#Detective Patrick Mulligan

[hjbirthdaywishes]

August 3, 2022

Happy 49 Birthday to Stephen Graham. 

[ethanreedbooks]

The Symbiotic Revelation: Tom Hardy's Instagram Unveils the Journey of Venom 3

Tom Hardy, the face and force behind Venom's cinematic journey, recently took to Instagram with a burst of genuine excitement, sharing the exhilarating news of Venom 3's return to production. Amidst the echoes of a SAG-AFTRA strike-induced hiatus, Hardy's announcement not only marks a return to the set but encapsulates the camaraderie and dedication that propels the Venom franchise forward.

Characterizing this upcoming installment as "the last dance" for the second time, Hardy's choice of words ignites speculation about the actor's potential departure from the role of the Marvel antihero. In a reflective Instagram caption, Hardy takes a moment to express gratitude, recognizing the collaborative effort that has brought the Venom series to this pivotal juncture. A candid snapshot, capturing Hardy alongside Kelly Marcel and Jake Tomuri, accompanies his words, adding a personal touch to the shared journey.

The heart of Hardy's message lies in his appreciation for the "fantastic cast and crew." He acknowledges the inherent challenges in their craft but emphasizes that these challenges are tempered by a genuine love for their work. The actor underscores the importance of compelling material and unwavering support, sentiments that resonate in the context of a collaborative production. In a heartfelt tribute, Hardy singles out director Kelly Marcel, lauding her seamless takeover from Ruben Fleischer and Andy Serkis. His words reflect not just professional respect but a genuine sense of pride and confidence in Marcel's directorial prowess.

Adding a touch of levity to the post, Hardy playfully comments on the facial resemblance between himself and Jake Tomuri, the esteemed stunt coordinator. The affectionate moniker "face plant chief operator" injects a note of humor, offering a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes camaraderie that defines the production.

Yet, amid the celebrations, the tantalizing mystery of Venom 3's plot remains intact. Hardy's announcement deliberately keeps fans in suspense, mirroring the enigmatic nature of the symbiotic journey. The unresolved threads from the second movie, featuring detective Patrick Mulligan absorbing powers and a post-credit scene transporting Eddie and Venom to a universe with Tom Holland's Spider-Man, fuel speculation about potential twists and turns.

Originally slated for a July 12, 2024 release, Venom 3 now carries a new November 8, 2024, date. This shift, a consequence of the SAG-AFTRA strike-induced delay, aligns with broader industry trends where large-scale productions face delays due to labor disputes and logistical challenges. The resilience of the team in adapting to unforeseen hurdles underscores the commitment to delivering a cinematic experience that transcends setbacks.

Building on the box office triumphs of its predecessors, Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the third installment is a creative evolution with Kelly Marcel at the helm as both director and writer. The ensemble cast, beyond Hardy's return, includes Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor in undisclosed roles, adding layers of anticipation.

As the journey of Venom 3 resumes, the narrative unfolds within Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters, a canvas extending beyond the symbiotic duo. The post-credit scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home, featuring Eddie and Venom in a universe with Tom Holland's Spider-Man, introduces a fascinating dimension to the interconnected Marvel multiverse. Speculation abounds about potential crossovers with characters like Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, and Madame Web, weaving a rich tapestry of possibilities.

In the expansive landscape of superhero cinema, Venom 3 holds the promise of being a pivotal chapter. The collaboration between Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel, the unsung heroes of the stunt department led by Jake Tomuri, and the entire cast and crew forms a symbiotic relationship akin to the dynamic between Eddie and Venom. It is a relationship built on trust, creative synergy, and a shared passion for bringing this Marvel antihero to life on the silver screen.

The countdown to November 8, 2024, begins, and fans find themselves caught in a web of anticipation. The enigmatic plot, the dynamic interactions between characters, and the potential twists in the Marvel multiverse create an atmosphere of excitement and speculation. Venom 3, with its delayed but triumphant return to production, stands poised to deliver a cinematic experience that transcends the boundaries of the traditional superhero narrative.

The proclamation on Tom Hardy's Instagram is not just an announcement; it is a celebration of the collaborative spirit that fuels the creation of cinematic spectacles. It is a testament to the resilience of the creative forces behind the scenes, weathering storms and overcoming challenges to deliver a piece of entertainment that transcends the boundaries of genres and captivates audiences worldwide.

And so, the countdown begins anew. November 8, 2024, marks not just a date on the calendar but a cinematic rendezvous, a convergence of creativity, passion, and the symbiotic dance between actor and character. As fans eagerly await the unveiling of Venom 3, the journey continues—on the screen, behind the scenes, and in the hearts of those who find solace, excitement, and wonder in the realms of superhero storytelling. Venom, with its third act on the horizon, stands ready to leave an indelible mark on the ever-expanding tapestry of Marvel's cinematic legacy.

[aviscranio]

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) dir. Andy Serkis

[cinemgc]

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021, US-UK-CA)

 • Dirección: Andy Serkis

 • Guion: Kelly Marcel

 • Cinematografía: Robert Richardson

 • Cast: Stephen Graham

[elgaberino-mcoc]

Wishlist Editors’ Battle Royale Semifinal: Coco’s Pick vs Marco’s Pick Chameleon vs Toxin

Semifinals of #TournamentOfBattlerealmFuture #battlerealm3 @PastorCoco2 Division vs @MARCUSPACK16 Division

Winner moves on to the Final Round Loser gets eliminated

CHAMELEON VS TOXIN

VOTE!

[waitimcomingtoo]

Malevolent As I’ve Ever Been

Pairing: Peter Parker x Venom!reader

Synopsis: Venom!reader in scenes of no way home

Masterlist

First police interrogation

“Oh good, you’re here. Thanks for coming in, miss L/n.” The first officer said as he sat across from you in the interrogation room.

“You forcibly removed me from my home.” You said flatly.

“I’m officer Stacy.” He continued. “I’m sure you know why you’re here.”

“I’m sure I don’t.”

“Have you requested a lawyer?” He asked you.

“I don’t need one.” You shrugged. “I haven’t committed any crimes.”

The detective gave you a strange look before opening up the Manila folder. He spread the contents of the folder out on the table and slid them towards you.

“Are you aware that you’re connected to the murders of Dora Skirth, Carlton Drake, Cleatus Kassidy, Frances Barrison, Roland Treece, Maria Gustavo, Sam Medina, and the disappearance of Detective Patrick Mulligan?” Officer Stacy asked you. You stared at the photos in front of you, momentarily caught off guard by your past. Not wanting to look phased, you gave a simply shrug and folded your arms.

“Yes, I am aware.” You said simply. “But connected is not that same as convicted, my guy.”

“Right. Can you explain this photo?” Officer Stacy asked as he slid a picture of you in mid air as you hopped a fence at the Life Foundation. You recognized it as the time you broke into the foundation and first bonded with Venom, but Officer Stacy didn’t need to know that.

“That’s not me.”

“That’s not you?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No.” You shook up head. Officer Stacy sighed and pulled some more pages out of your unfortunately thick file.

“You are also connected to the San Quentin prison riot, the St. Estes fire, the motorcycle chase in San Francisco that left several injured and dead, the explosion at the Life Foundation, and the collapse of the Grace cathedral. Just to name a few.” Officer Stacy continued. You silently stared at the pile of evidence that had been culminating against you and folded your arms.

“I would like a lawyer.”

In an interrogation room a few rooms over, Peter was being questioned by a group of police officers. He was already freaking out and felt even more anxious when he saw May walking through the station.

“Why is my aunt here?” Peter asked. “She had nothing to do with this. She wasn’t even in London when it all happened.”

“Relax, Parker.” An Officer snorted. “We brought your Aunt and friends in for some questioning.”

“You brought my friends in? But they’re completely innocent.” Peter insisted.

“We are questioning Ned Leeds and Y/n L/n right now to see if you’re right.” Another officer spoke up, making Peter’s heart stop.

“Wait, you left Y/n alone with a bunch of cops?” He asked with wide eyes.

“Don’t worry. The big bad police officers are not gonna hurt your little girlfriend.” An Officer laughed meanly.

“Yeah, I know.” Peter scoffed. “My little girlfriend is gonna hurt the big bad police officers.”

Back in your interrogation room, you had several police officers plastered to the wall with Venom’s tendrils. You had Officer Stacy dangling upside down in front of you as you asked him some questions of your own.

“Where is Peter?” You demanded.

“We can’t tell you.” He wheezed, face going red as all the blood rushed to his head.

“Then I’m gonna swallow you whole and shit you out!” You growled as your sharp teeth came out. An officer broke away from the wall and made a break for the door but you quickly snatched him up.

“Where do you think you’re going? No one’s leaving until you tell me where my boyfriend is.” You warned as you pulled the officer over to you with a long black tendril.

“He’s detained. You can’t see him.” The officer said in a strained voice as your tendril tightened around him.

“There’s no such thing as can’t.” You said as Venom enveloped your body. You opened your mouth and were about to bite his head off when you heard a familiar voice.

“Y/n!” Peter called through the doorway. Venom immediately went back inside and you dropped all the police officers to the ground.

“Peter!” You smiled sweetly and ran out of the room. You hugged him tightly and kissed his face as the officers you’d been holding captive rubbed their arms and heads.

“Are you okay? May told me they just showed up without warning.” You frowned as you rubbed his cheek comfortingly.

“I’m okay.” He assured you. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Can’t say the same for the cop who tried to handcuff me.” You grimaced and nodded towards an Officer that was walking with a limp.

“We bit his ankle.” Venom told Peter.

“Yeah. Full disclosure, I may be detained overnight. Fuller disclosure, I think I’m a wanted criminal. But we can talk about that later. All that matters right now is you.” You sighed and pulled Peter into another hug.

“I’m so sorry about this. How did they even get you here?“ Peter mumbled against your shoulder.

“They showed up at my door and I cooperated.” You shrugged.

“We had to shoot 6 elephant tranquilizers into her.” Officer Stacy grumbled as he walked past you. You gave him a death stare and pulled one of the remaining darts out of your butt.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. Can we go home now?” Peter asked you.

“You can. I am actively being arrested.” You kept your smile as one of the officers put your hands behind your back.

“Oh my God.” Peter said as he watched you get handcuffed.

“It’s okay. I’ll be out in 24 hours. They really don’t want you biting cops. Who knew?” You laughed as they led you away.

Meeting with a lawyer

“Well thank you, Mr. Murdock. I feel a lot better about this now that Peter’s out of legal trouble.” May sighed and rubbed Peter’s back.

“Can we talk in your room for a second?” You bent down and whispered in Peter’s ear. He thanked Matt one more time before following you to his bedroom.

“What did you want to talk about?” Peter asked nervously as he sat down on his bed. After everything he put you through lately, he had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going. Instead, you locked his bedroom door and pushed him back onto his bed. Before he had a chance to ask what you were doing, you were kissing him. He happily kissed you back and let all the drama of the week melt away. You made out on his bed for a while, only pulling away when you needed air.

“Sorry for the ambush. You looked like you could use a distraction.” You chuckled as you rested your chin on his chest.

“I really needed that.” He smiled softly. “Thank you.”

“It’ll be okay, Pete.” You assured him and kissed his cheeks. “I think Mr. Murdock clearing your name is the first step towards things going back to normal. I know this is really hard for you right now but it won’t be hard forever.”

“You’re right. I just hate that it’s hurting so many people. You and Ned didn’t get into college because of me. May has to look for a new place to live because of me. It all got so out of hand.” He sighed and looked away.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know your identity being exposed would have this affect.” You said as you combed your fingers through his curls.

“Still. It feels like it’s my fault.” He sighed. “I wish there was more I could do to help. Maybe you can write an article on how unfair MIT is being and get people to call them out.”

You were silent for a minute and rolled off of his chest. Peter looked at you curiously as he pulled you into his side.

“The Daily Bugle kinda fired me.” You admitted as you gave Peter a weak smile.

“Because of me?” He frowned. “They can’t do that.”

“It’s okay. I understand why they did it. I can’t intern at the Daily Bugle and write articles about Spiderman when I’m dating Peter Parker. They would all be biased since I love you so much.” You teased him and kissed his cheek. Despite your efforts to convince him that you weren’t upset, Peter’s frown didn’t budge.

“I’m so sorry.” He sighed. “This is so unfair. I know how much you love to write.”

“It’s fine.” You waved your hand. “There will be more jobs. I already got an interview at the coffee shop at the end of the block. If they ask though, my name is Laura Vatraction.”

“You’re way too talented to be pouring coffee. You should be writing.”

“I’ll write again one day.” You assured him. “Plus, I might love pouring coffee. It could be my new calling.”

“It’s not fair. You shouldn’t have to face the repercussions for my mistake. I’m public enemy #1. Not you.” He grumbled as he stared up at his ceiling.

“If you’re public enemy #1, then I’m public enemy #2. Simple as that.” You said as you brought his face back to yours. He still looked guilty, so you rolled back onto his chest and kissed his face until he stopped frowning.

In the Undercroft

“There was a huge power surge by some phone lines a few miles from here.” Ned read off his computer.

“That must be the guy I saw on the bridge.” Peter realized.

“Okay. You go find the flying green gabagool. I’ll stay here with Ned and…these guys.” You said as you gestured to the villains in captivity.

“Why would you stay here?” Ned wondered. “Shouldn’t you and Venom help Peter?“

“I’m staying here because if doctopus or Barney and friends break free, you’re gonna need some protection.” You replied as you pointed to Doc Oc and the giant lizard.

“No offense, but how would you possibly protect him from us?” Doc Oc asked you from within his cell. Before you could answer, Venom enveloped you and ran over to Doc Oc’s cell.

“What did you say to us, metal octopus man?” Venom growled. “We are the Lethal Protector. We could protect Ned from 10,000 of you. Do you think you and you tiny sunglasses would stand a chance against us and our bulging muscles?”

Venom finished her sentence by pointing an accusatory finger at Doc Oc. She quickly went back inside your body when she was done yelling, leaving you with your finger still pointed at him.

“Oops. Sorry about that.” You laughed sheepishly and put your finger down.

“I’m sorry, did that thing just come out of you?” Doc Oc asked in shock.

“You’re judging me?” You scoffed. “You’re in a floor length trench coat and your fursona is a steampunk octopus.”

“My what?” He titled his head and asked.

“Baby, please don’t explain furries to him right now.” Peter groaned as he pulled on his mask.

“Sorry. Good luck on your mission”. You gave Peter an apologetic smile and blew him a kiss. Once he was gone, you turned back to Doc Oc.

“This isn’t over.” You warned. “And for your information, I have a parasite.”

Meeting the three Peter’s

(I’m gonna use real names to make it less confusing)

“Aw.” You smiled softly as you watched the three Peter’s work in the lab.

“What?” Peter wondered.

“It’s three you’s.” You gushed. “You guys all look so cute in your suits. I need a picture.”

“Honey, not now please.” Peter asked kindly. “We’re really busy. We gotta get those cures done and-“

“Cheese.” Andrew held up a peace sign and smiled for your camera.

“Peter 2 and 3 are cooperating. Why can’t you be more like them?” You playfully scolded Peter. He rolled his eyes before smiling as well.

“So cute.” You grinned and snapped pictures. “So cute.”

“You should show them our suit.” Venom suggested from inside you.

“That’s a great idea!” You gasped and put your phone down.

“What did you say? And to whom?” Andrew looked at you curiously.

“Sorry. I actually wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the parasite inside me.” You said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“What?” He repeated as he exchanged a look with Tobey.

“Don’t worry about it.” You waved your hand. “I have to go get into my suit. I’ll be right back.”

“She has a suit?” Tobey asked Peter.

“It’s a long story.” Peter prefaced. Just then, you walked back into the room in your all black Venom suit.

“Now we all match.” You smiled as you did a little spin.

“Oh wow.” Andrew nodded. “Goth Spiderman.”

“Wait, where did you get that?” Tobey asked when he recognized the black suit.

“Venom made it for me. I honestly think it’s made out of my skin.” You cringed a little as you held out your arms.

“Did you say Venom?” Tobey asked as he touched your suit. Peter watched the physical contact but said nothing.

“Yeah.” You lit up. “You know Venom?”

“Yeah. I had him for a little while.” He recalled. “Those were dark times.”

“Really? You had Venom?” You gasped. “I can’t believe she didn’t kill you. Wait, did you say he?”

“We are gender fluid.” Venom cut in as she came out in her snake like form. Tobey and Andrew looked at Venom in shock, but Peter and Ned were unfazed.

“Huh.” You nodded. “I did not know that about you.”

“I can’t believe you guys are friends.” Tobey remarked. “My venom made me do all these weird, crazy things.”

“You’ve eaten people too?” You whispered with wide eyes.

“What?” Tobey backed away. “You eat people?”

“No.” You said quickly as your eyes darted to the side.

“Yes.” Venom admitted, making you sigh in defeat.

“Oh my God what?” Andrew looked at Peter with a dropped jaw. “Dude, your girlfriend eats people?”

“I try not to think about it.” Peter said as he shut his eyes.

“So this thing just lives inside of you at all times?” Tobey asked.

“Pretty much.” You shrugged.

“And you get along?” Andrew wondered.

“Oh, no.” You chuckled. “She constantly tears down my self esteem. They keep me safe though.”

“That’s nice.” Andrew smiled weakly. “As someone who has never had a venom, as you two put it, I’m curious. How does it work?”

“Do you guys want to try? I could put it inside you.” You offered.

“Oh my God.” Peter hung his head in shame at your choice of words. He already didn’t like his variants fawning over you, and now you were making innuendos.

“No thanks.” Tobey took a step back. “I’ve already had it inside me.”

“Other Peter, what about you? Do you want it inside you?” You asked.

“Yeah, okay.” He nodded. “You could put it inside me.”

“My aunt just died.” Peter reminded everyone.

“Give me your hand. It’s gonna feel a little strange at first but you’ll get used to it.” You said as you took Andrew’s hand.

“I’m so nervous.” Andrew laughed nervously as you turned his arm over.

“Don’t be nervous. I’ll be right here.” You assured Andrew as Venom crept up his arm before disappearing into his skin.

“I hate everything about this.” Peter mumbled to himself.

“Woah. I feel it.” He looked at you incredulously as Venom bonded with him.

“Is it okay?” You asked him.

“It’s kinda cold.” He admitted. “Ow! What was that?”

“Venom! Do not bite his kidneys!” You said as you snapped your fingers.

“I think that’s enough for now.” Andrew shuddered and practically threw Venom back at you.

“Fine by me.” You mumbled as Venom absorbed back into your skin. You looked around at the three Peter’s, taking into account how attractive each of them were. You smiled a little to yourself as you got an idea.

“Hey do any of you guys know what eiffle towering someone is or-“

“Y/n.“ Peter cut you off with a disappointed sigh.

“I’ll stop.” You nodded and looked down in shame.

The final battle

“Ned, I can’t just stand here and watch. I gotta help them.” You said as you and Ned watched the three Spidermen fighting through the portal.

“But Peter told us to stay here.” Ned reminded you.

“Yeah. But he didn’t tell us that.” You replied as you turned into Venom. You ran out onto the scaffolding and jumped into action. When you climbed into the crown of the statue, you found the sandman inside.

He started coming at you, so you rushed at him. You tried to bite his head off, but your teeth went right through the sand. He tried to punch you in retaliation but his fist turned to sand the minute it made contact with your shoulder. You looked at each for a moment, both realizing how pointless your fight would be.

“Let’s not.” You decided, and he agreed. You climbed out of the crown and saw Ned hastily moving his arms in a circle.

“What are you doing? Close the portal.” You told him as you changed back into yourself.

“I’m trying. It’s not as easy as it looks.” He whined as continued trying. His panicked expression melted into one of pure fear as he looked at something over your shoulder.

“Dude, the giant lizard is coming at us. Run!” Ned cried and ran further into the lab. You turned around just as the lizard caught up to you. It grabbed you by the shoulders and roared in your face, making you burst out laughing.

“Bitch please.” You laughed before changing into Venom and roaring even louder. The lizard let out a whimper and ran away from you, so you began to chase it. You tackled it and both of you fell through the middle of the scaffolding, landing on a couple of wood planks below. You wrestled and clawed at each other for a while until the lizard grabbed Venom and threw her off into the sea.

“Seriously? Every time?” You called after Venom. The lizard snapped at you but you put your foot up to hold it back.

“Jokes on you. She’s gonna find her way back to me in the knick of time and-“

Before you could finish your sentence, he slashed you across the face with his claws.

“Ow! You bitch!” You scoffed as you covered your face. You smacked him across the face and then back hand smacked him while he was still recovering from the first one.

“That’s right. I don’t need a symbiote to kick you in your lizard balls.” You growled before lunging at him. You landed on his chest and started to choke him out. It didn’t take long for him to overpower you and flip you on your back.

“You won’t be able to stop me.” He growled.

“Ew. You talk?” You choked out.

“Once I get my hands on that box, I’ll be able to go home and turn the entire city into reptilian hybrids.”

You stopped fighting him for a minute and looked at him curiously.

“Wait, that was your evil plan?” You scrunched your nose. “You were gonna turn everyone into lizards?”

“Yes.” He growled.

“I mean, that’s kinda lame don’t you think? Like why would you even do that?” You shrugged, making him choke you harder.

“I wasn’t being mean. I was genuinely asking. Why would you want everyone to be a lizard? What would that accomplish?” You asked as he strangled you. The lizard retracted his claws and plunged them into your stomach, looking down in confusion when he didn’t feel them go in.

“Dummy.” You snickered. “Can’t you tell I’m wearing an impenetrable suit made out of alien goo?”

“That won’t stop me from biting off your face.” He said as he licked his fangs.

“You got me there.” You laughed nervously and turned your face away as he opened his mouth.

“Y/n!” Andrew called as he swung by. “Catch!”

He tossed Dr. Connors’s cure at you and you caught it with one hand. You quickly shoved it in his mouth just as he got as biting down, making the gas explode out of the bottle. He slid off of you and slumped back onto the ground as he began to turn back into his human form.

“Where am I?” He asked you.

“What does it look like dude?” You sighed, unamused. “You’re on the Statue of Liberty in another dimension. Try to keep up.”

Dr. Conners stared at you in disbelief as you got up and dusted yourself off.

“If we’re done here, my boyfriend and his inter dimensional counterparts need my help.” You clicked your tongue and shot finger guns at him before walking away.

Andrew saving you

Your hands just missed Peter’s as he plunged down to save you. Venom was still nowhere to be found so if you hit the ground, you weren’t gonna survive it. Andrew noticed you falling as flashed back to the last time he saw Gwen.

“No!” He cried and dove off the scaffolding. He caught up to you and wrapped his body around you like an armor. He shot a web up and held you tightly as his feet landed on the ground.

“Are you okay?” He asked you as he held you in his arms.

“Am I okay? I just fell of the freaking statute of liberty! No I’m not okay!” You shouted as adrenaline flowed through your body. Andrew gulped and nodded a little, understanding why you’d be shaken up.

“Sorry uh yeah I’m fine.” You said once you caught your breath. Andrew teared up a little and nodded again, finally hearing the words he needed to hear.

“Are you okay?” You asked when you noticed the tears running down his face.

“I’m okay.” He told you as a smile broke through on his face. You stared into each other’s eyes as you caught your breath, both of you still shaken up.

“Should we kiss?“ You asked after a beat of silence. You and Andrew both contemplated it and even started to lean in a little.

“No.” You said in unison and he set you down.

After reuniting with Venom, you saw Tobey crumbling to the floor as Andrew struggled to hold him up. You ran over to them as fast as you could to help.

“Is everything okay? Are you okay?” You asked Andrew.

“I’m okay. He’s not.” Andrew said as he looked at Tobey in a panic.

“Oh shit.” You frowned. “What happened to you?”

“Oh, you know.” Tobey smiled weakly. “I got stabbed.”

“Hey, hey hey. Don’t worry.” You smiled and knelt beside him. “I can heal you. I just need to stick my alien inside you.”

“What?” He sat up and winced. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Shhh. It’s okay.” You cooed. “Just let me stick my alien inside you.”

“Do not stick anything inside of me.” Tobey deadpanned.

“Shhh. It’ll help. Let me put my goo in you.” You winked at him and placed your hand over his stab wound.

“Oh God.” He tilted his head back so he wouldn’t have to see it.

“It’s gonna be cold at first. Then it’s gonna feel really, really warm.” You warned him before letting Venom go inside.

“Is it in?” He asked and looked down.

“It’s in. It’s definitely in.” Andrew nodded as he knelt beside you guys.

“I feel it.” Tobey grimaced. “Gross.”

“There you go. All better.” You smiled once the wound was healed. You looked up to see Peter watched you with a disgusted face.

“Are you okay sweetie?” You asked as you stood up.

“Other than the fact that I just watched my girlfriend stick her alien inside a version of me from another dimension right after I nearly murdered a man for killing my last living relative, I’m doing okay.” Peter nodded. You smiled sadly and pulled Peter into a kiss as Venom crept inside him to heal his wounds. When you pulled away, you saw Norman Osborn sitting on the ground behind him with a look of utter despair on his face. You went over to him and sat on the ground beside him, both of you looking out at the water as the sun began to rise.

“You have some pretty deep cuts there, doctor. I could help with that.” You said softly as you looked at him. Norman tore his attention away from the water and looked at you curiously.

“Why would you help me? After everything I just did to you and your friends. Why even speak to me?” He asked you. You gave him a soft smile and put your hand on his cheek, letting Venom seep inside to heal him.

“I know what it’s like to have a monster inside of you.” You told him. “One that makes you do things you would never do. But I’m friends with my monster. I’m sorry you couldn’t be friends with yours.”

Norman smiled softly as you as you moved your hands to heal a cut on his arm, then his leg.

“Thank you for being nice to me.” He said to you. “Even though I’ve done really bad things.”

“It’s okay. I’ve done really bad things too.”

“As bad as killing an orphans only living relative?” Norman sighed and looked over at Peter.

“I’ve eaten 9 people.” You told her.

“Well I never did that. That’s fucked up.” Normal replied, making your jaw drop.

After the spell

Peter walked into your coffee shop with his note in his hand. He nervously folded in and put it in his pocket as he approached the counter.

“Hi.” He greeted you with a nervous smile.

“Hi.” You smiled back, feeling a strange pit in your stomach as you looked at him.

“Peter? Peter Parker?” Venom asked inside your head.

“What?” You asked out loud.

“What?” Peter asked you.

“Sorry.” You gave him an embarrassed smile. “Not you.”

“We know this guy. We know him really, really well.” Venom told you.

“No we don’t. Hush.” You turned your head to whisper to Venom before looking back at Peter.

“What can I get you?” You asked him.

“Just a small cup of coffee, please.” He asked politely. He could tell you were talking to Venom and wondered what you were saying.

“Sure. I’ll get started on that right away.” You smiled at him before turning around. You poured his coffee into a cup and went to turn around, but Venom locked your knees in place.

“Put sugar in it. He likes sugar.”

“He didn’t ask for sugar.” You whispered.

“Peter is shy. And he loves sugar.” Venom said as an inky black tendril came out of your side and grabbed a packet of sugar. You looked over your shoulder to see if anyone was watching and when you looked back, Venom had emptied five packets of sugar into Peter’s coffee.

“Stop it. He’s gonna get sick.” You whispered harshly and quickly put a lid on the cup.

“We know his coffee order.” Venom told you, sounding annoyed that you were doubting her.

“No we don’t. I’ve never seen that guy before.”

“Fine. Ask him yourself.” Venom said before yanking you towards Peter.

“Woah!” You gasped as you stumbled towards the counter. Peter bit back a smile, knowing Venom was puppeteering you.

“Hi. Me again. Would you like any sugar in your coffee? I accidentally put a sugar packet it in. And then I accidentally did that four more times.”

“That’s okay.” Peter chuckled. “It’s perfect actually. I usually put 5 sugars in. I like it it sweet.”

“Told you.” Venom said smugly.

“Shut up.” You said and rolled your eyes.

“What?” Peter asked you.

“Sorry. I’m so sorry.” Your eyes widened. “I don’t have an explanation for that one.”

“It’s okay.” Peter laughed again. “It happens.”

“Here. Sorry about…me.” You said as you handed him his coffee.

“Don’t be sorry. I like…you.” Peter said through a shy smile. You returned the smile before typing his order into your monitor.

“That’ll be $1.40.”

“He keeps his wallet in his back left pocket.” Venom told you. “It’s a Velcro Aladdin wallet.”

You watched curiously as Peter pulled a Velcro Aladdin wallet out of his back left pocket and handed you two dollars.

“Here. Thanks for the coffee.” He said as he handed you the money.

“Cute wallet.” You smiled and nodded towards his wallet.

“Thanks. It was a gift.” He smiled softly as he remembered the birthday when you gave him the wallet.

“He’s cute.” Venom commented.

“Shut up.” You giggled as you thought the exact same thing. Peter looked at you curiously and you slapped your hand over your mouth.

“Sorry. Not you. I was talking to myself.” You lied.

“It’s okay. Have a nice day, Y/n.” He nodded towards your name tag as he put a dollar in your tip jar.

“Oh, thanks.” You smiled and nervously played with your uniform.

“Have a nice day too, Venom.” Peter said as he walked towards the door.

“Bye Peter.” Venom called back.

Bonus scene

“I can’t believe this.” You sat on the floor and put your head in your hands.

“It’s not that big of a deal.” Tobey sighed as he subbed his eyes.

“It’s a huge deal.” You raised your voice. “This is the worst news I’ve ever received.”

“You’re offended all of us by saying that.” Andrew said as he gestured to the other two Peter’s.

“I don’t care.” You shouted as you stood up. “You mean to tell me my variant is a white man named Eddie Brock? A white man?!”

“Why’d you have to tell her that?” Peter asked Tobey in a whine.

“I thought she knew.” Tobey shrugged.

“A white man?! A freaking white man? Is he at least cool?” You asked as you shook Tobey by the shoulders.

“He was a journalist.” Tobey smiled weakly in an attempt to make you feel better.

“Oh my God.” You groaned loudly. “Was he at least successful?”

“He’s freelance.” Tobey grimaced, making you groan even louder.

“What about Venom?” You asked. “Was he good to Venom?”

“He died protecting Venom from a pumpkin bomb.” Tobey told you, making you relax a little.

“Oh. Okay.” You nodded in satisfaction. “That makes me feel better. What did he look like?”

“Frosted tips.” Tobey told you. “And we wore a lot of leather.”

You let out a slow groan as you sat back down on the floor and curled into a ball.

Tag List 🏷

@awesomebooklover17 @thebookwormlife @imanativeofswlondondahling @serendipitous-amor

@lavender-writer @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @andreasworlsboring101

@letsloveimagines @peterparkoure @a-villain-vying-for-attention @justcallmehitgirl @jackiehollanderr @mara-twins @maryjanee23 @geeksareunique @emmamarshmellow @unbelievableholland @flixndchill @sovereignparker @thisisthebiplace @every-marveler-ever @undiadeestos @caelestii-e @eridanuswave​ @itscaminow​ @fiantomartell @solarxmoonchild @canyouevencauseicant @illwritetomorrow @thehappygrungelife @saysomethingspiderman @smilexcaptainx @quaksonhehe @kelieah @seasidecrowbar @lovelessdagger @electraheart-3174 @unbelievableholland @yourtypicalhotmess @horanxholland @thesuitelifeofafangirl @marshxx @heyheycharlatte @nooneinvitedfascistbarbie @tomshufflepuff

@maybemona @alexxcorona113

[venomficprompts]

Who The Hell Are These People?!? (A Primer For Venom Movie Fans)

So you saw the trailer and are excited but you don’t know who the non-Eddie characters are or why comic fans are excited. I’m here to help! Warning for discussion of fucked-up childhoods.

First and foremost is Cletus Kasasy, aka Carnage. (Played by Woody Harrelston) Before bonding to a symbiote, he was already a serial killer. As a kid he tortured animals and killed his grandmother by pushing her down the stairs. He ended up in an orphanage, which he burned down. The Carnage symbiote is so integrated into his body that it can regenerate from almost nothing; Cletus refers to her as his wife and fans call her Red. Carnage has ties to other supervillains, notably...

Frances Barrison aka Shriek (Naomie Harris) is a mutant with sonic powers, flight, and what’s called “dark empathy” with which she can fill a person’s mind with fear or anger. In the trailer we see her in Ravencroft Asylum in containment, with everyone else wearing hearing protection. She’s Cletus Kasady’s on-again-off-again girlfriend. Her early life involved drugs and an abusive mother. Darkforce exposure triggered her mutant abilities. She briefly hosts the Scorn symbiote shortly after Carnage spawns it.

Last is Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham), who becomes Toxin when he bonds to Carnage’s oldest spawn. In the trailer and Andy Serkis’ commentary, he’s Eddie’s liason in regard to identifying more of Cletus Kasady’s victims, and does not appear to be enjoying his job very much. There are NO good pix of his comic version that I could find.

[aion-rsa]

Venom: Let There Be Carnage – What Happened to the Cop Mulligan

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains big Venom: Let There Be Carnage spoilers.

If you’ve scrolled around the internet in the last day or two, you might’ve seen folks talking about a little movie called Venom: Let There Be Carnage. With the superhero sequel breaking box office records over the weekend, and ending on a cliffhanger that seems to tease we’ll finally get some proper Spider-Man on symbiote action in the MCU, there’s a lot out there for genre fans to unpack. Yet one of the most curious mysteries about Eddie Brock’s cinematic battle with Cletus Kasady is the literal carnage it left in its wake.

For example, what exactly happened to Stephen Graham’s Patrick Mulligan?! You remember, the police detective who seemed vital to the events of Venom 2 but then disappeared in the midst of all that symbiote chaos during the climax. Well, it’s funny you should ask…

The last time we get a good look at Graham in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the detective had just revealed to Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) that he was the then-much younger officer who shot Naomie Harris’ Frances Barrison, the mutant who becomes Shriek. Unfortunately for Mulligan, she lived. It’s why Carnage (Woody Harrelson) takes the copper hostage at the end. Funnily enough, more than one person has told me it seemed like the character was killed off by Shriek after she gets him up on the bell tower and proceeds to take “an eye for an eye.”

So in case you missed it, it turns out Shriek didn’t get her moment of pure, bloody revenge. These things are hard to catch when you have so much sound and fury going off around symbiotes. In fact, we (briefly) see Mulligan one more time with both eyes as a new symbiote seems to consume him.

“Monsters, monsters everywhere,” is the last we hear from our good lawman. So wait, was that Carnage coming for him? And why didn’t we see what happened next? The answer is because they have to save a big reveal for the sequel. They have got to hide that…

Mulligan Becomes Toxin

That’s right we’re about to get a third major symbioted character. Or fourth when you count Riz Ahmed’s Riot from Venom (2018). While the how’s and why’s of this occurring in Venom: Let There Be Carnage remain frustratingly opaque, Toxin is actually Carnage’s son, just as Carnage is Venom’s.

In the comics, Toxin was the third major symbiote character introduced on the page after Venom and Carnage, first appearing in Venom/Carnage #2 in 2004. This red and blobbier looking symbiote is created reluctantly when Carnage (both the symbiote and its host Cletus Kassady) realize they’ve become pregnant. Far more vain and narcissistic than even Venom, and with the memories of Kasady’s broken home, Carnage has no desire to give birth to a spawn which could become more powerful than himself, just as Carnage became more powerful than Venom. So he resigns himself to killing it as soon as it’s born.

Kasady even goes so far as to bond the symbiote to a hero cop who happens to be stumbling by, Det. Patrick Mulligan, so he can easily kill both while they’re disoriented. Luckily, Venom sought this event out, hoping to raise his grandchild symbiote. It is Venom who even names the new creature Toxin—after himself. The two characters, however, have a falling out because Brock in the comics is still kind of unhinged while Mulligan wants to be a real good guy. 

So instead of becoming Venom’s partner, Toxin turns out to be the first symbiote to be a true ally to Spider-Man and a real superhero, as opposed to a partner of convenience, as is often the case with Venom.

Presumably, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is setting Graham’s Mulligan up to be a possible partner (or rival) to Venom in a new movie down the road. And similar to how Venom inexplicably gave birth to the Carnage symbiote without even realizing it in Venom 2, we’re left to deduce that Carnage’s symbiote likewise “infected” Mulligan with its his spawn when that tendril was wrapped around the lawman’s face earlier in the church. 

It makes sense though to hire an actor of Graham’s caliber—he truly is phenomenal in Boardwalk Empire and The Irishman—to be more than just “the copper” in your superhero movie. With that said, how this will all shake out now that Eddie Brock has transported himself to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—which according to director Andy Serkis was a last minute decision—remains to be seen.

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The post Venom: Let There Be Carnage – What Happened to the Cop Mulligan appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3Fh8Pyj

[tabloidtoc]

TV Guide, March 29-April 11

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Christopher Meloni returns as Elliot Stabler and Law & Order to fight Organized Crime

Page 2: Contents, Your Feedback

Page 3: Ask Matt -- WandaVision, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS

* Coming Next Issue -- in the April 12 issue, the Disney+ sports dramedy Big Shot, which stars John Stamos as a fiery basketball coach forced to take a job at an elite all-girls high school

Page 4: TV Insider -- 25 Top Shows

Page 5: First Look -- Rainn Wilson and Danica Patrick on Running Wild With Bear Grylls

* The Big Number -- 100 million -- the number of viewers who have signed up for Disney's streaming service since it launched in November 2019 and Disney+'s tally could surpass Netflix subscribers in the next few years

Page 6: How to watch broadcast TV for free

Page 8: The Roush Review -- Hemingway

Page 9: Atlantic Crossing, Hysterical, United States of Al

Page 10: Cover Story -- Stabler's Law -- more worldly and not so bitter, Christohper Meloni's long-absent Law & Order detective targets today's Mafia with Olivia Benson's help -- Meloni shares what he can about his new role and happily reveals his joy to be working again with his old friend and onetime screen partner Mariska Hargitay

Page 12: Brave Hearts -- on the PBS docuseries My Grandparents' War, four British stars discover how their families changed history -- Helena Bonham Carter

Page 13: Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, Carey Mulligan

Page 14: What's Worth Watching -- Week 1 -- Major League Baseball Opening Day

Page 15: Monday, March 29 -- Race to the Center of the Earth, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Legends of the Pharaohs, The Voice, Running Wild With Bear Grylls with Anthony Mackie

Page 16: Tuesday, March 30 -- Pooch Perfect, Supergirl, Unsellable Houses, New Amsterdam

* Wednesday, March 31 -- The Con, Back

Page 17: Thursday, April 1 -- Elizabeth Perkins and Denis Leary on The Moodys, 31 Days of Oscar on TCM, Young Sheldon, Wipeout, Clarice

Page 18: Thursday, April 1 -- Melissa Roxburgh on Manifest

* Friday, April 2 -- Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story, Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine, MacGyver

Page 19: Saturday, April 3 -- Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia, Casey Jones, Alaska Animal Rescue, Bill & Ted Face the Music

Page 20: Sunday, April 4 -- Jeffrey Dean Morgan on The Walking Dead, How It Really Happened With Hill Harper, 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, Gangs of London

Page 22-35: TV listings

Page 36: Stream It! Your Guide to the Very Best Streaming Available Now -- Netflix -- Tahar Rahim on The Serpent, Who Killed Sara?

Page 37: Amazing True Stories -- Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, The Last Blockbuster, This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist

Page 38: Prime Video -- Patrick Duffy on Dallas, Them, Project Blue Book

Page 39: Hulu -- Nashville, Discovery+ -- Expedition: Back to the Future

Page 40: New Movie Releases

Page 41: Series, Specials & Documentaries

Page 42: What's Worth Watching -- Week 2 -- Katey Sagal on Rebel

Page 43: Monday, April 5 -- Inside the Tower of London, The Bold and the Beautiful, TechCheck, Starsky & Hutch, Debris

Page 44: Tuesday, April 6 -- Nasim Pedrad on Chad, black-ish, FBI: Most Wanted, Assembly Required, Kenan, NCIS

Page 45: Wednesday, April 7 -- Home Economics, Kung Fu, Exterminate All the Brutes, SEAL Team, Queen of the South, The Pole

Page 46: Thursday, April 8 -- The Masters, Walker, Last Man Standing, Everything's Gonna Be Okay

* Friday, April 9 -- Magnum P.I., The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Wynonna Earp -- series finale

Page 47: Saturday, April 10 -- Game of Thrones, Pennyworth, Alice, As Luck Would Have It, E! True Hollywood Story -- sisters Beyonce and Solange Knowles; Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears; Miley and Noah Cyrus

Page 48: Sunday, April 11 -- Laura Donnelly on The Nevers, American Idol, Shameless -- series finale, The People v. the Klan, Fear the Walking Dead, Men in Kilts

Page 50-64: TV listings

Page 68: Cheers & Jeers -- cheers to Oprah's royal coup, Walker, New Amsterdam, America Ferrera, jeers to anyone not watching The Unicorn, 9-1-1: Lone Star, The Real World Homecoming: New York

[comicbookcollectcom]

Patrick Mulligan aka Toxin

Patrick Mulligan aka Toxin

Detective Patrick Mulligan will be in the Venom: Let There Be Carnage movie due out September 24, 2021 produced by Columbia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures. Will Toxin shows up in the movie? Maybe. Patrick Mulligan is a finest NYC cop. He inherited the symbiote from Carnage. Carnage gave birth like Venom gave birth to Carnage. Carnage fear the new symbiote will be powerful than him but…

[tomhardyitalia]

Ig @venomiscoming

Same video, another perspective. Stephen Graham’s character Detective Patrick Mulligan confronts Woody Harrelson’s Cletus Kasady... #venom2 #venom #carnage #spiderman #marvel #woodyharrelson #tomhardy

[hjbirthdaywishes]

August 3, 2023

Happy 50 Birthday to Stephen Graham. 

[dalekofchaos]

Spider-Man fancast(updated)

My other Marvel fancasts

X-Men

Fantastic 4

Other Marvel characters

Tom Holland as Spider-Man/Peter Parker

Zendaya as Mary Jane Watson(just call her Mary Jane Watson, you cowards)

Marisa Tomei as May Parker

Brendan Fraser as Ben Parker

Timothee Chalamet as Harry Osborn 

Grace Van DIen as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen

Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds/Hobgoblin

Angourie Rice as Betty Brant

Laura Harrier as Liz Allen

Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson/Agent Venom

Ana Celia de Armas as Felicia Hardy/Black Cat

Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock

Jon Bernthal as The Punisher/Frank Castle

Miles Brown as Miles Morales/Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield as Ben Reilly

Tobey Maguire as Kaine Parker

Daniel Radcliffe as Noir Spider-Man/Peter Parker

Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O’Hara

Millie Bobby Brown as Spider-Woman/Mattie Franklin

Priah Ferguson as Spider-Girl/Mayday Parker

Daisy Ridley as Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew

Seychelles Gabriel as Spider-Girl/Anya Corazon

Tiffany Espensen as Silk/Cindy Moon

Yvonne Strahovski as Arachne/Julia Carpenter

Jessica Lange as Madame Webb

JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson

or Michael Shannon as J Jonah Jameson

Andre Braugher as Robbie Robertson

Mark Harmon as Captain George Stacy

Cote De Pablo as Detective Jean DeWolf

Bryan Cranston as Green Goblin/Norman Osborn

Matthew McConaughey as Hobgoblin/Roderick Kingsley

Christoph Waltz as Otto Octavius/Doc Ock

or Mark Hamill as Doc Ock/Otto Octavius

Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk

Ralph Fienes as Chameleon

Léa Seydoux as Silver Sable

Ben Wishaw as  Alistair Smythe/Spyder-Slayer

Sendhil Ramamurthy as The Lizard/Dr Curt Connors

Donnie Yen as Mister Negative/Martin Li

Michael Keaton as Vulture

Bokeem Woodbine as Shocker/Herman Schultz

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Rhino/Aleksei Sytsevich

Ving Rhames as Tombstone/Lonnie Lincoln

Aaron Paul as Electro/Max Dillon

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Kraven The Hunter

Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio

John Cena as Sandman

Michael Mando as Scorpion

Colin Farrell as Morbius

David Thewlis as Jackal/Dr. Miles Warren

Dacre Montgomery as Venom/Eddie Brock

Jamie Campbell Bower as Carnage/Cletus Cassidy

Owen Teague as Toxin/Patrick Mulligan

[phantom-le6]

Film Review - Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Before returning to the MCU for the last of its 2021 cinema releases, let’s take a trip over to one of Sony’s alternate realities and check out the Venom sequel, Let There Be Carnage.

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

In 1996, a young Cletus Kasady watches helplessly as his lover, Frances Barrison, is taken away from St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children to the Ravencroft Institute. On the way, Barrison uses her sonic scream powers to attack young police officer Patrick Mulligan. Mulligan shoots Barrison in the eye and suffers an injury to his ear due to her scream. Unbeknownst to Mulligan, who believes he killed her, Barrison is still taken to Ravencroft where her abilities are restricted.

 In the present day, Mulligan is now a detective and asks journalist Eddie Brock to speak to serial killer Kasady in San Quentin State Prison, as Kasady refuses to talk to anyone other than Brock. After the visit, Brock's alien symbiote Venom deduces where Kasady has hidden the bodies of his victims, which gives Brock a huge career boost. Brock is then contacted by his ex-fiancée Anne Weying, who tells him that she is now engaged to Dr. Dan Lewis, to Venom's displeasure. Kasady, who has been found guilty of his crimes and sentenced to death by lethal injection, invites Brock to attend his execution. Brock speaks with Kasady, who insults Brock, provoking Venom to attack Kasady. Kasady bites Brock's hand and ingests a small part of the symbiote. Back at their home, Venom has an argument with Brock about wanting to have more freedom to eat criminals, and the symbiote decides to leave Brock's body and go off on its own.

 As Kasady's execution begins, a red symbiote emerges and blocks the injection. Named Carnage, it goes on a violent rampage through the prison, freeing inmates and killing guards. Carnage agrees to help Kasady break Barrison out of Ravencroft in exchange for Kasady's help eliminating Brock and Venom. Mulligan visits Brock at home and warns him about the situation. At Ravencroft, Kasady frees Barrison and they travel to the St. Estes children's home to burn it down. Mulligan grows suspicious of Brock and arrests him. Brock contacts Weying as his lawyer and reveals that Venom has separated from him. As Venom makes his way through San Francisco by hopping from body to body, Weying finds him bonded to Mrs. Chen and convinces him to forgive Brock. Venom reunites with Brock and they escape custody. Kasady takes Mulligan hostage and Barrison captures Weying, taking them both to a cathedral where Kasady and Barrison plan to get married.

 Brock and Venom arrive to fight Carnage while Barrison seemingly kills Mulligan by hanging him with a chain. Venom is overpowered by Carnage, but provokes Barrison into using her powers to separate Carnage and Kasady. Venom devours Carnage and kills Kasady while Barrison is crushed by the collapsing cathedral. Later, an alive Mulligan's eyes flash blue. Brock and Venom, now fugitives, decide to take a vacation while they ponder their next steps. As Venom tells Brock about the symbiotes' vast levels of knowledge, a blinding light transports them from their hotel room to another room where they watch J. Jonah Jameson talking about Spider-Man's revealed identity as Peter Parker on television, thereby showing Venom and Brock are now in the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Review:

For me, the first Venom film was a good one in that Sony did it the only way you could showcase Venom as an anti-hero without a massive multi-film arc to honour the comics properly.  It wasn’t ideal, by any means; the horror elements bored me as horror generally does as a genre, and the villain could have done with being someone more notable within the source material.  This second instalment generally doesn’t have these same issues; the horror elements inherent to Kasady and his symbiote alter ego Carnage means that this aspect is more effective honouring of the comics than bland horror film fodder, and Carnage is a major fan-favourite character that is very well-known.

 Sadly, the film is not without other flaws. Like Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool before it, the Venom franchise is recycling humour stylings from the first film and expecting that to have the same impact.  Trust me, it doesn’t; the first film in each franchise gets its main comedic hint from the humour being fresh, original and in line with the characters as the films put them across to an audience that wasn’t expecting it. Come film 2 of each franchise, that humour is expected, and by not really offering something different and original again, the impact is lost.  The stuff is just about in character, but fails to be fresh or original, and in the case of Guardians and Deadpool it goes in the gutter of the lowest common denominator.  These franchises need to stop being lazy about their humour and up their game with well thought out original humour each and every time, and avoid appealing to the gutter.  In other words, get some better comedy writers and avoid Chris Rock like the plague.

 We also get a repeat of a Deadpool 2 move; casting a Black woman as a comics character notable for having white body paint/skin with some black in places and not then using that in the film. Deadpool 2 did it with Domino, Venom: LTBC does it with Shriek.  It seems strange that while non-human skin colours like blues, greens, purples and reds can be brought over from the comics in other superhero films, colours that are used to describe human skin tones don’t get the same translation, or at least not if you’re anyone outside the Joker and Harley Quinn in the DC films.

 Now I can understand why you wouldn’t want to put white face-paint on an actor of colour, and I agree with that, but maybe that should have been a cue to cast people of colour elsewhere in the film. The new beau of Brock’s ex-fiancé appears to be an original character for the films that’s been around for both films; why didn’t they cast a Black man to play him and leave themselves room for a white actress to play Shriek with the full body-paint?  Likewise, why didn’t Deadpool 2 give Bedlam a chance to live or play up the film’s other characters of colour like Dopinder, Yukio and Russell, or use other characters of colour from the comics?  These options would have freed up the role of Domino to be more comics-accurate in appearance.  So often film and TV makers can get diversity and comics accuracy with a bit more thought, but fail to engage their brains enough to do so.  As with the humour, so with adaptational accuracy.

 The next flaw to flag is another aspect of adaptation, namely the Kasady-Carnage relationship.  In the 90’s animated series of Spider-Man, the somewhat toned-down Carnage of that series was noted to be so in-sync with Kasady, they used “I” terminology instead of “we”, indicating a more effective symbiotic link. This is a reflection of Carnage and Kasady having a stronger bond than the one between Venom and Brock, yet this film begins to set the pair at odds when Shriek’s powers pose a threat to Carnage. To me, it feels like the film is being forced down this route because the lead character is another symbiote-carrying person, and as such he needs a different weakness to exploit than if our protagonist was Spider-Man.  As such, this film makes us wish for a more source-accurate start to Venom and Carnage where the first film actually did fine doing its own thing.

 The final issue to point out is that the so-called “improvements” to Tom Hardy’s voice work as Venom actually make the characters sound like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy’s prior claim to superhero cinema fame.  All this aside, the film is largely well-acted, visually well-realised and the shorter run-time compared to many other superhero films is in its favour. However, this is actually more step back than step forward, and the flaws to be corrected are clear.  Better humour, a more source-accurate approach to keeping the film diverse, not straying from source to get your hero a win and keeping Venom’s voice from sounding like a Bane impersonation.  For me, this film is just scrapping by with 6 out of 10.

[cinemgc]

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021, US-UK-CA)

 • Dirección: Andy Serkis

 • Guion: Kelly Marcel

 • Cinematografía: Robert Richardson

 • Cast: Stephen Graham, Tom Hardy

[elgaberino-mcoc]

Round 3, Marco Division Viv Vision vs Toxin

Winner is division champ and enters semifinal Loser is eliminated. (Both, as quarterfinalists, will be added to the MCOC Wishlist)

VOTE!