Venom: Let There Be Carnage is PG-13, and while it certainly pushes the boundaries of that rating, the sequel isn't exactly the gore-fest some comic book fans were hoping for. One key scene sees Cletus Kasady use his symbiote to murder a prison guard...by sticking his tongue down the guy's throat!
It's a brutal moment, but one that actually ended up being toned down for the finished product according to VFX Supervisor Sheena Duggal.
"We had to tone that back a bit," she tells Variety. "He does it with a tentacle [in the comics], but I thought it would be fun to have him use his tongue to add that extra gruesome element." Interestingly, the trade notes that the sequel was ultimately "toned down considerably" for the big screen; here's hoping theories about an R-Rated extended cut of the movie prove to be correct, eh?
In the same interview, Duggal explained her approach to portraying the tentacles Carnage uses, revealing a surprising source of inspiration. "The way a scorpion moves its tail behind its head and moves it forward in this threatening way, I thought, ‘Let’s do that with Carnage.’"
The VFX head also confirmed one key difference between Venom and Carnage that could be key in the latter returning to the franchise somewhere down the line. "He’s just a host inside him," Duggan revealed. "Carnage is birthed inside of Cletus, and they share the same DNA."
Something tells us we haven't seen the last of Carnage, and it's definitely interesting to get these insights into how he was brought to life on the big screen. The full interview is well worth checking out, but make sure you come back here tomorrow as we're finally able to share out chat with director Andy Serkis.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is now playing in theaters.