1. Pushing that PG-13 Rating
Fans were a tad disappointed to hear that the Venom sequel wouldn’t be ‘R’ rated. Although it was no surprise, (considering “Venom” was rated PG-13 as well), it was a little jarring if you know the backstory behind Carnage. He’s one of the bloodiest characters of all time, and people are wondering if the rating will make him tame. Luckily, Andy Serkis said that they have pushed “to their very limits of the danger and darkness of Carnage.” Since this is Carnage’s first live-action debut, hopefully the PG-13 rating will do him justice.
2. More of Eddie and Venom
A highlight of the first film was the “old married couple” dynamic between Eddie and his bloodthirsty alien symbiote, Venom. It was hilarious to see them banter back and forth, and I think everyone’s hoping for more of that in the sequel. Considering the film is only 90 minutes long, and it has a plethora of characters to introduce, I’m worried we won’t get as much development for our core characters as I’d like to. Still, any amount of Eddie and Venom content will do.
3. Potential for a Carnage Return
For a character as iconic as Carnage, it would be a shame if Sony killed him off. Marvel has been killing good villains in their first outing for a while now (see Killmonger, Mysterio, Ultron) and it would seem like a waste if that trend continues. The best case scenario is that he returns to the prison he came from, keeping him in place for future appearances down the road.
4. Setup for More of Sony’s Villain-Verse
Because of the complications of Marvel and Sony’s Spider-Man deal, it seems Sony is set on making films centered around Spidey’s rogues gallery. Morbius starring Jared Leto comes out next year, and the trailer already revealed that Michael Keaton’s Vulture will be returning. A Kraven The Hunter film was also recently announced, along with rumors of a Black Cat and Silver Sable film. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was leading towards a Sinister Six film; but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Considering the amount of films this universe has in production, it would make sense for them to start intertwining now. It’s very possible that we could see a Morbius or Kraven cameo in Venom 2, paving the road for the later films down the line.
5. Spider-Man Cameo
What even is the point of Venom without Spider-Man? Fans have been waiting for Tom Hardy’s Venom to meet Spider-Man for years now, and with the inclusion of the multiverse in “No Way Home,” it seems possible. Perhaps an end-credits scene referencing Spider-Man would do the trick.
The only thing is, which Spider-Man could it be? If the rumors of Andrew Garfield returning in “No Way Home” are true, it’s definitely conceivable that they could interact. This is especially true when you consider that the Venom and Garfield films match better tonally than with Holland’s. Still, I think a match-up with Venom and the MCU’s Spider-Man is more likely, especially since it seems that both Holland and Hardy have a long career with Marvel going forward. Whichever Spider-Man he meets however, it’s sure to be an insane interaction.
With the highly-anticipated Venom sequel only days away, there’s many things that we’re eager to see. But with Andy Serkis directing, Carnage making his live-action debut, and the return of Eddie and Venom’s hilarious duo, it’s no question that “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” will be a hell of a ride.
