'Venom' First Look Reveals Tom Hardy Looking A Lot Like Tom Hardy

Our first look at Venom has arrived online. Any by Venom, I mean the Venom movie. Italics. Because this first look doesn't feature Venom at all. It's all about the guy under that icky black suit, Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy in director Ruben Fleischer's upcoming film. Check it out below.

The image debuted over on IGN as part of their Films to Watch in 2018 series, where they're premiering videos and images related to upcoming films.

Well, that's just...slightly underwhelming. Don't get me wrong – I'll watch Tom Hardy read the phonebook, so I'm happy to see him standing there in all of his Tom Hardy-ness. But a Venom first look that is just Tom Hardy looking like Tom Hardy? It's not what anyone expected! Then again, Venom himself is being created through motion capture, so this is very likely a case of Sony wanting to release something and not having any finished shots of the character to share.

So here's what we do know about Venom after this photo: Eddie Brock will look like Tom Hardy, he carries a notebook like any responsible journalist, he has a tattoo on his left arm and a tribal bead bracelet on his right wrist. Knowledge!

As you may know, Venom began his comic book existence as a Spider-Man villain, an alien creature (known as the symbiote) that attaches itself to Eddie Brock, a rival of Peter Parker, creating a sliming, drooling menace that can replicate many of Spidey's powers. Eventually, mainly because he looks pretty cool, Venom was reinvented as an anti-hero, saving the day and battling his personal demons.

And while the Venom movie won't feature or acknowledge Spider-Man (which is really weird and confusing since these characters are attached at the hip!), Hardy has promised to give the character his full commitment:

I just wanted to say that I give you my word of honor that I'm going to do everything that I can to deliver the best Venom that I possibly can muster.

That quote comes from the film's panel at the Brazil Comic Con Experience and you can watch the whole thing over at IGN. The panel also features director Ruben Fleischer, who confirms that the film is based on the "Lethal Protector" and "Planet of the Symbiotes" storylines. The former saw Venom step away from menacing Spider-Man and toward being a more heroic character. The latter explored Eddie Brock's relationship with his alien suit.

Venom is set to open on October 5, 2018. The stacked supporting cast includes Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, and Jenny Slate.