WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, now playing in theaters.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage allows fans to finally see how the titular antihero measures up against malicious offspring, as teased in the 2018 original film. Throughout the sequel, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) share multiple conversations in which they delve into each other's psyche. As a result, a twisted bond is formed both as individuals and between their symbiote counterparts. Because of the Carnage symbiote, Cletus survives the death penalty after breaking out of prison and killing nearly every guard. From there, Carnage and Cletus begin to set their plan in motion.
After his escape, Venom 2 sets up Carnage's grand plan as he travels through San Francisco, killing anyone he feels like and stealing anything he sees, including a red muscle car. As he terrorizes the city, he and Carnage grow even more powerful and deadly. But as their bloodlust grows, Venom and Eddie go through a huge argument and separate, leaving each other vulnerable. Not only is this bad for both parties, but it gives Carnage more than enough time to set up his pieces for the film's climactic battle.
Carnage's Version of Game of Thrones' Red Wedding
As Venom 2 shows, during his decades of killing and incarceration, Cletus only had one goal in mind: to be reunited with his one bright light, Frances Barrison, aka Shriek (Naomie Harris). Frances and Cletus grew up together in the same reformatory school, until she was taken to Ravencroft because her mutation gave her powerful sonic screams. Once the couple is finally reunited, they decide it's time to get married. But rather than a traditional audience, they choose to have the people they want revenge on join in on the festivities. Frances wants to kill the man who shot her in the eye, Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). However, Cletus and Carnage want to kill Eddie and Venom after the two aided in getting Cletus the death penalty.
After Eddie's ex, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), helps reunite him with Venom, she's kidnapped and held hostage by Carnage at an abandoned church. After being told he can eat every bad person in the building, Venom takes on Carnage in a violent fight. It quickly becomes evident that Carnage's abilities make him far more deadly than any symbiote Venom has encountered in the past. Not only can Carnage make razor-sharp tendrils, but he's also capable of creating axes and multiple arms. However, even though Venom can't physically overpower Carnage, he can exploit Carnage's weaknesses to sonics and fire. While this helps bide some time, Carnage overcomes the fire and destroys the bell, leaving Venom trapped.
Lethal Protectors Save the Day
While buried in the rubble, Carnage takes Anne to devour at the top of the church. As this happens, Venom begins to accept defeat. However, it takes Eddie for him to realize that Cletus and Carnage's bond is weaker than theirs. The realization helps lift Venom's spirits, and Eddie's confirmation that the two of them indeed are lethal protectors gives them the strength to lift the rubble and fight Carnage one last time. Venom takes a metal bar and climbs the church, stabbing Carnage in the head and freeing Anne.
As he saves her, Shriek plummets to her potential demise following a battle against Mulligan where she nearly kills him. But before hitting the ground, she lets out one scream that separates Carnage and Cletus. The villain and symbiote crash to the ground, and Venom devours his offspring before Cletus can bond again. Defeated, Cletus claims he only ever wanted to be Eddie's friend. Venom, sick of his speeches, devours Cletus' head. Venom 2's climactic battle ends with Eddie and Venom saying goodbye to Anne and her fiancé, Dan (Reid Scott), before going off the grid until their next adventure.
To see Venom and Eddie face off against Carnage and Cletus, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is in theaters now.