Venom Director Reveals Surprising Comedy Inspiration For Hit 2018 FIlm

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Despite coming out seven years ago, the movie Venom has had a mixed reaction from comic book fans. It aimed to redeem the character after the portrayal in Spider-Man 3 over ten years prior. Tom Hardy’s version focused on Venom’s heroic qualities, presenting him as the “Lethal Protector.” Though an improvement over Topher Grace’s earlier take, this version of Eddie Brock and Venom still differs significantly from how the character is depicted in the comics.

Following the cancellation of the Sony Spider-Man Universe, including the recent film Kraven the Hunter, Venom director Ruben Fleischer has revealed the unexpected inspiration behind the movie that launched the franchise. He explained that a comedy from the 1980s played a key role in shaping Venom‘s surprisingly funny and less frightening portrayal of the iconic villain, turning him into a humorous antihero.

Steve Martin’s All of Me Was a Surprising Inspiration for Venom

Director Ruben Fleischer has revealed that the movie Venom surprisingly took inspiration from the 1984 comedy All of Me. Fleischer wanted Venom to be less serious than many modern superhero films, recognizing the inherently ridiculous nature of a man sharing his body with an alien parasite. While the film includes some frightening moments, it largely embraces the absurdity of this premise, especially through the constant arguing between Eddie Brock (played by Tom Hardy) and the voice inside his head, the symbiote Venom (also voiced by Hardy). Fleischer believes this comedic dynamic was key to the film’s success and the creation of a larger franchise, and he credits All of Me, starring Steve Martin, as a major influence on the movie’s humor.

People really enjoy ‘Venom’ because it doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a lot of humor. The idea of an alien living inside someone is pretty outlandish, and I wanted to embrace that. I drew inspiration from movies like ‘All of Me’ with Steve Martin and ‘An American Werewolf in London,’ both of which balance horror with comedy. While ‘Venom’ is definitely one of the darker superhero stories visually and in terms of the character’s personality, it’s also very funny. Tom Hardy did a fantastic job bringing that humor to life, and I think his charisma, along with the appeal of the Venom character itself, is a major reason why the movie has resonated with audiences.

While not a direct inspiration, the similarities between the 1984 film All of Me and Venom are noticeable. All of Me centers around Roger Cobb, played by Steve Martin, whose life is turned upside down when he merges with the soul of his client, a wealthy widow named Edwina (Lily Tomlin). They’re forced to share one body – Roger controls the left side, and Edwina the right – leading to comedic chaos as they try to function normally. Venom takes a similar approach, featuring an alien symbiote battling for control of a human host. However, in Venom, Eddie Brock is largely along for the ride, often powerless as Venom takes over during his crime-fighting adventures.

Fleischer mentioned that the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London influenced Venom, particularly its graphic and disturbing body horror sequences. This combination of horror and humor proved successful for the 2018 film, helping it distinguish itself within the crowded superhero movie market. The film was a major hit, earning over $850 million in theaters and becoming Sony’s most successful Spider-Man Universe movie to date.

Venom’s Comedy Completely Redefined the Character

The movie Venom significantly changed how people see the character. In the original comics, Venom was presented as a truly frightening villain, born from the desperation of a struggling journalist, Eddie Brock, and the vengeful alien symbiote that bonded with him. Together, they became one of Spider-Man’s most terrifying foes—so much so that the character Mary Jane Watson was deeply traumatized by Venom’s appearance. While later comic book versions of Venom sometimes lessened the horror, he remained a scary figure until the 2018 film. The movie Venom reimagined the character, portraying Eddie Brock and the symbiote as a funny, constantly arguing duo, similar to Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin in the film All of Me. This humor works well, but it doesn’t quite capture the darker, more menacing nature of the original comic book character.

Following the first film’s success, the Venom sequels leaned heavily into the humorous dynamic between Eddie Brock and Venom. Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Venom: The Last Dance play up their unlikely partnership so much that they feel more like romantic comedies than traditional superhero movies. The question of whether Eddie and Venom will stay together drives the entire trilogy, ultimately leading to Venom’s emotional death in The Last Dance. While this version of Venom works within its own story, it might not satisfy fans who have followed the character for years. For newcomers, Venom might be remembered more as a funny antihero than a truly terrifying villain.

What’s Next for Venom?

There’s still hope for fans to see a more comic-book-accurate version of Venom on screen. The brief appearance of Venom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe during Spider-Man: No Way Home left a piece of the symbiote behind, hinting at future developments. The next movie will likely explore this, potentially introducing the MCU’s own version of Venom, which could be closer to the character’s powerful and frightening depiction in the comics. While many expect the story to continue with Eddie Brock, some believe the MCU might instead have the symbiote bond with Mac Gargan, also known as the Scorpion. This would align with a storyline where Gargan becomes Venom after Eddie Brock is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Considering Tom Hardy recently played Venom, using the Gargan version could be a logical choice for the MCU.

There’s still a possibility fans will get to see Tom Hardy reprise his role as Venom. Hardy has often expressed his eagerness to continue the character’s story. Although a brief tease after the credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage sent Venom and Eddie Brock into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that storyline never materialized. However, the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars movies could finally bring Venom and Spider-Man together as the multiverse falls apart. This could lead to a long-awaited showdown between the two rivals on Battleworld, concluding the Multiverse Saga and giving fans what they’ve wanted since the first Venom movie in 2018.

Even though The Last Dance has concluded, there’s still room for the Venom character to evolve. Hopefully, future versions of the Lethal Protector will be more faithful to the original comics, moving away from the comedic approach of the recent Venom movies and embracing the character’s traditionally darker and more serious nature.

Venom is streaming on Disney+.

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2025-11-13 07:42