Fans’ hopes that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man (or at least Peter Parker) would appear in the first Venom film were dashed. Rumors that Holland was spotted on Venom’s set didn’t materialize into so much as a cameo appearance. Venom: Let There Be Carnage gave fans another chance to hope for a Holland appearance, in spite of a deal that returned Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the time being. While director Andy Serkis has been clear about the film not being part of the MCU, Let There Be Carnage’s first trailer also sent a clear message about Spider-Man’s involvement.
The trailer features narration from Woody Harrelson’s Cletus Kasaday. He draws parallels between himself and Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock, saying that they both leave the people in their lives “waiting in darkness for the rescuer who never comes.” A spider briefly skitters across a table and onto the letter Kasaday is writing (possibly to Brock), and Kasaday promptly squashes it.
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This kind of monologue is pretty standard fare for a villain trying to draw a parallel between himself and his enemy. It’s a trope that’s been part of superhero fiction since at least Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s Batman: The Killing Joke. A version of that also appeared in Venom’s cinematic progenitor, 2002’s Spider-Man, when the Green Goblin utters a line to Spider-Man that became a meme, “You and I are not so different.”
However, Kasaday’s remark also reads like a (not particularly subtle) message to audiences that Spider-Man won’t be making an appearance in Let There Be Carange Aside from acknowledging that people want to see Spider-Man in a Venom film, and quickly letting them know it’s not happening, the moment also establishes the film’s stakes.
Spider-Man frequently intervenes in battles between Venom and his murderous offspring in the comics. They’re often uneasy allies against their common enemy, with both men setting aside their bitter rivalry to deal with the threat of a symbiote-powered serial killer. The Maximum Carnage crossover is a great example of that kind of team-up, with Spider-Man comes other heroes and their resources. In the context of the films, that includes the Avengers and access to Tony Stark’s technology.
None of that is on the table in Let There Be Carnage. Spider-Man won’t be coming to save the day, and neither will any other traditional superheroes. It will be up to Eddie Brock, a character who has a “No Eating People” sign in his apartment, to oppose Carnage. Venom and Carnage’s cinematic showdown won’t be a battle between two heroes but between two monsters. Kasaday has a point; he and Brock are both killers, although Kasaday’s body count is considerably higher.
Let There Be Carnage is embracing the promise of the first Venom film. As much as some fans might wish otherwise, including Spider-Man isn’t part of that. It might turn out to be better for it, with the focus squarely on Venom and Carnage where it belongs.
Directed by Andy Serkis, Venom: Let There Be Carnage stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom, Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady/Carnage, Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, Reid Scott as Dr. Dan Lewis, Naomie Harris, Stephen Graham, Sean Delaney and Larry Olubamiwo. The film arrives in theaters Sept. 17.
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