It's no secret that Sam Raimi was hesitant to include the character of Venom in SPIDER-MAN 3, and based upon the less-than-positive reception which the fan-favourite character received, it's easy to agree that Venom probably should have been left out of the film. Over a decade after the release of SPIDER-MAN 3, Sony Pictures finally has the opportunity to potentially give us the Venom we've always deserved with Tom Hardy playing the title role. While speaking with Inverse, former Venom Topher Grace said that he's already impressed by what he's seen of Hardy's work on the upcoming film.
Topher Grace starred alongside Tobey Maguire in SPIDER-MAN 3 as Eddie Brock/Venom, and the actor was already a big fan of the character before he even got the gig. Grace had read Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man run which introduced Eddie Brock while in middle-school, but he was aware that he didn't exactly fit the image of the character from the comics. "I understand Sam’s interpretation, which was to do a dark version of Tobey [Maguire]’s character," Grace said. "I was thrilled because I was such a fan of the character, but I was aware of how it was different from what I had grown up reading. I thought it was cool, but I’m really excited to see [Tom Hardy’s version]. That’s the character I grew up with." Grace added that he believes that Tom Hardy's take on the character is a much better representation than his own attempt in SPIDER-MAN 3.
To me — I truly mean this — I think Tom is the guy to play that role. I’m thrilled to watch it as a fan. I really mean that. I think he’s just the best dude.
I'll agree with Topher Grace and say that Tom Hardy's Venom does look to be an improvement over what we got in SPIDER-MAN 3, but based upon the reaction towards the recent trailer, the VENOM film is hardly looking like a home-run at the moment. Here's hoping it will surprise us.
VENOM is set for an October 5, 2018 release.