10 Actors Who Could Play Carnage In The Venom Film

Fresh from the news that Tom Hardy has been cast as Venom, the tongues will soon start wagging as the speculation mounts that Carnage is set to be the main antagonist of the film. Quite frankly, it would be incredibly stupid if he wasn't. Considering how both characters' histories are so closely tied together, it can only be a matter of time before we see Cletus Kasady's symbiote menacing it up on the cinema screen with his big daddy. So, the big question is, who could portray the serial killer with a serious bloodlust? Undoubtedly, the actor chosen will need to be able to show off the craziness, violence, and downright psychopathic nature that we've come to expect from Carnage. This supervillain has no sense of morality, so we'll need someone with major acting chops to convey this chilling message in a live-action adaptation. There's a host of talented actors who could easily take this role and make it their own. So, in an effort to make things easier, we've gone and narrowed down the list to 10 real possible contenders (no Jim Carrey here, folks). As always, we welcome your feedback - whether it's positive or negative - about our choices, so don't forget to leave a comment down below with your thoughts. Well, let's get to it then. The "carnage" starts on the next page. Iwan Rheon After the hatred we felt for Joffrey Baratheon and his despicable ways in Game of Thrones, it appeared as if no other character could rile up our anger quite like the inbred king. That is, until we met the Highness of Hate himself, Ramsey Bolton. Easily one of the most hated and vile characters in television history, Ramsey committed every possible sin and then some. He was the biggest P.O.S. who had us screaming at our TV screens, week in and week out, and then had us cheering when he finally got fed to his own dogs. Say what you will about Ramsey's depravity, but credit must go to Iwan Rheon for his remarkable ability in making us despise him. He has shown his ability to portray the maddest of villains, and they don't come much madder than Carnage in the comic book world. It's like he was born to play Cletus Kasady. That being said, we do think that Rheon's current role alongside Carrot Top, er, Medusa in Inhumans might dent the chances of this one happening. Joe Gilgun If we're going purely on appearance, Joe Gilgun has the face for Cletus Kasady. It's still a rotten shame that he didn't get a look-in for the Joker, because if you threw some white face paint and lipstick on him, he'd look just like the Clown Prince of Crime, too. Gilgun has had the opportunity to do some fun things with Cassidy on Preacher in season 1, but he still hasn't quite let loose as much as he can. Unfortunately, there's still the inhibition of network TV that's preventing him from going full-on psycho - even though the show has pushed many boundaries. An R-rated Venom film is the perfect vehicle for him and Tom Hardy to go head to head and bring out all the chaos, insanity, and action they want. Can you imagine these two trading insults and sparring in a summer blockbuster? Sign us up for this right now. Sam Rockwell Whether you need a sex addict or a nutjob in your film, nobody has the guile of Sam Rockwell. As one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, you know that Sam's the man who'll rise to any occasion, including a film like Venom. He's had experience in the MCU, playing Justin Hammer in 2010's Iron Man 2, so the time's right for him to make his comeback to comic book movies now. A deranged character like Carnage could be right up his alley and would be a role for him to really sink his teeth into. Tom Hardy's a bonafide star, so he'll need someone to match his talents and presence in the Sony production. Having proven himself countless times next to acting heavyweights such as Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr., Rockwell won't let anyone down. In fact, he might just outshine Tom and steal the whole effing show. Mahershala Ali Let's not kid ourselves. The true star of Luke Cage was not Mike Colter, but Mahershala Ali's Cottonmouth. He was such a layered and dynamic character that frightened and unnerved us with his unpredictability. But ultimately, he was superb as the villain of the series. Since Luke Cage and his Oscar Award-winning performance in Moonlight, Ali is a hot property in Hollywood. His acting range is phenomenal, and the possibility of him portraying Carnage could be a mouthwatering prospect for everyone involved. His time as Cottonmouth may have come to an end, but he could still play an even deadlier Marvel villain. If Sony is serious about getting the best actors for this project, they need to bring Ali on board - and fast. Steven Ogg He might be Negan's bitch in The Walking Dead, but you can see that Steven Ogg's Simon is biding his time to take over the Saviors. Heck, we wouldn't be surprised if he's the one to stick good ol' Lucille into Negan's fat head when the time arrives. Ogg isn't quite a household name yet, with his biggest role being Trevor Philips in Grand Theft Auto V, but that doesn't mean he should be ignored, either. He's a talented actor who conveys a lot of emotion with his eyes, and this is something that'll need to be considered for Carnage's human and symbiote form. Also, it helps that he has a wicked sense of humor that'll complement the character. Out of the bunch, he's undoubtedly the dark horse here. But if Sony's willing to give him a shot, we're a hundred percent certain that he'll deliver the goods when called upon. Jackie Earle Haley Ding, ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! If you're searching for a badass actor who strikes the fear of God into everyone when he's on screen, look no further than Jackie Earle Haley. While it's easy to reference his outstanding performance as the unhinged Rorschach in Zack Snyder's Watchmen, we'd prefer to consider his appearance as Freddy Krueger in 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. Sure, the film was a pile of sticky doggy doo on wet grass, but Haley's Freddy forced us to change our pants more than a few times. Never had we seen such a harrowing portrayal of Freddy (sorry, Robert Englund) until this film's release. Now, imagine Haley as Kasady, murdering and terrorizing the citizens of New York City and having a fat chuckle about it. Can you see it? Of course you can, because he's got that crazy look in his eyes and the murderous twitch in his fingertips. Jake Gyllenhaal In terms of comic book movies, Jake Gyllenhaal hasn't had a lot of luck, as he has narrowly missed out on roles as both Batman and Spider-Man in the past. At just 36 years of age, though, he's still young enough to remedy this and star in a few superhero blockbusters. If we're going on current star power alone, Gyllenhaal's name next to Tom Hardy's on the Venom poster will certainly put a few extra butts in the seats. However, it's his unsettling turn in Nightcrawler that should get you excited if he ever tackled the task of playing Carnage. The menace in his eyes and sheer lunacy of his actions lingered long after the film ended, staying and disturbing us even till today. It's an unshakable piece of art, and so was his character, Lou Bloom. Look, as much as Gyllenhaal wants to be a superhero, maybe a supervillain is where his true calling lies. We don't know about you, but we'd be down with seeing him portray Cletus Kasady in Venom. Edward Norton After the failure of 2008's The Incredible Hulk, it might prove difficult to convince Edward Norton to return to the comic book world. However, if he does decide to come back, maybe he'd be better suited portraying a psychopathic killer known as Carnage this time around. We don't even need to list Norton's credentials here, because his catalog of work speaks for itself. He's an actor who could walk onto any movie set and instantly make the film better. This is why there's no question that he'd kill it as Kasady, and really tap into the character's sick and vile demeanor without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately though, as much as we'd love to see Norton as the red and black symbiote, the chances of it happening are next to nothing. He's become a lot pickier of his movies in recent times, and comic book properties may just be beneath him now. Still, we can always hope. Kiefer Sutherland Even though his star has diminished over the years, Kiefer Sutherland still knows how to nail the crazy man role. Apart from his glorious acting chops, he just has that look. You know, the one that says he'll cut you up into a million pieces and smile while doing it. Additionally, Sutherland possesses a voice that naturally scares everyone in the room. He doesn't need any voice distortion or special effects to enhance it, because he's horrifying on his own. Don't believe us? Watch Phone Booth again and listen to him speak. If you can last the whole movie without getting one chill, give yourself a cookie. Sutherland as Carnage won't be everyone's first, second, or even third choice, but it would be a good one. After all, we've already seen him play similar characters over the decades, so why not let him do it one more time? Matthew Goode Another Watchmen alumni. While he's not renowned for being (or even looking) remotely sinister, Matthew Goode's a helluva good actor. He's done a bit of everything here and there, so the chance to delve into a spine-chilling serial killer might be too good an opportunity for him to pass up. Goode could bring a different approach to Kasady, perhaps inspired more by the likes of real-life serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy. He wouldn't need to be over the top or specifically snarky in his delivery; he just needs to bring a quiet coldness to the character's manner. Maybe Tom Hardy won't be the only one to cross the DC to Marvel divide so soon, and Goode could follow him as well. One thing's for sure, though: Venom would be better with him in it. That does it for our list, but tell us, who would you like to see play Carnage? Take to the comments section down below and give us your thoughts!