Though the first big-screen Venom adventure movie was a breakout commercial success, many felt the film was a little tonally confused. After all, Venom is supposed to blur the line between villain and antihero, disposing of his foes through brutal and occasionally gruesome means. And yet, the first film barely contained a speck of blood, which some felt marked a missed opportunity. Was Venom ultimately hampered by its tame, studio-imposed limitations?
Sadly, a PG-13 is the small price to pay for standing adjacent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At least, that's how Sony came to see it. According to a report from Variety's Justin Kroll, Sony felt that slapping Venom with the R as initially planned would do more harm than good, seeing as the opportunities for MCU crossovers hung in the balance. One could not simply have Tom Holland's wisecracking Spidey facing off with a dismemberment machine.
Yet in the wake of Sony's reaccumulation of Spider-Man rights, it's possible that an R-Rated future is back on the table. That's not to say Venom 2 will be affected, but now that Disney is no longer in play, Sony is free to take their own Marvel properties into much darker territory. And given that their upcoming lineup is absolutely centered around villains like Morbius and Kraven The Hunter, perhaps there's hope for Eddie Brock yet.
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