A new piece of viral marketing for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 teases another possible villain for Spider-Man to face in the future. A faux-article posted on the film’s Tumblr page under the banner of The Daily Bugle discusses the capture of the killer Cletus Kasady, who comics fans know as the man that becomes Carnage. To further the tease, the article is “written by” Eddie Brock, the man that becomes Venom.
The article discusses Kasady’s arrest, describing him as an escaped serial killer convicted of 12 murders. It also identifies him as a redhead, which is in keeping with the character’s depiction in the comics. The article drops another small Easter Egg as well, stating that Kasady was remanded to the Ravencroft Institute, which in Marvel comics lore is an institution for the criminally insane.
Perhaps more interesting is the author of the article and what it may signify. Sony has already confirmed that it is planning a Venom spin-off film, but this is the first we’ve heard of how the character may be portrayed.
In the comics, Eddie Brock was an employee of The Daily Bugle along with Peter Parker. Brock falsely identifies a serial killer that was then apprehended by Spider-Man. After being fired for accusing the wrong person, Brock began to blame Spider-Man for his situation. Once Spider-Man breaks free of the alien symbiote that becomes Venom, the suit finds Brock and the two join in order to destroy Spider-Man.
The comic book origin of the symbiote itself and how it introduces Carnage is a little more convoluted, starting with a trip to an alien world. Once back on Earth, the symbiote then spawns, creating a second symbiote that joins with Kasady.
It isn’t clear yet how the rebooted movies will introduce the symbiotes. The Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man films adapted the space origin, but the Ultimate comics – which the Marc Webb-directed reboot falls closer to – reimagined the symbiote as a science experiment conducted by Parker’s father that went horribly wrong.
This isn’t the first time the film’s Tumblr page has hinted at the larger Spider-Man world. One “news article” focused on Herman Schultz, aka The Shocker. A later article introduced the character Spencer Smythe, who comics fans will recognize as the inventor of the Spider-Slayer robots. It was later revealed that Smythe’s son Alistair will appear in the upcoming film, and will be portrayed by B.J. Novak.
