The Venom movie is moving along smoothly, and now that behind-the-scenes complications and delays have come to an end. Nowhere is it more apparent than in the first image of Tom Hardy in the role of Eddie Brock. Fans have been hungry for more information regarding the project. Speculation has gone in several directions. Earlier images even suggested that the movie might be taking more cues from the more recent Agent Venom storylines, substituting Flash Gordon for Eddie Brock. However, this new image may just put that theory to bed. In it, it’s evident that the movie will be sticking closely to Eddie Brock’s roots as a reporter. (See the full image, Here)
The image appears to depict Hardy holding a notepad, primed for an interview with someone. This fits, as the film reportedly draws its inspiration from the 1993 Venom: Lethal Protector mini-series. In which Eddie Brock moved out to San Francisco. There he ran afoul of a radical organization that made offshoots of the symbiote, and things spiral from there. And this is only further supported by what happens if you turn the image upside down and read the words on the notepad. They’re not just random scribbles. In fact, they’re interview questions. The majority of which seem to heavily imply that they’re for someone at “The Life Foundation,” which is a direct callback to the organization from the comic. They are as follows:
So, how exactly does the Life Foundation go about testing its Pharmaceuticals?
What about the allegations your empire is built on?
The last is more difficult to read, due to Hardy’s hand being in the way, on top of the overall image quality. But it implies that the Life Foundation recruits vulnerable individuals to subject them to… something. This, of course, is likely the testing that leads to the creation of the new symbiotes – Scream, Phage, Riot, Lasher, and Agony – from the comics. It seems very much like the film could be the adaptation that fans and creators of the character have been waiting for. But this information leaves one question. Where does Carnage fit in?
Cletus Kassady, better known by his villainous alter ego, Carnage, was confirmed as the lead villain in the film. But Carnage doesn’t have a role in Venom: Lethal Protector, so what could his involvement be? Well, Tom Hardy and Ruben Fleischer did confirm that the film would also draw from the 1995 storyline, Planet of the Symbiotes. That story functions as the origin of Carnage and gives him a role akin to the “final boss.” So it’s possible he’ll appear in that capacity. What they do with this will certainly be interesting. Fans can only hope it’ll do the character justice, in the end.