Venom movie villain: Who will play Venom and is he a villain? When is it released?

Marvel is known for having a wide array of heroes and villains all of whom have complex and unique backstories, the best known of which are the Avengers.

While Venom may not be the most well-known of the Marvel cast of characters, he is about to get his own feature movie.

When is Venom released?

Both the UK and USA will get Venom at the same time – a release date of October 5, 2018.

The autumnal date gives superhero movie fans something to look forward to while they wait for Avengers 4 and Captain Marvel’s release in 2019.

Who plays Venom?

Tom Hardy, the Academy Award-nominated actor, takes the eponymous role of Venom.

His human alter-ego is Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist in the middle of a career slump following a scandal.

Is Venom a villain?

This is perhaps the most complex question of the movie and one which both Hardy and Venom director Ruben Fleischer addressed during Comic Con.

At their panel in Hall H, they discussed the duality of Venom.

“He’s a documentary journalist who falls on hard times and out of favour with his partner and he’s a bit of a loser,” Hardy said.

“He’s an anti-hero, so he’ll figure on a goal and he’ll do whatever he has to do to get to that goal, even if he has to do some naughty things to get there…. His ethical structure is off and he’s got no scruples.”

Hardy was quick to add: “He means well, he’s got a truly noble heart.”

Fleischer was intrigued by the Jekyll and Hyde nature Brock has with the alien symbiote.

“They become almost a third being, which is what Venom is,” Fleischer said.

“There’s a famous quote: ‘You’re Eddie Brock. I’m the symbiote. Together we are Venom,’” he added.

Venom is not a villain but neither is he a hero – more an antihero in the vein of Deadpool, with a much darker streak.

Venom’s villain is Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake aka Riot.

During the Comic Con panel, Fleischer said he would deliver a movie with “no heroes… There’s this guy trying to bite people’s heads off and this guy, who’s an evil megalomaniac trying to take over the world,” Fleischer said gesturing first to Tom Hardy, then to Riz Ahmed.

Riz described his character as someone trying to do the right thing, adding: “but as they say, to make an omelette you got to break some eggs.”

But Drake becomes more villainous when he is eventually bonded to another symbiote known as Riot.

Venom is in UK and US cinemas on October 5, 2018.