Venom: Let There Be Carnage Vignette Introduces Audiences To Naomi Harris' Shriek

The "Venom" news just won't stop. After confirming that the film's universe will be expanding with "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," and hearing director Andy Serkis describe the sequel as a "love story – but not the love story you might think," we've been gifted with a sweet new slice of the "Venom" news pie. 

This time, it's a sneak peek at one of the new characters to make her film debut in the "Venom" universe: the aptly named Shriek (you'll see why in a second). Played by the always lovely Naomie Harris, who has clearly gone through a very punk makeover for the roll, Shriek is one half of a strange villain sandwich.

Shriek Forever After

Who could summarize Shriek's wild powers better than Harris herself? In the vignette, Harris explains, "Shriek has the ability to suck up sound and use it as a weapon," which is followed by an honestly not badly CGI'd scene of Shriek screaming so hard it makes things fly around her cell. 

While Shriek definitely has some cool powers (and we can't wait to see her use them in a grander context), her character clearly has a lot more going for her vis-a-vis her twisted motivation.

As Harris explains in the vignette, "She only cares about one human being, and that's Cletus ... Together they are so much fun and incredibly terrifying." The name-dropped Cletus Kasady, also known as Carnage, is (surprise, surprise) the main villain in "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" and he's obviously in one hell of a twisted relationship with Shriek.

Tainted Love

Played by Woody Harrelson, Cletus is a serial killer who has his very own alien symbiote. While we don't see a lot of him in this Shriek sneak peek, there is a quick shot of them dancing hand in hand in front of a dangerously large bonfire, which is probably all of the information you really need to get the gist of their relationship.

It's hard not to draw comparisons to Harley Quinn and the Joker when talking about Cletus Kasady and Shriek, and this vignette isn't making the comparison any weaker. Both couples are comprised of messed-up villains where the male character is the "main" bad guy and the female character is more of the sidekick. It also doesn't help that Shriek has been kept locked up in a way that looks incredibly similar to Harley Quinn's cell in 2016's "Suicide Squad." If anyone can bring a little something different to this villain couple trope, it's Harris and Harrelson, and they'll definitely have to if they don't want to be seen as a knock-off.

Lucky for us, we don't have to wait too long to find out how Harris and Harrelson do, since "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" opens on October 1, 2021.