When Venom appeared in theaters in 2018, the film was met with mixed emotions. Fans felt it was a decent movie, at least according to the movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Critics, on the other hand, gave the film very poor reviews. One positive note in a review that largely criticized the film came from Vulture reviewer David Edelstein. Edelstein wrote that he felt Tom Hardy was the only reason one should see the film.
If there is one modern actor perfectly suited for the role of Eddie Brock, it’s Tom Hardy. Any one of Hardy’s attributes can be used to attest to Hardy fitting the part. Despite what some may feel about the actual Venom movies, it’s hard to imagine Eddie Brock being played by anyone other than Tom Hardy.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Venom: Let There Be Carnage
7 Tom Hardy Has Used His Fondness For ’90s Cartoons As Creative Inspiration
To get inside the mindset of a character, sometimes actors need to think outside of the box. Hardy did just that, as he used a surprising source of inspiration for the starring role in both Venom movies. Hardy had actually stated the ’90s Nickelodeon series Ren and Stimpy inspired a lot of his approach to Venom.
The comedic dichotomy of Ren and Stimpy, a classic archetype from the comedy duos of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy, informed how Tom Hardy approached Eddie Brock. Eddie is the “straight man” constantly checking the Symbiote’s wild impulses to eat everything in sight. Hardy’s love for classic cartoons from the ’90s helped make Eddie Brock more likable.
6 Tom Hardy Will Have Good Chemistry With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man
Viewers who stayed past the credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage saw Eddie Brock and Venom transported into a random stranger’s tropical hotel room. As Eddie tried to figure out how he got there, the hotel’s TV showed J. Jonah Jameson on the news discussing Peter Parker being revealed as Spider-Man. Venom licked the screen, suggesting that the two will cross paths in a future MCU event.
Tom Hardy has the potential to have great chemistry with Tom Holland. The difference in size between the two will make Eddie a formidable adversary for Peter. But Brock and Peter have their similarities, such as caring for the ones they love and fearing that their chaotic lifestyle will interfere. This gives Brock the potential to relate to Peter. Both Hardy and Holland are good actors in their own right and the idea of a future encounter between the two is enough to leave MCU fans buzzing.
5 Topher Grace Gave High Praise To Tom Hardy As Venom
Spider-Man 3 wasn’t met with the best reactions from fans. While many loved Topher Grace as the nerdy Eric Forman in the sitcom That ’70s Show, fans weren’t crazy about Sam Raimi casting him as Venom. Grace concurred because, as an avid comic book fan, he knew his thin build didn’t match Eddie Brock’s physique in the comics.
When Grace heard that Hardy was chosen to play Venom, he was thrilled. In an interview with Inverse, Grace praised Hardy by saying that he was the best choice for the role, adding that Hardy “was the character he grew up with.” It’s not often when you have one actor declaring another actor as a better fit for a role, which is a testament to Hardy’s casting. Maybe Spider-Man 3 enthusiasts will get to see Grace reprise his role too?
4 Tom Hardy Is A Highly Qualified Actor With Broad Range
Besides the fact that he’s aesthetically good for the role, Tom Hardy is also a talented actor. Hardy, like his counterpart Woody Harrelson, has a lot of range in acting ability. While he’s predominately in action and drama-themed films, Hardy played different characters that brought out a variety of emotions from the viewers.
Moviegoers rooted for and empathized with him in Warrior and despised him in The Revenant. Hardy also proved he can develop comedic skills with his role in both Venom movies, as he’s shined in a lot of funny moments. Seeing that Hardy’s an Academy Award nominee, it should be clear to fans that the role of Venom is in capable hands.
3 Tom Hardy Has Experience Playing Comic Book Villains
One plus that factored into Tom Hardy being involved with Venom was that he played another conflicted comic book character before. Hardy starred as the supervillain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, who intended to follow in Ra’s Al Ghul’s footsteps and destroy Gotham. On the surface, Bane and Venom are similar as they’re both comic book characters.
But a deeper look demonstrates that just like Venom, Bane isn’t all bad. Moviegoers believe that Ra’s Al Ghul’s child, who is mentioned to Bruce while he’s injured in an underground prison, is Bane. In a surprising twist, Talia Al Ghul revealed she’s Ra’s Al Ghul’s daughter and Bane helped her escape from prison as a child. This showed that Bane may have a dual morality rather than being pure evil, much like Eddie Brock and Venom.
2 Tom Hardy Has The Perfect Physique For Venom
The previous actor who played Venom, Toper Grace, didn’t quite fit the look in the comics because of his leaner size. Tom Hardy, on the other hand, has the perfect look of Eddie Brock. Brock is a lot bulkier in the comics than Grace was. Hardy is one of the most muscular actors of the current Hollywood era.
Cinephiles may know how buff Hardy can get if they have seen the movie Bronson, a biopic about Britain’s most violent prisoner. The handsome British actor has the acting chops to nail down Venom, but Hardy also has the stunningly accurate physical frame to match.
1 Tom Hardy Took The Role For The Love Of His Son
Eddie Brock isn’t just another role for Tom Hardy. There’s a personal investment in the role of Venom for an important member of Hardy’s family: his son Louis. Hardy claimed his son was a massive Venom fan and his son’s love for the character was a huge factor in taking the role. “I wanted to do something my son could watch,” told an audience at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2018.
Consequently, Hardy’s son had harsh feedback about his performance in the film. Apparently, Louis told Hardy “what he was doing wrong” when he saw the first Venom movie because, as Hardy concluded, “children are deeply honest.” The fact that his son is a driving force for taking the part could almost guarantee that Hardy had, and will continue to put his best foot forward to nail his performance as the beloved Symbiote.
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