‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’: Watch the bloody trailer now

And on the tenth day (of May), the Lord said, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”.

That’s right, kids. The long-awaited trailer for the Venom sequel just dropped, and it’s as bananas as we were hoping for. This is how you follow up that mid-credits reveal of Woody Harrelson in an insane red wig at the end of the last movie. Don’t even attempt to make us think this will be a standard superhero flick.

If the trailer below is any indication, Venom: Let There Be Carnage seems to be doubling down on the kookiness that worked so well on the previous film – a smart move, given how hard it was to take Eddie Brock seriously in his motion picture debut.

We missed you… so much. Sink your teeth into the new #Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer. Only in theaters September 24. pic.twitter.com/rAKgoQtMfE

— New #Venom: Let There Be Carnage Trailer Out Now (@VenomMovie) May 10, 2021

Rocky start

Look, we liked the first Venom just fine. It was kind of a mess, but it had enough moments that worked. For every questionable action set piece, there was an outrageous comedic beat like Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock submerged himself in a lobster tank. For every generic villainous action from Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake, we got pure insanity like Michelle Williams becoming She-Venom for a hot minute.

And then there was the star of the show, Venom himself. Forget about the eye roll-inducing moment when the Venom symbiote confessed it’d been bullied on its home planet. Instead, remember the awesomeness of Hardy’s Jekyll & Hyde routine once he started interacting with the alien infecting his body. How great was that back & forth between Brock and the psychotic voice inside his head?

Now imagine those elements, the ones that worked, taking over the entire movie. It feels like Venom: Let There Be Carnage is going to be just like that.

Woody to the rescue

Tom Hardy is a great actor, but if you’re going to truly delve into the pure lunacy required to make something like Venom: Let There Be Carnage work, you need to bring in the big guns. Enter Woody Harrelson.

You’re lying if you tell us your nerdgasm-meter didn’t tingle when you saw Woody Harrelson playing Cletus Kasady at the end of Venom. It’s a masterful casting job – one fully appreciated by people who’re familiar with the Carnage character from the comics, as well as with Harrelson’s filmography. Mickey Knox from Natural Born Killers playing a superpowered serial killer? Yes, please!

Having Woody Harrelson as Carnage, frees up Tom Hardy from the burden of having to be the craziest character in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Even though Eddie Brock’s symbiotic relationship with Venom seems to be as weird as ever, he will certainly be playing straight man to Harrelson’s over-the-top villain. And we’re 100% behind not hanging your entire film on Tom Hardy’s comedic abilities.

Brought to you by

Venom: Let There Be Carnage has also experienced some welcome additions and shake-ups behind the camera. We got a new director, and it’s someone who knows a thing or two about depicting split personalities with the help of heavy CGI. We’re referring of course to Gollum himself, Andy Serkis. Nothing against original Venom director Ruben Fleischer, but Serkis seems a better fit for the job.

Just as importantly, writing duties are credited exclusively to Kelly Marcel. Marcel was one of the three screenwriters credited in the first movie, and it’ll be interesting to see what her pure vision for Venom is. In case you’re not familiar with Marcel’s work, she wrote the critically acclaimed Saving Mr. Banks, as well as the first Fifty Shades of Grey movie. So she has range, is what we’re saying.

However, the wildest development brought about by the Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer is the oddly appropriate use of Aimee Mann’s “One” as the sole soundtrack to it. So much for thinking of Magnolia whenever that song comes on, huh? From now on, “One” is going to give you flashes of Eddie Brock, the Venom symbiote, and Woody Harrelson’s glorious red hair. What a time to be alive.

—

What did you think of the Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer? Do you think it’ll be better than the first Venom? Are you excited to see Woody Harrelson play Carnage? Let us know in the comments!