Spider-Man 3's Original Venom Designs Are Disgusting
Given how divided audiences have been over the years, Venom can jump between being the best and worst of Spider-Man's live-action villains. Even so, there's no doubt that the alien symbiote is a character that has the potential to creep audiences out if handled a certain way. The idea of a parasitic organism taking over a person should've been a playground for "Evil Dead" director Sam Raimi, who made a career out of demonic possessions. However, Topher Grace's Eddie Brock wasn't well received in 2007's "Spider-Man 3." The damage done even led to the cancellation of "Spider-Man 4," killing Raimi's chance with a huge villain, The Lizard. Perhaps if the scarier concept designs from the joint effort of Constantine Sekeris and Ej Krisor had made the final cut instead of the version fans got in 2007, things might've been a little different.
Early Venom designs for Spider-Man 3. Designs done by Constantine Sekeris and Ej Krisor. pic.twitter.com/P1A44DGDSN
— Orwellantidote (@Dolosgallo) April 29, 2024
The haunting alternate designs of Eddie Brock's alien alter-ego were unleashed online thanks to @Dolosgallo on X (formerly Twitter). This concept looks to be a far more feral and intense version of the Venom character. For one, instead of the all-black version that Tobey Maguire and Grace wore, early ideas show Venom with the classic purple hue used in the Ultimate Comics iteration. There are also some extra details in the face that share a similar resemblance to another iconic movie monster — the xenomorph from "Alien."
The alternate Venom looked scarier than the final version in Spider-Man 3
With an almost angular head and eyes that were more pointed than the toothy terror Peter Parker takes on in "Spider-Man 3," it does feel like this version of Venom would be just as threatening and equally at home if face-to-face with Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from the "Alien" franchise. With full body shots of this Venom displaying protrusions from his shoulders and waist and the iconic Venom symbol almost bursting from his chest, this version of the symbiote might have been a foe worth fearing.
It's not the first time that the Raimi trilogy played with more otherworldly entities when it came to Spidey's adversaries, as wild ideas were initially applied to the Green Goblin, played by Willem Dafoe in 2002. While we had Osborn behind an armored helm in the trilogy, initially, there was an effort to make Gobby far more monstrous via animatronics. However, the whole process proved too much to manage, and instead, the appearance was altered to a more armored and mechanical suit. It would've certainly made a massive change for the franchise had either of these designs been used in the film and could've made Spidey's stressful day-saving all the more frightening to see.