my wishlist for "Venom"

I usually don't care too much about spinoffs, especially in a genre diluted as 'superhero'. So I'm going to be honest that the only reason I'm invested in this movie is for one reason: Tom Hardy. 

Here's my wishlist for the "Venom" movie that recently started filming (I'll limit my Tom Hardy usage as much as I can):

acting

Until recently, superhero movies have been less than Oscar-worthy. But with a cast like Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed, there should be no excuse for lousy acting. 

drama with a pinch of comedy

I imagine this film is going to be more "Dark Knight" than "Thor: Ragnarok", but there's no harm in adding a bit of humor.

not another superhero movie

I don't think this movie should add to the noise, it should change the tune. "Wonder Woman" and "Thor: Ragnarok" somehow managed to change everybody's mind on the tired genre, so it's not a lot to ask for.  I'd hate for such a promising film to get thrown in the "we didn't need that" category. 

fitting in Spiderman

Because this film isn't a part of the Marvel cinematic universe, audiences aren't sure about if and/or how Spiderman will fit into this movie's universe. Half of me hopes this cast joins the MCU because all I want is just one scene with Jeff Goldblum and Tom Hardy, if possible. The other half of me is dreading the idea of adding more characters to the already crowded headache that is the Avengers.  

the hero in the villain

I'm not a huge comic book person, but I do know movies. The most interesting thing about movie villains is the idea that they see themselves as the hero. In a very Walter White kind of way, I hope this movie makes us like Venom and sometimes even root for him. The best example that I can give is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. My ultimate wish on my grand wishlist would be an origin story for this character, but that's a another blogpost for another time. I can imagine that at one time in his life, the Joker was a good guy who underwent trauma harsh enough to turn him into one of the most terrifying & interesting villains of our time. I want this to happen for Venom. I want a switch to flip, but I still want to empathize with the guy. 

Overall, no matter how many wishes end up unfufilled, I'm still going to watch this movie and have a great time doing so. 

You know why? 

You guessed it: Tom Hardy