Venom is considered one of Spider-Man’s most dastardly villains but has also found his way towards becoming an anti-hero. Be it Sony’s Venom played by Tom Hardy or Flash Thompson’s Agent Venom, the symbiote has seen a multitude of high-stakes storylines in the Marvel Universe.
Venom has had two live-action iterations, one received less positively than the other. While Tom Hardy’s version of the character spawned a billion-dollar franchise, the other was relegated to being the third villain in the third Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie. Todd McFarlane, the creator of Venom, opened up about what he thought about Venom, talking about what Tom Hardy could do and what Topher Grace’s version of the character failed to do.
Also Read: Were these Villains Cut From Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to Save them for the Venom Spin-Off?
Todd McFarlane says Venom in Spider-Man 3 could have been more impressive
Venom in Spider-Man 3 was the least well-received villain in the Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi. Topher Grace’s Venom was a far cry from the behemoth from the comics, The portrayal of the character was more lizard-like, bringing the creep factor that the villain merits, but none of the imposing figure that accompanies those qualities. Todd McFarlane said that comparing Grace’s Venom to Hardy’s would be wrong because the object of both portrayals was vastly different:
“I think we’re talking a little bit of apples and oranges. I don’t think it’s a direct comparison. And here’s why I say that. The first movie was a Spider-Man movie, in which he was a villain, and you’re not supposed to root for the villain, right? And in that case, the villain, the bad guy, if you will, was that visually, I thought he could have been way more imposing… way more impressive.”
Todd McFarlane, while defending Grace’s Venom, still wished that the portrayal could have been a little more imposing, such that the character could have been more impressive. Fans have leaned towards the portrayal of Eddie Brock put forth by Hardy, being able to spawn two films that were ridiculously well-received by fans. Venom remains Sony’s strongest IP behind Spider-Man, despite the production giant launching Morbius, which failed critically. With Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter on the horizon, 2024 will serve as a litmus test for the franchise.
Todd McFarlane believes Tom Hardy’s Venom has a leg up
Todd McFarlane spoke about how he thinks it’s important that fans keep the context of both characters in their minds, to talking about how Tom Hardy’s version of the character is likeable by default, mostly because of the setting of the film and how it functions. The creator said:
“So he was the bad guy. And to me, I didn’t think he came across as the sort of badass as you could have. Fast forward to now, and what they’re trying to accomplish with the Tom Hardy character. Eddie Brock, is… he’s not the bad guy anymore. He’s the guy you’re rooting for. And he gets his two hours of screen time, instead of being the guy that you hope gets sort of beat up at the end. And you get to develop him a little bit more. And oh, by the way, he’s way more imposing, visually, up on the screen.”
Both iterations of Eddie Brock are very different from each other. While one is a rival to Peter Parker and a fraud, the other is an honest-to-goodness journalist. While both are given a destructive Symbiote, Raimi’s Eddie Brock is driven by revenge, while Tom Hardy’s version of the character is much more heroic and level-headed. The relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom is also different, with one bordering on a predatory relationship while the other is a more friendly arrangement.
