Warning:Â Contains SPOILERS for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
The highly anticipated Venom: Let There Be Carnage is packing a stellar cast to go alongside the promised mayhem contained in the sequel. Despite the first Venom installment receiving a mixed bag of reviews in 2018, the film was an undoubted commercial success, shattering box office expectations and grossing $856 million worldwide. The eye-watering box office numbers Venom produced ensured Sony executives required little convincing to push on with plans for a shared Venom universe, with Let There Be Carnage production getting underway just a year later in 2019.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage will continue to follow investigative journalist Eddie Brock as he struggles to adjust to his bizarre new life as the host of the alien symbiote named Venom. Venom 2 places a greater onus on Eddie's personal life, with Brock attempting to reignite his faltering career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady, who inevitably receives a symbiote of his own before carnage ensues.Â
The Venom sequel promises to go bigger in almost every way than its predecessor as it explores the continually complex parasite-host coexistence of Eddie Brock and Venom while setting up a formidable enemy in the deranged Carnage. Casting for Venom 2 has followed a similar vein, with Sony pulling no punches in its continued efforts to cross over into multiverse canon. Here's every new and returning character and who plays them in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Returning Venom: Let There Be Carnage Cast:
Eddie Brock/Venom - Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy will, of course, return as the down-on-his-luck investigative journalist who, for better or worse, is now physically married to the alien parasite Venom. Hardy's performance as the initially hapless Brock after being infected was one of the standout aspects of 2018's Venom, with multiple reviews citing his total commitment to the role. An actor of Hardy's chops adds gravitas to any franchise, with The Dark Knight Rises star earning similar praise once again from the initial Venom 2:Â Let There Be Carnage reviews. Viewers can expect further hilarity and bonding in equal measure between Brock and his symbiote, with the pair inevitably drawn into conflict with Venom's classic Marvel enemy: Carnage.
Anne Weying - Michelle Williams
District Attorney Anne Weying will return to pull on Eddie Brock's heartstrings once again, with Brock's efforts to recapture his former investigative journalist glories no doubt tied to gaining Weying's approval. Michelle Williams delighted Marvel fans with her brief transformation as She-Venom during the climax of the first film, with the Manchester by the Sea star hoping the positive response to the appearance would lead to a standalone She-Venom movie down the line. Weying will certainly play a large role once again in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, whether through another transformation with the symbiote or falling victim to serial killer Cletus Kasady.
New Venom: Let There Be Carnage Characters:
Cletus Kasady/Carnage - Woody Harrelson
Harrelson stars as the psychotic serial killer Cletus Kasady, who begins the Venom universe's 2nd movie incarcerated for his horrific crimes. His notoriety acts as a magnet for Eddie Brock, who believes squeezing an exclusive interview from this menacing character will put his journalism career back on track. It is no spoiler to state that, inexorably, Kasady bonds with a piece of symbiote, becoming the eponymous Carnage in the process. Harrelson was initially recruited by former Venom director Ruben Fleischer, who felt his performance as the infamous murderer Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers would translate seamlessly into the Venom universe. As with Harrelson and this role, Kasady and Carnage inevitably become a perfect match, with Cletus' sadistic personality only increasing the symbiote's predisposition towards violence.
Frances Barrison/Shriek - Naomie Harris
Frances Barrison enters the fray as Kasady's love interest, with Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis (The Batman's Alfred) describing her as "a damaged soul who has been living in isolation and has a dark side." This differs somewhat from Shriek's original appearances in the Marvel canon, where she is depicted as a dangerous and criminally insane villainess. What the two materials agree on, however, is the aptly named Shriek's ability to manipulate sound as both a destructive force and to induce emotions among friend and foe alike. Naomie Harris will bring another glowing resume to the Let There Be Carnage party, with the actor following blockbuster roles in Moonlight, Rampage, and Bond installment No Time To Die.
Mulligan -Â Stephen Graham
One of the seemingly more straightforward characters in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Mulligan is a detective who hopes to utilize Eddie Brock's relationship with the serial murderer Kasady. Through Brock's deft interviews with the killer, Mulligan hopes to finally uncover the remains of Kasady's victims and bring closure to their families. While Mulligan's arc seems simple, his portrayal by the talented Stephen Graham will be anything but. Graham cut his teeth on British classics such as Snatch and Danny Boyle's This Is England before more recently moving onto bigger blockbuster fare like Hellboy (2019) and the award-winning Rocketman. Expect a compelling portrayal of heart from Mulligan, then, who will surely add a human aspect to an otherwise relentless array of madness as the symbiotes run amok in Venom 2.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man - Tom Holland
Venom: Let There Be Carnage leaves it late, but those hoping for Venom to cross over into the multiverse will not be disappointed. Venom: Let There Be Carnage's post-credits scene reveals the MCU's Spider-Man does exist in Venom's world, setting up a potentially mouth-watering third Venom installment where Brock and Parker do battle. Holland's appearance also finally sets up an opportunity to port 0ne of the best aspects of Sony's Venom canon, Tom Hardy, into the vastly more successful MCU and pit him against some of the best characters from the franchise.
Venom Supporting Characters & Cast
Dan Lewis - Reid Scott: One of the few characters to survive the mayhem of the first Venom installment, Dr. Lewis will return as Anne Weying's fiance. Lewis has shown he is a character with a lot of heart after attempting to help Brock with his symbiote problem despite the two's obvious love rivalry.  Venom's Reid Scott has previously featured in comedy-drama Late Night alongside Emma Thomson and Kevin Jennings' Black and Blue.
Mrs. Chen - Peggy Lu:Â Peggy Lu's convenience store owner Mrs. Chen has become much more popular with the Venom faithful than the size of her role would suggest. The comic relief Lu provides for the breakneck-speed Venom hit upon a working formula, with new director Andy Serkis clearly noting this for Let There Be Carnage. Mrs. Chen, therefore, looks to have an increased role in the Venom sequel, featuring prominently in the Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer as Eddie Brock tries to convince his symbiote not to eat her.
