‘Venom’ Co-Creator Praises Tom Hardy’s Work

Venom co-creator Todd McFarlane isn’t worried about Tom Hardy playing Eddie Brock in Venom, Sony’s upcoming solo flick starring the long-tongued anti-hero. Speaking with Screen Geek at New York Comic Con, McFarlane shared his thoughts on the Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight Rises star filling the symbiote suit.

“It’ll be interesting,” McFarlane said. “I’ve seen some movies of his where he can bring anger and a wide personality to it. To me, I think Tom Hardy’s going to be as good as whatever Venom looks like. We all know Tom’s going to act. He’s going to do a good job.”

McFarlane might be confident in Venom’s leading man, but he recently posed some questions about the Sony spinoff, wondering how “R” the studio will go and whether Venom will be monstrous or more humanized.

McFarlane co-created Venom in 1988 with writer David Michelinie and artist Mike Zeck. Eddie Brock’s Venom went on to become one of the most popular members of Spider-Man‘s rogues gallery: he proved such a hit with fans, the villain-turned-anti-hero lead multiple runs of his own comic series over the past 30 years. Eddie Brock and the sinister symbiote were first realized in live-action in 2007’s Spider-Man 3 with actor Topher Grace (That 70’s Show), an iteration that proved unpopular with the majority of fans.

Hardy will be joined by Jenny Slate (Gifted) and possibly Riz Ahmed (Rogue One) and Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea). Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) directs from a script by Jeff Pinker (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Scott Rosenberg (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle). Avi Arad (Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy), Matthew Tolmach (The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Homecoming) produce.

Venom opens October 5, 2018.