Synopsis: Venom (2018) & Let There Be Carnage (2021)

 

Venom (2018)

Plot Summary: The film opens with a crash landing in Malaysia, where a Life Foundation ship returns to collect alien symbiotes. One symbiote, Riot, escapes and starts jumping from host to host and wreaking havoc. Over in San Francisco, investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) loses both his career and his fiancée, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), after he outs sensitive info regarding the unethical experiments of Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), the CEO of the Life Foundation.

Life Foundation scientist Dr. Dora Skirth contacts Eddie, telling him of the organization’s dark experiments. Through her Eddie breaks into the Life Foundation and comes into contact with a symbiote called Venom, which takes hold of him. The bonding grants Eddie superpowers, agility, and a healing factor, but also sets him against Drake, who becomes the host for Riot.

Venom and Eddie learn to live alongside each other in fighting against Drake and Riot, who want to bring more symbites to Earth. In the climactic battle, Venom gives his life to blow up Drake's space ship, saving the world. But Venom, of course, lives on — for another day.

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Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Synopsis: In the sequel, Eddie and Venom have gone to the "Odd Couple" stage in their relationship. They’re hard to coexist while Eddie attempts to rebuild his life. In the meantime, serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) calls Eddie to prison, and doesn't-so-innocently becomes the host for Venom’s spawn, Carnage.

Cletus escapes and reconnects with his lover, Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris), a.k.a. Shriek, whose sonic abilities weaken both Venom and Carnage. They wreak havoc together, leading to a “bloody wedding” ceremony at which the plan is to kill Eddie, the Venom and detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham).

Eddie and Venom are able to work together once again and ultimately defeat Carnage via Shriek’s sonic scream. Venom eats Carnage, and Cletus dies. The movie concludes with Eddie and Venom fugitives, enjoying a quiet, sunset beach moment together. In a post-credits scene, Venom’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is teased with a vision of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.

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Character Details

1. Eddie Brock / Venom (Tom Hardy):

   • Eddie is an investigative reporter who hosts Venom, an alien symbiote that gives him superhuman powers. Their early antagonism turns to cooperation (a kind of “hybrid” antihero who protects Earth).

2. Anne Weying (Michelle Williams):

   • The ex-fiancée of Eddie and a defense attorney. Anne also briefly becomes She-Venom in the first film when she aids Eddie and Venom at a critical moment.

3. Carlton Drake / Riot (Riz Ahmed):

   • A genius but morally dubious scientist who becomes the host of Riot, a stronger and bloodthirsty symbiote.

4. Dr. Dora Skirth (Jenny Slate):

   • A Life Foundation whistleblower who assists Eddie in exposing their experiments. Riot eventually murders her.

5. Cletus Kasady / Carnage (Woody Harrelson):

   • A psychotic serial killer who becomes the host of Carnage, Venom’s spawn. He has a bond with the symbiote that proves destructive, but he is eventually taken down by Eddie and Venom.

6. Frances Barrison / Shriek (Naomie Harris):

   • Cletus’s lover who has sonic powers capable of damaging symbiotes. Her powers act as a catalyst for conflict between Carnage and Cletus, and ultimately lead to their ruin.

7. Dan Lewis (Reid Scott):

   • Anne’s new boyfriend, a doctor who helps Eddie and Venom, despite their adversarial relationship.

8. Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham):

   • A detective tracking Cletus and Carnage — with teases that the franchise could potentially have him host a different symbiote in the future.