The trailer for Venom makes the film look pretty mean and moody, but it looks like it might end up being a bit softer than some fans are hoping for. According to Variety, Sony Pictures is pushing for the Tom Hardy movie to get a PG-13 rating.
The film has always been part of a bigger plan to set up future Spider-Man spin-off movies (which would presumably actually feature Spider-Man at some point), and the studio obviously wants Venom to do its part without alienating younger audiences.
One look at the trailer – which features a scene in which the symbiote-joined antihero bites off a man’s head – suggests the studio might even be looking at cuts to squeeze past the censors, although the threshold for a PG-13 (and a 12A in the UK) does seem to be stretching every summer.
Regardless, Venom, which is directed by Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer, has quite a task ahead when it comes to winning over MCU fans, especially if it now can’t even sell itself as a unapologetic trend-bucking comic book movie brandishing ultraviolence, swear words, nudity, and everything that the character is known for in the comics. Deadpool and Logan worked for Fox because they were able to position themselves as the grown-up version of the MCU – will Venom have enough bite left to take on Disney?