New character posters for Venom: Let There Be Carnage have arrived. After a pattern of shifting release dates due ot the pandemic, the upcoming Venom sequel is set to arrive exclusively in theaters on Oct. 1. A matter of days away from the premiere, Sony has further teased the new movie with a set of four all-new character posters of the sequel’s main characters.
Of course, leading the pack is Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom, reprising his role from the hit 2018 original. Half of his face is covered with the Venom symbiote to symbolize thei pair’s “relationship.” A similar poster reveals Woody Harrelson as serial killer Cletus Kasady who’s partially covered with the Carnage symbiote, someone that should prove to be a worthy foe for Hardy’s Venom.
Michelle Williams is also featured in another poster, as she returned as Eddie Brock’s ex-fianc&ée Anne Weying. Meanwhile, Naomie Harris gets her own poster for Frances Barrison, Kasady’s love interest who ends up becoming Shriek. The character’s silhouette on the poster teases what’s to come from Shriek’s powers.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is directed by Andy Serkis. Kelly Marcel wrote the screenplay but with heavy input for the story from star Tom Hardy. Producers include Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Hutch Parker, and Hardy. Barry Waldman, Jonathan Cavendish, and Ruben Fleischer executive produced.
The synopsis for the sequel reads: “After finding a host body in investigative reporter Eddie Brock, the alien symbiote must face a new enemy, Carnage, the alter ego of serial killer Cletus Kasady.”
While some fans wanted the sequel to be R-rated, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is PG-13. Andy Serkis has assured fans that the movie pushes that PG-13 ratings to its very limit, for what it’s worth. The director also opened up about the movie’s 90-minute runtime, which is the shortest for any Marvel movie. As Serkis explains this is to keep the sequel fast-paced so the thrills keep coming all the way through.
“It was actually always going to be [leaner],” Serkis told IGN. “We always wanted this film to be a real thrill ride. And a fast, muscular [movie]… not hanging around too much with exposition. But having said that, I think what we’ve done is achieve a real balance between dropping anchor with all of the characters so that you feel that you’re fully immersed in them and that we’re not just rushing through to the next battle or action part.”
Of a possible crossover with Spider-Man, Serkis added: “Of course it’s going to happen. Look, it depends when you want to get there, and also, what the appetite is. If people want more Venom stories, then, to jump straight to Spider-Man, you could be missing out on so many great supervillain characters in between now and then. So, in a way, by rushing to it, you might be closing the door.” Venom: Let There Be Carnage will be released exclusively in theaters on Oct. 1, 2021.