddie tries to say, “If you’re going to stay, you will only hurt bad people.” The Symbiote then says that “We can do whatever we want.” This notes that the two are one and that there is not going to be any bargaining. It definitely showcases the antihero element, and leaves the possibility open for the Venom Symbiote to overrule Eddie’s influence and be more of a villain.
But the real takeaway is that Venom looks good. It seems like a movie that has potential. Maybe it could end up having the same sort of buzz and positive reception as Spider-Man: Homecoming . We will see in the months to come. For now, we can appreciate how much this first trailer shows us.