Tom Hardy & Andy Serkis Reveal R-Rating Was Considered For ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’

Here's why Venom 2 didn't go R...

Spider-Man Andy Serkis Venom Let There Be Carnage Tom Hardy Sony Kevin Feige

Tom Hardy and Andy Serkis both explained why Venom: Let There Be Carnage didn’t go R-rated.

Rated R comic book films are the norm these days, and some fans hoped the upcoming Venom sequel would take that route. However, Let There Be Carnage earned a PG-13 rating, like the first film, and Tom Hardy told ComicBook.com why that’s the case:

“100% we considered it. With all of these symbiotes, you know, you consider it. You read the comic books and it is extreme, but that’s not what we’re here to do. We came here to make a movie which, and correct me if I’m wrong, I mean, there’s a law and a rule into creating a movie that’s accessible to a lot of people, as well as that caters for everybody, including the hardcore fans. So I hope the hardcore fans at least take home that they look at Carnage and go, ‘Yeah, I recognize Carnage from the comic books. I’m happy with that.’ And yeah, no, we didn’t bite everybody’s head off, but we did stick a tongue down someone’s throat pretty… and managed to come in at a level of rating which is reputable so that grandma can come but also I’ll come watch it too.”

Director Andy Serkis also chimed in on the conversation of going the PG-13 route with Venom: Let There Be Carnage:

“Sometimes leaving things to the imagination is as powerful too. We pushed it as far as we could possibly go, but with some room to go in people’s heads. That character is pretty scary and the kind of the truth of where that character emanates from and Cletus Kasady is a character that is amplified through Carnage, does a lot of the work. So I think we certainly fulfill a lot of the essence of Carnage.”

Here is the synopsis for Sony’s first Venom film:

The evolution story of Marvel’s most enigmatic, complex and badass character – Venom! Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a broken man after he loses everything including his job and fiancée. Just when his life is at its lowest, he becomes host to an alien symbiote which results in extraordinary superpowers – transforming him into Venom. Will these powers be enough for this new lethal protector to defeat great evil forces, especially against the far stronger and more weaponized symbiote rival, Riot?

Directed by Ruben Fleischer from a script written by Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg and Kelly Marcel, Venom stars Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Ron Cephas Jones, and Woody Harrelson.

Venom is available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD, while Let There Be Carnage will hit theaters on October 1. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the future of the Venomverse, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: ComicBook.com

Ryden Scarnato

Ryden Scarnato

Ryden's affection for all things DC, Marvel, and Star Wars has led him to entertainment journalism at Heroic Hollywood as a News Editor.