Carnage is one of the most powerful and destructive villains in Marvel Comics history. For that reason, many fans were excited to see him hit the silver screen in Sony’s recent film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
While the movie wasn’t considered a masterpiece, it's an enjoyable watch that gave Carnage an opportunity to make his much-anticipated big-screen debut. In the wake of the movie’s release. fans took to Reddit to share some of their unpopular opinions about the iconic character in both the movie and in the pages of Marvel Comics.
Carnage Isn’t A Well Developed Character
In recent years, comic book movies have been able to push less one-dimensional villains and tell more thoughtful stories. This exposure to complicated villains has some fans hesitant to embrace a character like Carnage. Reddit Fiti99 wrote, “Carnage sucks, and people only like him because he has a cool design.”
It may be true that Carnage isn’t the most complex character, but that isn’t who he was created to be. Carnage’s cool design and presence as a destructive force of nature may be simple on the surface, but he thoroughly excels at it, which explains why the character has resonated with fans in a big way.
Carnage Isn’t That Different Than Venom
As Venom’s offspring, Carnage’s relationship with Marvel’s most famous alien symbiote is an integral part of his character. Some fans feel that Carnage doesn’t do enough to separate himself from Venom and create his own identity. As carpetsunami says, “Carnage was awesome [at first], but then he was everywhere and just as ‘more evil Venom’, not really a thing of his own."
While the symbiotes often share similar power sets and abilities, Carnage and Venom (and the hosts they occupy) each have distinct personalities. Carnage has been an important foil to Venom over the years, and most readers would agree that many Spider-Man stories just wouldn’t have been the same without Carnage.
Carnage Doesn’t Earn His Name In The Movie
When it comes to causing pure destruction, the first supervillain that comes to mind is Carnage. But in the movie, “Carnage isn't given a chance to really earn his name,” according to Redditor AGeekNamedBob, “He needed a scene where he wrecks a public place to be a menace that needs to be taken care of right this minute.”
Leaving nothing but devastation in his wake is practically Carnage’s calling card, so it makes sense to fully display his skills on the big screen. While he did surprisingly spare his fellow inmates, Carnage still murdered many innocent people and caused much destruction that would warrant attention.
Woody Harrelson Wasn’t The Best Choice To Play Carnage
Prior to the film’s release, the choice to cast Woody Harrelson as Carnage had already suffered quite a bit of skepticism due to his odd-looking wig. Reddit cityfireguy says, “I didn't enjoy Venom and I think Woody Harrelson is a bad choice for Carnage. So I'm not expecting to enjoy it.”
That being said, Woody Harrelson’s performance as the iconic symbiote host and serial killer Cletus Kasady proved to be a surprising silver lining in the film. Another TheBlackSwarm adds, “Woody Harrelson was great as Cletus IMO.” Fortunately, Harrelson’s performance ended up doing this classic comic character justice.
Carnage Is Misused In Video Games
Given his enormous popularity, it should come as no surprise that Carnage has transcended both film and the written page and made it big in the world of video games. Reddit Joesph_Kerr seems to believe that he could have done a better job making that transition, saying, “Unpopular Opinion: Fortnite Carnage doesn't look as good as he should.”
Perhaps Carnage would fare better in a game that emphasizes his brutality. As fellow Redditor BaclavaBoyEnlou suggests, “Carnage would be a perfect guest character for Mortal Kombat 11.” While Carnage would be great as a playable character, it’s hard to ignore his unforgettable appearances as a boss in more than a dozen Spider-Man video games.
Carnage Should Have Fought Spider-Man In The Movie
Seeing as the symbiotes are a vital element to many classic Spider-Man stories, some fans were hoping the web-slinger would make a substantial appearance in Carnage’s film debut. Reddit hochoa94 says, “[I] feel like if they waited one more film for him and Carnage was in the MCU fighting Venom and Spidey it would’ve been more memorable.”
While it would have been fun to see Spider-Man take on Carnage and reference their endless conflict in the comics, the decision to exclude Peter Parker was for the best. Spider-Man’s inclusion in the film would have forced the film to assume a lighter tone and cram even more exposition into its relatively short runtime.
Maximum Carnage Isn’t A Great Story Arc
Throughout Carnage’s long history in Marvel Comics, few issues stand out for the villain as much as the epic "Maximum Carnage" storyline did when it unfolded in Spider-Man comics in 1993. Not all readers were left with a positive impression, however, as Reddit csummerss says “Maximum Carnage isn’t a great Spider-Man story.”
While it may not have been the most emotionally provocative story arc, Maximum Carnage proved Carnage was an enormous threat and played a huge role in expanding what is known about Marvel’s symbiotes. For that reason, it has held a special place in the hearts of many fans for decades now.
Venom Shouldn’t Be Able To Beat Carnage
Carnage is the primary antagonist in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and fans anxiously awaited the bout between the two titular characters during the movie's climax. However, some fans believed a battle between the characters that held true to their comics counterparts would be too one-sided. Reddit WebHead1287 claims, “There’s no version of Carnage the Venom can singlehandedly take down.”
While Spider-Man usually finds himself tangled in their mess when these two villains battle each other, this film finally gave the pair an opportunity to settle the score. That being said, the possibility still remains that there’s a better host out there for Carnage who would allow him to sur his rival in a potential rematch.
Carnage’s Film Debut Should Have Been Bloodier
Carnage is a notorious comic book supervillain with a brutal past, so some fans were hoping to see him fully unleash his murderous arsenal against Venom. Unfortunately, not all were pleased with the end result. Redditor The_Homie_J says, “I don't mind ‘fun’ superhero movies but Carnage and Venom deserve a movie with some gravitas and gore.”
Carnage has never been a character that’s expected to deliver serious dialogue or do any heavy lifting for dramatic scenes. While Carnage did cause his fair share of destruction in the film, perhaps he’d also be an interesting character in an adult animation series for those who want more gore.