The alien symbiote at the center of the upcoming Venom movie has a pretty twisted diet that apparently includes the heads of trembling criminals, so it only figures that he would have the menacing tongue to match, right?

That’s something which is on full display on the latest poster for Sony’s spinoff, which is quickly approaching its October 5th release date, and don’t we know all about it. In the past few weeks, the studio’s brought us a whole bunch of promo material – TV spots, photos, posters, you name it – and their marketing barrage continues today with a new one-sheet that you can see down below.

Featuring the titular symbiote towering over the Golden Gate Bridge, with Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams pictured under him, it’s far from the most spectacular poster you’ll ever lay eyes on, but it’s another welcome look at what’s shaping up to be one of the fall’s most anticipated films.

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While there’s not much to object to in this new image, some of the promotion we’ve been seeing hasn’t been met with the greatest response from fans. For instance, the criticism received by the first Venom trailer for its lack of Venom got to the point where director Ruben Fleischer felt the need to defend the marketing team, explaining that the symbiote’s visual effects weren’t yet ready. Though subsequent trailers certainly gave us a lot more of the film’s titular antihero, Hardy’s notorious ‘turd in the wind’ line continues to draw snickers.

Still, the advertising for next month’s release can’t have been that off-putting, seeing how Venom‘s currently on pace to break a few box office records. Whether it’ll be able to do enough damage to warrant the rest of the spinoffs that the studio has planned for us remains to be seen, but we’re hopeful that it’ll at least be a more enjoyable outing for the sinister symbiote than Spider-Man 3 was.

The Sinister Symbiote is almost upon us, and don’t we know all about it.

Kicking the week off in style, Sony Pictures has premiered not one, not two, but three high-res action shots for Venom, in which Eddie Brock finds himself up shit creek without a paddle.

Indeed, it’s his investigation into the crooked Life Foundation – not to mention the equally crooked Carlton Drake/Riot (Riz Ahmed) – that leads our down-on-his-luck reporter to the alien parasite known as Venom. And the rest is history.

But today’s gallery is not so much focused on Eddie’s rage-filled alter-ego as it is with the man himself, who can be seen staring down Cartlon Drake in one shot, before he’s caught poking his nose into the Life Foundation’s business, which just so happens to involve gross human experiments involving human and symbiote. The third and final image sees Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), a district attorney and Eddie’s girlfriend, on the run.

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Chances are she’s witnessed something horrible – something monstrous – deep within the bowels of the Life Foundation, given past Venom trailers have revealed the moment when Carlton Drake embraces his inner demons and mutates into Riot, a towering menace and one of the key pillars underpinning the famous “Five Symbiotes” comic book arc.

Writer-director Ruben Fleischer confirmed as much during the throes of production, while also citing “Lethal Protector” and “Planet of the Symbiotes” as creative inspirations. All of this leaves us with just one question, though: can Venom become more than the sum of its parts?

With box office projections in the region of $60M and more hype and excitement than we care to admit, we dare say so. October 5th is the date for your diaries, folks.

The Sinister Symbiote is almost upon us, and don’t we know all about it.

Kicking the week off in style, Sony Pictures premiered not one, not two, but three high-res action shots for Venom yesterday, in which Eddie Brock found himself up shit creek without a paddle. And now, to keep the momentum going, the studio’s released a new featurette which finds the cast and crew filling us in on what to expect from the highly anticipated release when it drops into theaters next month.

Among other things, director Ruben Fleischer points out that this isn’t your typical comic book movie and is instead something much darker and more edgy, which will certainly make fans happy to hear. True, the film’s been slapped with a PG-13 rating, but it’s becoming pretty clear that they’re going to push things to the limit – with the possibility of an Unrated cut surfacing down the road, too.

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But will the film be successful enough to warrant the cinematic universe that Sony is planning to spawn from it? That’s the question on everyone’s mind right now. Unfortunately, we won’t have our answer until next month, but at the very least, early tracking appears to be in Venom‘s favor, after it was revealed that the Spidey spinoff is headed for a $60M-$70M opening weekend on home turf, with A Star is Born coming in at second place with around $30 million.

Those figures are based on early projections and are therefore subject to change, but we’ll be bringing you all the latest as we inch closer and closer to October 5th. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts with us on the Tom Hardy-led spinoff in the comments section down below.

Despite the upcoming Venom movie seemingly having no connection with Spider-Man, I think it’s best that fans take a chill pill before continuing their incessant complaining. Really, after witnessing one badass trailer after another, I pose the following question: Have you ever stopped to consider that it just might be a good film?

For the longest time, we anticipated that the flick would be granted an R-rating similar to Deadpool and Logan, but some surprise came when the studio confirmed that the Tom Hardy-led picture had been stamped with a PG-13. Then again, many productions since the arrival of Alien vs. Predator have shown us the softer rating doesn’t necessarily mean there’ll be much less in the way of violence.

Now, it’s Fandango managing editor Erik Davis who’s shedding more light on the situation with the following Tweet:

“Hearing from studio sources the reason is so that Venom and Spider-Man can face off at some point down the line. If the movie is R, it’s hard to do that.”

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In all honesty, that seems like a perfectly reasonable explanation. My better judgment told me that Sony opted for a PG-13 rating as opening weekend drew closer because they also want to make all the money they can from this bad boy. With an R, that may not be as possible.

And just because there’s no crossing over with Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker at this current point in time doesn’t mean there won’t ever be. Remember, we once thought it’d be impossible for the wallcrawler to be an onscreen Avenger, and now it’s a reality.

Venom arrives in theaters on October 5th.

The symbiotes are on the loose… well, two of them, anyway.

We are, of course, referring to Venom and Riot, the alien parasites who can be seen duking it out in today’s newly-released featurette. It includes footage of director Ruben Fleischer outlining the raw, tour-de-force performance from Tom Hardy, and how Eddie Brock is able to fuse with the alien symbiote to become Venom, a being so strong and powerful he’s able to tear off a man’s head using only his teeth. Yikes.

He’ll also discover the person he truly is, after he’s sent to investigate the Life Foundation and its bizarre human experiments. Behind all this is Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) pulling the strings, though it seems Venom‘s antagonist struggles to nail that elusive work-life balance, ultimately transforming into the monstrous Riot – bulging arms and all.

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You’ll also remember that Woody Harrelson is expected to feature in some capacity, after the actor confirmed his appearance in both Venom and its as-yet-unannounced sequel. So, yes, the cat’s out of the bag: Sony is plotting a full-blown trilogy of Venom movies. Though the question, really, is whether Harrelson’s mystery character will undergo a metamorphosis of his own to become Carnage, arguably Eddie Brock’s arch nemesis and a key figure in the Five Symbiotes storyline.

In two weeks’ time, the PG-13 Venom movie will be slithering into theaters all over the world, and while its projected for a record-setting weekend, it remains to be seen whether the Spider-Man spinoff has enough mileage in the tank to launch a bona fide franchise at Sony Pictures. Only time will tell, of course, so don’t get too excited for the likes of Kraven and Morbius just yet…

For many a superhero fan, Venom is a character whose existence and origins are inherently linked with his old foe Spider-Man, putting some pressure on director Ruben Fleischer’s upcoming film to convince viewers that Eddie Brock and his symbiote alter ego can thrive on their own terms.

Fortunately, Fleischer has seemed consistently optimistic that Venom doesn’t need to be sharing the screen with his most famous enemy in order to be an interesting and entertaining character in his own right. Speaking to Fandango, the Zombieland helmsman recently assured us that the complex relationship between the murderous antihero and himself will be quite enough for one movie.

“Venom is a standalone character who has so much attitude, menace and ferocity. He’s also really funny in the comics and in our movie. He’s a really compelling guy that can completely stand on his own. When he’s played by Tom Hardy, and Eddie Brock is his partner, that relationship is enough for one movie. It’s about these two entities coming together and forming one. That’s a really exciting and satisfying relationship that is unique to a comic book movie and also very captivating.”

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This isn’t the first time that Fleischer has singled out Tom Hardy as a reason to watch his next flick, and if all goes well with this project, then you can expect to see plenty more of the character, with the actor reportedly signed on for an entire trilogy in the role. What’s more, with the film given a PG-13 rating, Sony are very much keeping their options open for a crossover with the MCU’s Spider-Man somewhere down the line.

Seeing how the movie’s currently projected to break some records at the box office, it feels like a safe bet that at least some of these future plans for the character will come into fruition. Here’s hoping that Fleischer will get things off to a strong start when Venom hits theaters on October 5th.

Due to Sony’s spinoff film being set in its own continuity, Venom will make some major changes to the story of Eddie Brock and his vicious other half. We’re prepared for the fact that the villain won’t have any ties to Spider-Man, but it’s also worth mentioning that this means the origin of the symbiote that bonds with the journalist will likewise be altered.

While speaking to IGN, VFX supervisor Paul Franklin revealed that the film’s opening will explain how the Life Foundation, run by Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake, hoovered up the symbiotes with a space probe when scanning an asteroid.

“We see, at the beginning of the film, the moment when the symbiotes are collected up by a Life Foundation space probe, which finds them on a comet drifting through space, approaching Earth. And the space probe is out there looking for signs of life, and they can’t believe their luck. There’s life signals everywhere, all across this asteroid,”

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This is pretty different from the classic comic origin story for the Venom symbiote, which first featured in the Secret Wars arc when Peter Parker got himself a cool new black suit while in space, only later realizing that it was made from a sinister lifeform.

Franklin went on to explain that the Life Foundation is actually being manipulated by the symbiotes themselves as the critters wanted to be transported back to Earth – a planet full of hosts for them to bond with.

“The symbiotes seem to actively want to be collected. Because it’s all part of their plan to come to Earth. They’re looking for planets where they can find hosts to inhabit. They’ve never really found a place where they can exist in harmony with the life forms of whatever planet they find themselves on.”

Full blame for the symbiotes being let loose on Earth can be lain at the Life Foundation’s door, then, says production designer Oliver Scholl, as the organization is really a heartless, evil company engaging in dark and unethical experimentation with aspirations for world domination. So, you know, your typical comic book villainous corporation.

“The fun thing about the Life Foundation is that it’s a cover. Character-wise, it’s a cover. The company itself is supposed to be this beautiful, perfect scientific endeavor for all mankind, while actually, it’s just the dark cover-up for doing scientific experiments that are going a bit too far, and using people for things that are non-ethical. And besides that, being treasonous, teaming up with aliens to take over Earth. So, that’s not really healthy.”

If you’re wondering what’s up with all the talk of multiple symbiotes, that’s because Venom will introduce other symbiotes (of various colors!) as it’s loosely based on the Lethal Protector comic book arc. We also fully expect a tease of Carnage to boot, no doubt setting up a sequel.

You can look forward to all of that and more when Venom slithers into cinemas on October 5th.

Sony’s standalone Venom movie is now so close we can almost hear the gnashing teeth of Eddie Brock’s Sinister Symbiote.

To prove it, IGN has premiered the intense first clip for Ruben Fleischer’s budding franchise-starter in which Tom Hardy’s Eddie quizzes Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) about the allegations being leveled against the Life Foundation.

Essentially, they suppose that Drake and his goons scientists have been preying on the most vulnerable members of society, before pushing them to become hapless test subjects in their cruel and twisted experiments – experiments that just so happen to involve fusing human DNA with that of an alien symbiote. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go exactly as according to plan, and everything goes to hell in a handcart.

But IGN’s exclusive clip teases the calm before the storm, as the dressed-down Eddie Brock begins pressing Carlton Drake about what the Life Foundation is all about.

This is surely lifted from an early segment of the movie, given previous trailers have revealed Carlton Drake to be Riot, one of the five symbiotes and a major hurdle for Eddie Brock and his newfound alien ally (?) to overcome.

Because at the core of next month’s actioner is a dual character set-up between Brock and Venom – between human and symbiote – and by all accounts, it seems Tom Hardy raises the bar when portraying the moment when two become one.

Venom slithers into theaters on October 5th, with box office analysts predicting a strong opening weekend in the region of $60M. Whether that’s enough to jump-start an entirely new trilogy of comic book movies remains to be seen, but if nothing else, the PG-13 rated movie is on the verge of becoming one of fall’s biggest releases.

Contrary to whatever hatred the naysayers have to spew, I’m still very much looking forward Venom because everything I’ve seen pertaining to it is so badass. The iconic logo may be absent from the titular anti-hero’s chest, sure, but I’m positive that I can work past the omission. After all, Dolph Lundgren didn’t rock the skull in 1989’s The Punisher, yet I’m able to appreciate that offering as a decent 80’s action film.

Getting back to the subject of Eddie Brock’s solo outing, I can’t help feeling spoiled by all the content hitting the web as of late. In this week alone, we’ve been treated to a featurette and the first full clip taken from the upcoming film that further hint we’ll be in for one hell of a viewing experience. And if that weren’t enough, a new TV spot has begun circulating as well.

Seen at the top of this article, the promo that’s been titled “Eats Humans Alive” continues showcasing the stunning action and visual effects that this flick is sure to boast. And as the tagline implies, the symbiote apparently does satisfy its case of the munchies at some point.

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Still, it’s worth noting that we’re not to expect some sort of all-out gorefest because, don’t forget, the theatrical cut has been granted a PG-13 rating. As a result of that, chatter has begun making its rounds suggesting that the reasoning behind this is so that an eventual crossover with Spider-Man can come to fruition, but we’ll just have to wait and see with that one.

Less ultra-violence notwithstanding, you’ll be able to count me among those flocking to their local cinema in a matter of weeks. Plus, it’s very likely that an unrated cut will be released on home video in the not too distant future, so we’ll probably get to see what the symbiote is like with the gloves off anyway.

Venom opens in theaters on October 5th.

For many comic book fans, Venom‘s a character whose existence and origins are inherently linked with his old pal Spider-Man, which puts a considerable amount of pressure on director Ruben Fleischer’s upcoming movie to convince audiences that Eddie Brock and his symbiote alter ego can thrive on their own terms.

But that doesn’t mean some form of crossover can’t happen down the road. Already, we’ve heard that the only reason the spinoff went for a PG-13 rating was so that the franchise could potentially bring in Spidey at some point and now, star Tom Hardy’s expressed interest in seeing Venom not just interact with Peter Parker, but the rest of the Avengers, too.

Speaking with MTV this week to promote the film, here’s what the actor said:

“My littlest ones, they watch Spider-Man and Venom quite comfortably…so it’s not like they’re scared by him. At the same time, there’s a lot within the real estate that you can actually imbue with a complete sense of gratuitous violence, and if you wanted to I think you’ve got the right people for that job if you want to push, because that’s where I’d love to go, and I’d love to go through all of the Avengers as well with him, but that’s above my pay grade. I want to run with the established family though, why not?”

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Meanwhile, Hardy’s co-star, Riz Ahmed, was on hand as well and opened up on what would happen should the symbiote ever cross paths with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

“I think he would just try to eat all of them,” Ahmed says. That’s the thing with Venom it’s not really so much like good and evil. It’s like ‘Am I hungry, or am I not? And if I’m hungry, I’ll try and eat you.’ You might try to eat the Hulk. I think Venom and Hulk is a good matchup.”

Hardy adds, “He’s more about himself. He’s a very self-centered character and contained in that aspect. He who has the biggest hands eats the most. He’s quite mercenary in that aspect.”

While there’s been no firm confirmation that Venom will one day venture outside the confines of Sony’s Marvel Universe, it seems highly likely that it’ll happen should the pic prove successful. Remember, we once thought it’d be impossible for the wall-crawler to be an onscreen Avenger, but now it’s a reality.

Could Eddie Brock eventually find himself up against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, then? Perhaps, but first, Venom needs to slither into theaters on October 5th so that Sony can gauge the reaction and response to the symbiote. Although, with box office analysts predicting a strong opening weekend in the region of $60M, it certainly seems as if the PG-13 rated movie is on the verge of becoming one of fall’s biggest releases.

Venom will introduce Tom Hardy’s titular anti-hero, but it’ll also feature a bunch of other symbiote supervillain types, too. As it’s loosely based on the Lethal Protector and Planet of the Symbiotes comic book arcs, the Spider-Man spinoff movie will be digging deep into the world of the gloopy, parasitic creatures.

But will we see Carnage, the most famous symbiote outside of Venom? Since the film’s production began, fans have theorized that Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake, who seems to be the big bad of the movie as the head of the sinister Life Foundation, could turn out to be the host of the red-faced murderous symbiote. EW put the question to Ahmed in a recent interview but the actor was smart enough to dodge it entirely.

Laughing off the inquiry, he simply said:

“I can confirm I’ll be acting in Venom.“

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EW then decided to press him for information on if he’d be part of the studio’s big plans to make a shared franchise out of the Marvel properties that they have the rights to – a project that’s been given the catchy title of Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters. Again, however, Ahmed was too smart to give anything away, deferring the question to the studio execs.

“You’ll have to ask the guys at Marvel.”

Putting the pieces together ourselves, we’re pretty sure Drake won’t turn out to be Carnage. For one, the trailers have revealed that he’ll bond with a different symbiote and become Riot instead. Also, reports from a while back said that Woody Harrelson would turn up in a post-credits scene as Cletus Kasady, the actual host of the Carnage symbiote in the comics. The intention is presumably that he’ll appear in a major role in the planned sequel.

One way or another, though, we’ll find out what’s really happening when Venom slithers into cinemas on October 5th.

Venom is a menacing figure with some pretty gruesome habits, but for his first feature film, the alien symbiote will have to tone down the violence a little and watch his language, too, because his upcoming standalone movie has been given a PG-13 rating.

In an era where Sony’s competitors at Fox are currently embracing the R for grisly spectacles like Logan and Deadpool 2, this news has come as a disappointment to many fans, but star Tom Hardy assures us that there’s still room for Venom to get pretty dark while still appealing to younger audiences.

“Is it going to be R-Rated? That’s the big question and the answers been answered, isn’t it? (It’s a 15 in the UK) and it’s a PG-13 in the states, but to be fair the thing can fulcrum into R-Rated and fulcrum into youth or children,” Hardy told MTV. “My littlest ones, they watch Spider-Man and Venom quite comfortably and Venom toys appear and LEGO appear. So it’s not like they’re scared by him, and at the same time there’s a lot in the real estate that you can actually imbue with a complete sense of gratuitous violence if you really wanted to, and I think you’ve got the right people for that job if you want to push it, course that’s where I want to go with it.”

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If all goes well for Venom at the box office – and early projections suggest that it very much will – then there may be time in future movies for Eddie Brock’s escapades to up the bloodiness, seeing how Hardy’s currently signed on for a trilogy of these movies.

At the same time, financially speaking, you could argue that it would be in Sony’s best interests to stick with the PG-13 rating for the sequels, too. Not only would this open the film up to a broader range of moviegoers, but also gives the character a better chance of crossing over with the Disney-approved MCU and fulfill Hardy’s desire to collaborate with the Avengers.

In any case, regardless of what you think of the movie’s softer rating, director Ruben Fleischer and the team still have the potential to start Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters off on a strong note. And we’ll see if Venom can transcend its lack of gore when it hits theaters on October 5th.

It’s fair to say there’s a lot riding on Venom‘s oily, inky-black shoulders.

For one, the movie features a host of A-list talent (see: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed), while there’s also the small matter of Sony’s fledgling comic book universe that will, through time, play host to big-name heroes (anti-heroes, really) like Morbius, Silk and Kraven the Hunter.

So, it’s clear Sony Pictures is hoping to spin out a full-blown franchise from Venom‘s origin story, which itself is all about Eddie Brock and his encounter with the titular alien symbiote. Its goopy anatomy and silvery skin allows Eddie to morph and evolve at a moment’s notice, resulting in some truly spectacular action scenes – if the Venom trailer campaign is any indication, mind you.

But in order to bring us closer to the film itself, Sony (h/t CBM) has today rolled out an entire gallery of ultra HD stills to get you excited for the October 5th feature. Feast thy eyes:

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From Riz Ahmed’s scheming Carlton Drake to a visibly distressed Eddie Brock, this media dump has it all, and will surely stoke excitement ahead of next month’s big release.

Last we reported, Venom was tracking for a record-setting box office opening in North America ($60M-$70M), though we’ll have to wait until such time as the review embargo lifts before we can begin to gauge the film’s long-term success – or lack thereof.

But in the interest of staying positive, let us remind you that Venom is currently scheduled for release on October 5th, by which point we’ll be able to see what all the fuss is about regarding Tom Hardy’s dual performance. We’ll give you a clue: one’s a monster; the other’s a down-on-his-luck reporter…

Earlier this month, the Powers That Be confirmed what many had already considered to be common logic – Venom will be rated PG-13 when it releases on October 5th, despite the incessant cries for an R-rated cut.

That groundswell of support clearly hasn’t fallen on deaf ears, as Tom Hardy recently told MTV (h/t Bloody Disgusting) that he’s still hopeful for an R-rated version of Venom in the not-so-distant future, as he’s well aware of the character’s comic book roots, which tend to be steeped in graphic content and scenes of the titular symbiote feasting on human flesh – and, more specifically, human heads…

It’s all pretty grisly, but if Tom Hardy has his way, it’s really a question of when, rather than if, Venom will receive an alternate, R-rated cut:

It’s a PG-13 in the States. But to be fair, the thing can fulcrum into R-Rated. My littlest ones, they watch Spider-Man and Venom quite comfortably and Venom toys appear and LEGO appear in my nostril in the morning, you know what I mean? So it’s not like they’re scared by him. And at the same time there’s a lot within the real estate that you can actually imbue with a complete sense of gratuitous ultra-violence if you really wanted to, and I think you’ve got the right people for that job if you want to push it. That’s where I’d love to go with it.

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Sadly, the buck doesn’t stop with Hardy; there are numerous executives at Sony (and Marvel!) calling the shots when it comes to Venom‘s rating, so even if the actor is all for an R-rated version being included on the inevitable Blu-ray, there are still many more hurdles to overcome. But still, we live in hope.

Venom breaks new ground for comic book movies on October 5th, and only then will we know if Sony’s fledgling universe has a shot of becoming Hollywood’s next major franchise. Morbius, Silk, Nightwatch, and Kraven the Hunter are all waiting in the wings, so there’s still plenty of ground for Sony to cover beyond 2019.

Contrary to whatever hatred the naysayers have to spew, I’m still very much looking forward Venom because everything I’ve seen pertaining to it is so badass. The iconic logo may be absent from the titular anti-hero’s chest, sure, but I’m positive that I can work past the omission. After all, Dolph Lundgren didn’t rock the skull in 1989’s The Punisher, yet I’m able to appreciate that offering as a decent 80’s action film.

Getting back to the subject of Eddie Brock’s solo outing, I can’t help feeling spoiled by all the content hitting the web as of late. This month alone, we’ve been treated to a featurette and the first full clip taken from the upcoming film that further hint that we’ll be in for one hell of a viewing experience. And if that weren’t enough, yet another clip has begun circulating as well.

Seen at the top of this article, the scene given the title of “To Protect and Serve” continues showcasing the stunning action and visual effects that this flick is sure to boast. And as its namesake hints, it has to do with law enforcement types.

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Geeked for this picture as I am, those in agreement with me probably also dig seeing the seamless transition undergone by Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock whenever he goes full-on Venom. In a way, taking out a room full of armed men is almost video game-like, but it shows us just how formidable of a force the symobiote is.

By now, I’m aware that some of you are letdown by the movie not being granted an R-rating, but Hardy seems okay with the PG-13, saying:

“Is it going to be R-Rated? That’s the big question and the answers been answered, isn’t it? (It’s a 15 in the UK) and it’s a PG-13 in the states, but to be fair the thing can fulcrum into R-Rated and fulcrum into youth or children. My littlest ones, they watch Spider-Man and Venom quite comfortably and Venom toys appear and LEGO appear.

So it’s not like they’re scared by him, and at the same time there’s a lot in the real estate that you can actually imbue with a complete sense of gratuitous violence if you really wanted to, and I think you’ve got the right people for that job if you want to push it, course that’s where I want to go with it.”

Venom opens in theaters on October 5th.

Not so fast, folks.

While Tom Hardy recently voiced his desire to share the screen with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Venom actor has called for calm when discussing potential movie crossovers.

Case in point: MTV caught up with Hardy to discuss all things Venom, and why the sinister symbiote is about to deliver a comic book movie the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Whether it’s Tom Hardy’s dual performance or the fact that the Ruben Fleischer-directed spinoff has ditched Spider-Man entirely – barring some left-field twist, mind you – next month’s release is nothing if not unique, and Hardy is pretty confident in the film’s ability to stand on its own two feet.

“We’re more than happy to stand alone. We have a Venomverse and 900 characters to play with,” said the actor.

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That doesn’t necessarily mean that an MCU crossover is completely off the table; after all, it was only last week when we caught wind that the film’s PG-13 rating was a tactical decision so that Venom may one day rub shoulders with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

It would certainly fall under Sony and Marvel’s master plan, all the while being mutually beneficial for both parties. The only question, really, is whether Venom‘s tentative trilogy has much of a bearing on those other Spidey spinoffs simmering in development. Only Silver and Black have shown any signs of tangible progress – and that’s plural, as the female-fronted offshoot has since been split into two separate films with Gina Prince-Bythewood in control of both.

Drenched in thick black goo and more expectations than we can count, Venom is due to hit theaters on October 5th. Will it sink or swim? We’ll find out very soon indeed.

Of all the many inspirations that have been woven into the fabric of Venom – think John Carpenter and the body-horror elements made famous by David Cronenberg – you’d be forgiven for overlooking the ways in which Conor McGregor inspired Tom Hardy’s take on Eddie Brock and his raging alter-ego.

Speaking with RTE Entertainment, Hardy admitted that the UFC superstar quickly became a point of reference for Sony and director Ruben Fleischer during the midst of production, as they wanted to mold Eddie’s character in such a way that he’s willing to fight with anyone – after he’s been fused with the titular alien symbiote, of course.

Said Tom Hardy:

The studio wanted somebody who could fight, which they always do in these sort of hero movies. They want somebody who can have a scrap. Conor obviously wants to have a scrap with everybody, so that’s useful. There were more elements of Eddie Brock which needed to be pinned on somebody who’s incredibly handy physically. And, obviously, Conor is incredibly handy physically.

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In related news, Hardy recently expressed his desire to see an R-rated cut of Venom, even if he’s able to see sense in Sony’s decision to settle for a PG-13 rating. The former Dark Knight Rises actor is also a little wary of Eddie Brock entering the MCU, as he believes there’s still plenty of material to explore with Sony’s own Marvel Universe before the Powers That Be begin drafting up plans for a blockbuster crossover.

Shackled with great expectations and the fate of an entire Spider-Man franchise, Venom slithers into theaters on October 5th – exactly 24 hours before Conor McGregor’s UFC clash with Russian powerhouse Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov.

“The world has enough superheroes,” reads the tagline for the upcoming Venom movie, and apparently star Tom Hardy agrees, with the actor proving quick to downplay the suggestion that he could one day play a costumed hero in the vein of the Avengers.

Director Ruben Fleischer has gone on record explaining that Eddie Brock’s first standalone movie is distinct from other comic book flicks in that it has no real hero in it, and from the sound of things, that arrangement works just fine for Hardy. While speaking to ComicBook.com, the actor who once fought Batman in The Dark Knight Rises was asked if he’d ever like to play a character like Venom’s old foe Spider-Man. Naturally, Hardy used this question as an opportunity to poke fun at Tom Holland’s outfit, as well as stating that to him, Peter Parker isn’t really a hero.

“He’s a mate, but Spider-Man to me, I look at him and I’m like, that’s a kid who goes *thwip thwip*, and wears lycra. That’s what I see.”

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It’s here that Hardy’s co-star Riz Ahmed came to the defense of Spandex, prompting a debate on the practical benefits of this material. After raising the point that athletes like Usain Bolt wear Lyrcra, the actor playing Carlton Drake concluded that a superhero may find similar similar use in the stretchy fiber, telling Hardy:

“But Spider-Man needs to wear lycra because he’s, like, bendy. Listen, Venom’s naked. Not everyone is that comfortable with their body.”

Leave it to Venom’s next enemy to point out the symbiote’s lack of modesty. Come to think of it, are we sure this movie’s only rated PG-13?

Anyway, Lycra or no Lycra, Sony are in the slightly tricky position of having to establish a Peter Parker-free cinematic universe around a character that many filmgoers still think of primarily as one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes. In the long run, this could be a difficult sell, but early projections suggest that Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters is pretty much guaranteed to start things off with a box office hit.

We’ll see how audiences respond to Eddie without Peter when Venom hits theaters on October 5th.

While it didn’t come as a huge surprise to learn that the upcoming Venom movie is going to be a PG-13, you couldn’t be blamed for feeling a little disappointed. In light of relatively recent R-rated hits like Logan and the Deadpool films, you might think that Eddie Brock’s first standalone outing could afford a little more blood and gore in the mix, but not only did the Ruben Fleischer-helmed movie settle for the softer rating, but executive producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach always intended for things to turn out this way.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Arad clarified that the R was never really on the table.

“To me, R is not a consideration,” Arad said. “Can you get away with not R so that other people can see? So that younger people can see? I made an animated show. There was a lot of Venom in there. It was in ’94. There’s no reason to put in violence. To define what Venom is as violence. He’s not. He’s the lethal protector, which is a very different thing. We want to be really true to the comics. Today, in CGI and stuff, we can make Venom bite your head. But we don’t have to show the head going side to side like, ‘that actually tastes good.’ It’s irrelevant. What’s relevant is that you finally understood, is that a bad guy? Yeah.”

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Regardless of whether Arad’s words have sold you on his decision, he does raise a noteworthy point that cinematic violence is often more effective when it’s partially left to the imagination. What’s more, this was apparently the team’s thinking from the beginning, with Tolmach bluntly shooting down any suggestions of a less child-friendly alternate cut for the film.

“There isn’t some phantom version of the movie,” Tolmach explained. “Everyone is asking us that. Is there an R-rated cut sitting there? There isn’t. We came into this production and the development of the movie wanting to make a movie that was true to Venom, true to the comics, and true to the character, but at the same time is a movie that 13-year-olds, 14-year-olds can see. We had to push right up against it. We’re 15+ in England. It’s not like we just wanted to make a family film. We wanted to push it as hard as we could, but also to make it accessible. That was always the goal.”

Director Fleischer himself had a few words on the matter, too, and apparently he hasn’t felt too constricted by the rating, either.

“We only ever talked about this movie as being PG13,” Fleischer said. “What I’ve said in the past is that we wanted to push the violence to the hilt. The Dark Knight was always a huge reference point for me, personally, just as far as how far you could take a PG-13 because that movie they put a pen through a guy’s forehead so I figure if you can do that in a PG-13 movie you can bite some heads off.”

Again, whether you agree with the rating or not, Fleischer has offered one fine example of how a PG-13 flick can still pull off a dark atmosphere and intriguingly psychotic characters.

While it was previously suggested that the movie was made PG-13 for the sake of potential crossover outings with the MCU, actor Tom Hardy has recently downplayed this possibility while reminding us that the film is planned to be the first installment in its own cinematic universe. We’ll see if Venom can set this franchise off on a strong note when it hits theaters on October 5th.

As a result of Spider-Man now being back at home with Marvel Studios and the symbiote’s spinoff coming from Sony alone, Venom‘s had to make some big changes to its titular anti-hero in order for him to stand apart from the wall-crawler in his own movie. Perhaps the most obvious is that the symbiote’s now missing the distinctive white spider emblem that’s always been such a core part of the character’s design.

CinemaBlend caught up with director Ruben Fleischer recently and spoke to him about the visual change. The filmmaker explained that it came about as a necessity of the new origin that Venom tells for Eddie Brock and his parasite and he’s pleased with how fans have accepted this alteration so far.

“We had the reality that we couldn’t feature Spider-Man [in this movie], so we had to get creative on how to manage that. And I think we were actually really successful, and fans have been appreciative of the respect that we showed the comics. Whether it’s changing the spider on his chest, which just, at first, people were like, ‘That’s sacrilege! How can you have Venom without a spider on his chest?’

But then, when you understand the origin is different, than it just wouldn’t make sense to have a spider on his chest. Fans, as soon as they saw those first trailers, they kind of embraced this version. And I’ve been so psyched to see tons of fan art where they’re drawing Venom without a spider on his chest. And that seems to me an indication that they liked this version. They liked the way he looks.”

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As Marvel fans will know, the Venom symbiote typically initially bonds with Peter Parker until he rejects it, after which it unites with the Parker-hating Brock and forms the villain we know and love. For Venom, Eddie Brock will become infected with the alien life-form himself when investigating the sinister machinations of the Life Foundation. So, in a universe that has nothing to do with Spider-Man, of course Venom would not sport the spider insignia.

Fleischer’s keen to point out in his response that Spidey’s off-limits to the Venom movie franchise, but that hasn’t stopped everyone from constantly talking about a potential crossover. Toms Holland and Hardy, for one, have both said they’d like to battle each other on-screen. Meanwhile, fans have come up with a way for Andrew Garfield’s Sony-owned web-slinger to appear, too.

The director’s right, though, in saying that we should just accept Venom on its own terms and not for its lack of ties to the wider Spider-world.