When Sony announced their muddy plans for a Venom spin-off movie that is maybe connected, maybe not connected to the MCU, it didn’t make sense to me. It sounded like Sony was trying too hard to compete with the already dominating the scene, MCU and the kinda-floundering-but-still-more-badass-than-Sony, DCEU. Besides, if the Venom movie isn’t going to be connected to the MCU, which Spider-Man is in, then what’s even the point? There is no Venom without Spider-Man.
So, I was like, “Go home Sony! You’re drunk.” Sony’s lame attempt at a superhero universe wasn’t going to work out. It was a plan doomed to fail. Or so I thought.
A few hours ago, Sony announced that Tom “freaking” Hardy (actual full name), signed on to play Eddie Brock / Venom.
Looks like sh*t just got real. With Tom Hardy unexpectedly signing on to play the titular anti-hero, Sony just upgraded their Venom project from “nobody cares” to “all eyes on me.” But what’s the big deal about Tom Hardy, some might be wondering. Well, Tom Hardy is easily one of the best actors working today. He’s no Daniel Day-Lewis, nor is he Leonardo DiCaprio, but he would definitely make my top 10 or top 15. Just look at some of the projects he’s worked in: Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Warrior.
One interesting thing to note about Tom Hardy is that he doesn’t just appear in a bunch of projects every year. Jake Gyllenhaal, who is another one of my favourite actors, tends to do that. Not Tom Hardy. He chooses his projects carefully. Besides Child 44 and Legend, everything he’s acted in has ranged from good to great. And I’m not just talking about the bigger, more mainstream films either. Hardy’s best performance to date is in Steven Knight’s Locke. If you’ve not caught that movie, do so now. The entirety of the film takes place in a car and Hardy is SPECTACULAR.
Let’s take a look at Hardy’s upcoming films.
We have Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, which is sure to be one of the best movies of the year. We also have Fonzo, a biographical crime drama, directed by Josh Trank. Say what you want about the shitty Fantastic 4 film, but don’t ever forget that Trank also helmed Chronicle, a brilliant indie-esque superhero film.
The point I’m trying to make is this. Hardy, despite a couple of misfires always chooses his projects wisely and chooses to work with very specific directors. He didn’t agree to star in Venom – directed by Zombieland helmer, Ruben Fleischer – just because. Tom Hardy truly believes in this project. And we should too. OR, he got offered a crap load of money, but that’s a story for another day. Tom Hardy believes in this project. And we should too. Or he got offered a crapload of money, but that’s a story for another day.
