2018sVenomwill go down as a bizarre footnote in the history of superhero movies.
Theyre not part of the MCU itself, yet are still connected to its multiverse.
And theyre sure to confuse future generations of geeks.
The thing is, we could have had a similar situation play out decades ago.
Now that the dust is settled on the Venom movies, how does this potential original compare?
Once this series ran its course, Marvel spent years trying to have its cake and eat it too.
Eddie Brock/Eddy Brock
Yes, in the screenplay, our antihero is named Eddy.
Just go with it.
You get the idea that pre-bite Peter Parker would have shoved this guy into a locker.
The Venom symbiote is there for dialogue, exposition, and comedy.
Usually, Goyers Eddie would just talk out loud and have a one-sided conversation that we werent privy to.
It feels more important too.
The Goyer script is also limited, as this was going to be a different studio completely.
Spider-Man was completely off the table.
The Venom symbiote would have the logo on its chest as a sign of respect and pure symbiosis.
Crazy-looking, but overall simple, and understanding that there is a human body underneath it all.
Goyers Venom, by comparison, has a little too much in his arsenal.
Other times it would be a little too cartoonish, with no regard for Eddys body underneath the alien.
For example, he could stretch his arms out like Mr. ## Carnage
Cletus Kasady is the screenplays one bright spot.
With the right actor, this could have been a fun performance.
As children, Kasady burned down the orphanage where he and Eddy lived.
Hes become such a media sensation, that the plan is to execute him live on TV.
That stuff isnt all that interesting, but it does lead to the next bit.
It at least made for an enticing issue cover.
In the 1997 screenplay, the love interest is a weird amalgamation of different characters named Rachel Kafka.
Rachel is Kasadys psychiatrist, based on the minor recurring Marvel character Ashley Kafka from the comics.
While Kafka has never been romantically linked with Eddie in the comics (though she does in that 90sSpider-Mancartoon!
), she is merged here with Anne as well Eddies lesser-known flame Beck Underwood.
Still, the origin of her becoming She-Venom is at least more loyal to the source material.
The Ending
The final battle between Venom and Carnage isnt bad.
Weirdly enough, Carnages death is exactly like Venoms death in Sam RaimisSpider-Man 3.
Unfortunately, the whole plot line about Carnage causing a NYC-destroying riot just quietly ends.
Theres no interesting conclusion to that.
Just the national guard showed up and put a stop to it.
Feels a bit anticlimactic.
Goyers screenplay has plenty of problems.
There are supporting characters who seem important, only to disappear early on and never be heard from again.
Eddys character arc is empty at worst and confusing at best.
It needed at least a few rewrites to turn it into something coherent.
There are parts that could have worked in David S. GoyersVenom, but only on paper.
Sadly, the world was not ready for Venom and Carnage brawling on the big screen just yet.
Still, imagine a world where that happened before Tobey Maguire fought Willem Dafoe.Huh.
