Everyone is certainly glad that Venom will star in his own film that will be released next week. After all, Tom Hardy's version of Eddie Brock might finally help people forget the character's unfortunate debut in Spider-Man 3. However, Avi Arad still wants to make it clear that that version of Venom was not Sam Raimi or Topher Grace's fault.
Arad recently spoke to ScreenRant about his new project. The Venom producer addressed the character's previous incarnation, stating that he was taking the blame for Eddie's forced debut.
"In all fairness, I'll take the guilt because of what Sam Raimi used to say in all of these interviews feeling guilty that I forced him into it. And you know what I learned? Don't force anybody into anything. Therefore, (Sam) wasn't interested in the inside to make 'How is Venom like us?', 'How do we deal with the Venom', and Marvel is all metaphors."
To be clear, Venom's portrayal had little to do with Grace's performance in the sequel. The talented actor only did the best he could with the limited material provided since Raimi was clearly more interested in Thomas Haden Church's Sandman as the main villain. Unfortunately, this turned Venom into a deplorable side character in Spider-Man 3.
Although Arad is apologetic for forcing the character on Raimi, he is certainly proud that Venom is finally getting all the focus he deserves. Hopefully, Tom Hardy's performance as the journalist turned Symbiote host will prove that Venom is best seen as the lead character and not just a sideshow.
Venom stars Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, Jenny Slate, Reid Scott, Sope Aluko, and Scott Haze. The film is directed by Ruben Fleischer, who will also be working on Zombieland Too.
Catch Venom when it hits theaters on October 5.
Related: Venom Director Reveals a Number of Non-Spoilery Easter Eggs
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