Of all the many inspirations that have been woven into the fabric of Venom – think John Carpenter and the body-horror elements made famous by David Cronenberg – you’d be forgiven for overlooking the ways in which Conor McGregor inspired Tom Hardy’s take on Eddie Brock and his raging alter-ego.
Speaking with RTE Entertainment, Hardy admitted that the UFC superstar quickly became a point of reference for Sony and director Ruben Fleischer during the midst of production, as they wanted to mold Eddie’s character in such a way that he’s willing to fight with anyone – after he’s been fused with the titular alien symbiote, of course.
Said Tom Hardy:
The studio wanted somebody who could fight, which they always do in these sort of hero movies. They want somebody who can have a scrap. Conor obviously wants to have a scrap with everybody, so that’s useful. There were more elements of Eddie Brock which needed to be pinned on somebody who’s incredibly handy physically. And, obviously, Conor is incredibly handy physically.
In related news, Hardy recently expressed his desire to see an R-rated cut of Venom, even if he’s able to see sense in Sony’s decision to settle for a PG-13 rating. The former Dark Knight Rises actor is also a little wary of Eddie Brock entering the MCU, as he believes there’s still plenty of material to explore with Sony’s own Marvel Universe before the Powers That Be begin drafting up plans for a blockbuster crossover.
Shackled with great expectations and the fate of an entire Spider-Man franchise, Venom slithers into theaters on October 5th – exactly 24 hours before Conor McGregor’s UFC clash with Russian powerhouse Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov.
