Spider-Man 3 swung into theaters again yesterday, but it was way back in 2007 that we first saw Peter Parker encounter the alien costume.
The web-slinger soon embraced his darker side, though it was a relatively rushed subplot and one we've since learned was shoehorned into the threequel by producer Avi Arad (who expected to sell a lot of Venom toys).
In the movie, Tobey Maguire's web-slinger was decked out in a black version of his regular red and blue suit. Venom was a little more comic-accurate, though quite a bit smaller than the version on the page. In fact, the design continues to divide the opinions of fans.
However, something tells us what you'll see in the X post below would have really left fans fuming.
This rarely-seen concept art showcases very early designs by creature designs and artists Constantine Sekeris and Ej Krisor. A major departure from the comics, we're guessing these were dreamed up during Spider-Man 3's exploratory stage rather than designs which were seriously considered.
We're not sure why Sony veered this far from the comics for Venom, though there was a time when the plan was for the villain to be brought to life with practical effects. Impressive animatronics have been revealed over the years, and while Topher Grace did don a practical costume, Venom's unmistakable jaw was created with VFX.
Still, it's hard not to wonder what Spider-Man 3 would have looked like had Sam Raimi embraced one of these takes on a villain he was never only keen on including in the movie...
In 2022, Raimi reflected on what went wrong with Eddie Brock in Spider-Man 3, putting it down to him simply not being a fan of the Lethal Protector.
"It was really more just that I didn’t understand the character that well. It wasn’t close to my heart," he admitted. "The best thing I like about Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Spider-Man is that they made relatable characters that I understand. Even if they were confused, like Norman Osborn, they still have goodness in their heart. They want them to do the right thing."
"When I read about Venom, which I hadn’t read as a kid," the filmmaker continued, "I had to catch up on it when they wanted him to be in the movie. I didn’t recognize enough humanity within that character to be able to identify with him properly. That’s really what it boils down to."
How do you feel about these alternate Venom designs? As always, you can let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.