Summary
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage continues the legacy of a previously cut Venom project from the 90s.
- Woody Harrelson’s portrayal of Cletus Kasady/Carnage received praise in the film, bringing much-needed life to the franchise.
- Cletus and Carnage’s dynamic as villains is visually interesting and mirrors the relationship between Eddie and Venom, making Carnage a desired presence on the big screen.
Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage actually carries on the legacy of a cut Venom project over two decades later. Released in 2021, the film served as a sequel to 2018’s Venom and a continued exploration of Eddie Brock and the possibilities that came with symbiotes. Let There Be Carnage also officially tied Sony’s Venom universe into the MCU, with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker getting referenced in the Venom 2 mid-credit scene.
Though Venom: Let There Be Carnage ultimately received mixed reviews, one of the highlights of the film was Woody Harrelson’s portrayal of antagonist Cletus Kasady. A convict, Cletus escapes the death penalty after becoming host to the powerful symbiote Carnage. Carnage had been a much-anticipated Marvel villain for years because of the sheer violence he possesses and Cletus’ own exciting origins. Making him the main antagonist of Venom 2 brought some much-needed life to the franchise, but it also paid off a previously cut Venom project.
Carnage Was A Venom Movie Villain Two Decades Before Sony’s Sequel
Sony may have done Carnage first, but another studio also had a plan in the works. When Marvel had gone bankrupt in the 90s, they sold the rights to many of their characters to various other studios. One of these studios included New Line Cinema, and filmmaker David S. Goyer eventually wrote a Venom-related script for them. Not much is really known about the canceled 90s project, but Goyer’s full script is currently available online. The film would’ve had Cletus Kasady’s Carnage as the main villain with a focus on Eddie and Cletus’ rivalry.
With New Line Cinema’s Venom film ultimately getting canceled, it meant that fans would have to wait a while longer for Carnage on the big screen. After over twenty years, Marvel finally put the spotlight on Cletus and Carnage in the Venom sequel. This could have been the planned direction for the Venom franchise all along, but it unknowingly also doubled as a tribute to Carnage’s supposed film debut two decades ago.
Why Carnage Is The Perfect Venom Movie Villain
Venom: Let There Be Carnage ends with Cletus dying, but Harrelson’s one appearance as the villain has already been memorable enough. Despite Carnage and Cletus not having the close relationship that Venom and Eddie have, Carnage draws power from the fact that Cletus was already a very deranged individual and only helped him emphasize his worst traits. As Carnage was born from Venom, it is an interesting dynamic to see how the two mirror each other. Carnage is also one of the most visually interesting symbiotes with unique abilities that Venom doesn’t have, making him a desired presence on the big screen.
Though Venom: Let There Be Carnage was Sony’s official introduction of the antagonist Cletus Kasady and his symbiote Carnage, they were not the first studio to plan to do this. New Line Cinema’s Venom project would have had the character at full force, and while it may have been canceled, the unproduced script proved how interesting a villain Carnage would truly be. The project may have never come to fruition, but Venom: Let There Be Carnage finally made it somewhat of a reality over two decades later.