New Venom: Let There Be Carnage Spot Teases An 'Expanding' Universe

Are you ready to let there be carnage? I sure hope so, because "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" is almost upon us. The sequel to the massive hit "Venom" brings back Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, the reluctant superhero who is now forever linked with some alien goo that turns him into a giant, head-eating monster named Venom. This time, Venom and Eddie are up against Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a serial killer who gets some alien goo of his own – and turns into the villainous Carnage. There's a new TV spot for the sequel below featuring some new footage while boasting that "the universe is expanding." It's likely that Sony wants us to think that statement means that Venom's longtime rival Spider-Man might pop up in this movie, but I wouldn't hold my breath for that. Instead, the expanding universe likely includes both Carnage and his girlfriend, Frances Barrison AKA Shriek, played by Naomie Harris. 

Sony really wants to use their Spider-Man adjacent characters to launch a big comic book universe, all while Spidey himself – currently played by Tom Holland – swings around in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without them. Sony kicked around this sort of idea before, but it wasn't until the boffo box office of "Venom" that they realized they might be able to pull it off. Now they have "Morbius" on the way, and are currently working on a "Kraven: The Hunter" movie. 

And, of course, they have "Venom: Let There Be Carnage." This sequel brings back Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, and Woody Harrelson, who had a cameo in the first film. Once again, Hardy's Eddie Brock will be sharing the screen with Venom, his alien symbiote counterpart. Here's the official synopsis: 

Tom Hardy returns to the big screen as the lethal protector Venom, one of MARVEL's greatest and most complex characters. Directed by Andy Serkis, the film also stars Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris and Woody Harrelson, in the role of the villain Cletus Kasady/Carnage. Directed by Andy Serkis, the film also stars Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris and Woody Harrelson, in the role of the villain Cletus Kasady/Carnage.

As mentioned above, Andy Serkis is in the director's chair this time, replacing "Venom" director Ruben Fleischer, and that's probably for the best. I was very skeptical of "Venom" before it came out, but I have to admit it eventually won me over. I think the film has tons of problems, and I really wasn't all that invested in the story. But gosh, it sure was a lot of fun to watch Tom Hardy go bonkers in the lead role. It's clear that Hardy was given room to do pretty much whatever he wanted in the first film, and that's likely to continue into this sequel since Hardy is getting a "story by" credit this time. Throw in Woody Harrelson hamming it up, and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" might end up being even more fun than the first movie. 

"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" arrives on October 1, 2021.