One of the most infamoussuperherocinematic universes out there (of the dozens there currently are now) is theSony Spider-Man Universe. The franchise that began withVenomwas doomed from the very start (due to poor writing) and that can be seen in the initial reactions to almost all their movies. But this reputation doesn’t mean that every character in the universe is terrible.
In fact, there are some characters in the Sony Spider-Man Universe that could be considered good. Whether they’re a protagonist, antagonist or side character,these characters find a way to somehow make the struggle that most likely is the movie they’re in just a bit betterto sit through. They can be funny, compelling and/or generally interesting. At the end of the day, they only prove that the SSMU isn’t 100% bad.
10Ben Parker
Played by Adam Scott
When most people think of Peter Parker’s uncle, they think of the older man who was murdered due to the young man’s irresponsibility, changing him forever and turning him into the greatest superhero of all time. With2024’s most boring film,Madame Web, taking place in the early 2000s, fans of the Spider-Man mythos got to see who Ben Parker (Adam Scott) was before he became the man to inspire the Wall-Crawler.
From the start of the movie, the writers set up Ben as an EMT alongside Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson). Unlike the film’s protagonist, though, this career path actually fits the future uncle very well, as his primary character trait has always been responsibility and selflessness. While he may not be doing a lot inMadame Web,Ben Parker is one of the only genuinely likable characters in the film.
Madame Web
Cassandra Webb is a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead.
9Carlton Drake
Played by Riz Ahmed
While the ignition flame tothe revamped Sony Spider-Verse,Venom, didn’t get great reception when it initially released, it wasn’t an all-around horrible movie. One of the reasons for this is due to the villains of the film actually not being too bad. They’re a bit boring, but compelling nonetheless.Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) already has huge points for the performer helming his role, but also because he fills in the bare minimum traits needed to be a serviceable villain.
The two primary foes ofVenomare written to reflect the two protagonists of the story. The human enemy to Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), Carlton, is usedto mirror his drive for success and what could happen to him if he went the same lengths in his own career. In that sense, he accomplishes his job wonderfully.
A failed reporter is bonded to an alien entity, one of many symbiotes who have invaded Earth. But the being takes a liking to Earth and decides to protect it.
8Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Played by Michael Keaton
Vulture (Michael Keaton) is a bit of a given, since his entire status comes from his involvementoutside this universe’s reality, inSpider-Man: Homecoming. However, this is still the very same one and not a new one for the universe. While he has a very small cameo inMorbius,Adrian Toomes is still technically part of the universeand deserves his shot in the rankings.
Even though it served absolutely nothing to any plot line or film, Toomes' appearance was certainly a surprise. He also gave one of thefunniest lines in the entire franchise (unironically): “I don’t know how I got here … something to do with Spider-Man.“Especially due to the fact that Toomes had absolutely zero reason to believe that Spider-Man had anything to do with it.
The symbiote side of Riz Ahmed’s villainous Carlton Drake is the silver colored symbiote known as Riot (Riz Ahmed). This alien’s goal is quite simple: bring more symbiotes to Earth and take it over. A simple plan doesn’t mean it’s bad.It being straightforward is actually better for a film like this, making it easier to understand what the entire plot is.
This alien’s goal is quite simple: bring more symbiotes to Earth and take it over.
For the first film, Riot is a pretty serviceable villain.He suffers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe issue of being a bigger, badder version of the hero, but that doesn’t take too many points away from him as a character. Being easy to understand, being threatening and having a cool design are, sometimes, all an antagonist needs to have to work.
6Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven
Played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson
The most recent film added to the catalog isKraven the Hunter. It, of course, was not met with much praise. But, at the very least, it had an active and relatively compelling protagonist to follow. The titular character has a pretty good performance byAaron Taylor-Johnson.Being an active protagonist means he does a lot to push the plot forward, making him feel far better and more important.
Sergei’s care for animals also connects the audience to him, because who doesn’t love animals? It immediately makes him more interesting as a character. He’s certainly not perfect, but good enough to service the film and at least keep viewers' attention. The action he brings to the fold is pretty unique, as well, being more primal than the typical super. There was a lot of potential here, as he’s a totallybadass Spider-Man villainin other media.
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
5Cletus Kasady
Played by Woody Harrelson
While some were disappointed bythe newborn Carnage symbioteand how he was portrayed compared to the past iterations of the character in the media,Woody Harrelsonactually did a wonderful job bringing the human inside the symbiote to life: Cletus Kasady. In the source material, the serial killer is deranged and takes pride in his crimes. The actor does this very well, especially in his scene with Tom Hardy at the top of the film.
It’s truly a shame that Harrelson was wasted on a movie likeVenom: Let There Be Carnage. However,with what he was given, Harrelson really put in the work and had a ton of fun playing this role.This made him and his performance the absolute highlight of the film and made sitting through it a lot more bearable.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
4Anne Weying
Played by Michelle Williams
It was certainly a sting to the protagonist of theVenomfranchise when the love of his life, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), broke things off with him. But, their bond continued to develop as friends throughout the franchise andAnne really came through for Eddie on multiple occasions. She even wore the Venom (Tom Hardy) symbiote and became She-Venom to save the two of them.
Anne takes risks and isn’t any sort of “damsel in distress” stereotype typically found in superhero flicks.
Anne is a trusted friend who cares about them and would do anything for the two anti-heroes.This makes her not only an active part of the franchise, helping move the plot forward. Anne takes risks and isn’t any sort of “damsel in distress” stereotype typically found in superhero flicks. There’s a reason they kept bringing her back after the first film, when she could have easily been written out.
3Eddie Brock
Played by Tom Hardy
If one thing is true:Tom Hardy loves making theVenommovies, which means that he puts a lot of care into them.This makes for an enthusiastic acting display from Hardy which keeps audiences engaged and laughing at his cartoonish performance. Eddie Brock is a great mix of comedy and drama. His dynamic with Venom is great. It’s going to be tough foranother actor to pass him up as Eddie.
His character is flawed, which makes him more relatable than the likes of Kraven. This also allows for some unconventional hero work in the trilogy that can only be found in theVenommovies, as he is unlike most heroes in cinema at the moment. But what makes him likable is the fact that,even though he’s a bit rough-around-the-edges, Eddie has a true drive to help people.
The ying to Eddie Brock’s yang. This Klyntarian symbiote is another driving force of the franchise.Venom is the face of the series and one of the most recognizable comic book characters in history, even though he’s missing his iconic white chest spider. It’s made even better by the fact that he’s portrayed by Tom Hardy, meaning his dynamic with Eddie is hilarious, as it’s Hardy essentially talking to himself the entire movie.
Everyone loves a fish out of water; and a fish doesn’t get much farther out of the water than on another planet in space.Venom also brings a lot of comedy in another way by having a very different moral codethan Eddie Brock, not having much value for human life and being a hungry little monster. He’s easily thebest protagonist in the SSMU.
1Mrs. Chen
Played by Peggy Lu
The highlight of theVenomfilms is easily the beloved Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu). The owner of a small convenience store in the city is charming and abundantly lovable. She’s so legendary that she made appearances in every film, all the way to the finale,Venom: The Last Dance. She also represented this cinematic universe inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Versewhen Spot (Jason Schwartzman) was poking his way around the multiverse.
Peggy Lu does a phenomenal job making her the genuine fan-favorite character in the entire SSMU andhas some very rewatchable scenes.She’s such a great addition to the franchise and one can only hope, somehow, even with the SSMU (hopefully) dying off, Lu finds a way to make a comeback. If not, the time spent with her will be cherished for the rest of time.
Venom: The Last Dance
Eddie Brock, balancing life with the alien symbiote Venom, faces a complex struggle with a powerful new adversary threatening their existence and the world. As a turbulent alliance forms between man and symbiote, the duo embarks on a thrilling journey of survival, challenging their limits and ethical boundaries.
