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Following this week’s
Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer, Sony announces that
Neighbors and
Baywatch star Zac Efron has been cast for the lead role of Eddie Brock in the
Venom spinoff movie.
Venom had languished in production hell for several years, following the collapse of the studio’s planned
Spider-Man shared universe (which was set to include the
Venomproject,
Amazing Spider-Man sequels, and a
Sinister Six team-up movie). Originally,
Transformers and
Star Trekwriter Alex Kurtzman was attached to helm
Venom, with Drew Goddard (now executive producing the Marvel Netflix series) in charge of
Sinister Six.
Nevertheless, after the panning of
Amazing Spider-Man 2, which received harsh criticism for trying to setup franchise
sequels rather than service the
current film story, Sony’s spinoff plans became less clear. Reports suggested the studio might relaunch
Venom as a standalone property, separate from the MCU continuity their new Spider-Man (Tom Holland) would share – but producers remained reluctant to clarify the speculation, likely because they were waiting to see how their third
Spider-Man iteration in less than a decade would be received by fans.
With
Civil War behind them and strong buzz for Sony’s
Spider-Man: Homecoming, not to mention the mega team-up
Infinity War already filming, Sony is showing renewed confidence in the idea of
Venom, setting
a fall 2018 release date for the movie – with
Jumanji reboot writers Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner penning the script. Coupled with movement on the script and release window, the casting of Efron makes it increasingly likely that 2018 date is a real release target, not just a symbolic placeholder.
News of Efron’s involvement broke via a tweet from the actors account, which you can see below:
The tweet has since been deleted, likely because Sony has yet to make an
official announcement. Of course, Efron isn’t the first actor to reveal or confirm casting that a studio was hoping to unveil on their own schedule – via more traditional means. After all, Efron’s future co-star, Tom Holland hinted at his own
Spider-Man franchise casting days before Sony officially revealed him as their new Peter Parker.
Efron’s attachment to
Venom is sure to worry some comic book movie fans – that is to say: those who still associate the actor with his
High School Musical persona. However, in the years since, Efron has grown and evolved as a performer, especially in the comedy genre. The actor’s work in
Neighbors, opposite Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, won-over a lot of his detractors, and the actor carried that good will forward through the past several years and projects (including the upcoming
Baywatch reboot alongside Dwaye Johnson).
Still, considering that
Venom is reported to be an R-Rated sci-fi/horror movie, Efron will need to show a drastically different side of his repertoire. The actor has stretched out into traditional dramatic work, most notably in
Charlie St. Cloud and the upcoming P.T. Barnum biopic
The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman; yet, portraying tortured anti-hero Eddie Brock will necessitate that Efron explore places no prior role will have taken him (insert standard Heath Ledger in
The Dark Knight comparisons). In spite of the whiney, one-note version of Brock (played by Topher Grace) that was shoe-horned into Sam Raimi’s
Spider-Man 3, modern comic book readers could point to countless Venom storylines that portray the rogue as a layered antagonist (sometimes hero) with a unique sense of morality.
After all, Venom’s story is a relatable one – packed with symbolism – and a mirrored juxtaposition to Spider-Man’s mantra: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Specifically, what if the aforementioned power was actually an alien life form capable of enhancing and influencing its host – and what if that host isn’t the most honorable guy on the block? Casual filmgoers might assume Venom is a flat villain but, merged with Eddie Brock, the character provides an intriguing opportunity to reflect of human nature. That is to say: we all give in to the monster inside of us from time to time.
At the very least, fans can rest assure that the muscly Eddie Brock will be portrayed by an actor who has already conquered the superhero shred diet. Efron might be a foot shorter than comic book Brock but the actor’s
Baywatch body is reminiscent of the source material’s broad-shouldered physique – and however much Efron falls short in real life height, the Venom symbiote can easily make up the difference.
Now that fans know
who will play Venom, attention turns to
whichstorylines the writers might adapt as well as whether or not
Venom will ever be
folded into the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Right now, Sony is suggesting that
Venom will be entirely separate but in a world where Zac Efron is playing Eddie Brock, anything seems possible.
