It has been confirmed that the villain in Tom Hardy’s Venom movie will be his insane red counterpart, none other than Carnage. With this news comes the question and excitement of who might play the role, and everyone is dying to know. For now we can only speculate, but speculate we shall, as I tell you who I think should play the symbiote psychopath.
1. Cameron Monaghan
2. Boyd Holbrook
You may recognize Boyd from the cinematic masterpiece that is Logan, and remember how sadistic of a villain he was. He has a skinny and unhinged look about him that would compliment Carnage perfectly, and even though he’s already played a Marvel villain, the two parts shouldn’t interfere. If given the chance, Holbrook could yet again stun audiences as a lead villain, and give a performance that could possibly rival that of Tom Hardy.
3. Michael C. Hall
While Hall hasn’t been on the forefront of action films as of late, people still remember just how good he was at playing a psychopath in Dexter, and undoubtedly want more. While he might be an older choice, he would actually match the maturity of Hardy, and could bring more composure to the character while outside the symbiote. I believe that he could perfectly show the conflict between the man and the symbiote, while also giving fans plenty of mania as the villain himself.
4. Joe Gilgun
Aside from Cameron Monaghan, Gilgun is without a doubt the best possible candidate for Carnage. Watch him in Preacher, and you see a crazed, blood thirsty killer that has no regard for anyone aside from himself, and that’s absolutely perfect for this role. If he could spend the time to shake his accent, then he would be unrivaled by anyone else for the character.
5. Pablo Schreiber
6. Caleb Landry Jones
7. Jake Gyllenhaal
Would any list concerning crazy people be complete without Jake Gyllenhaal? Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler, there are so many good examples of him playing insane characters, and this could be the pinnacle of his career as a lunatic. He is just as famous as Tom Hardy, and having the two at odds with each other in a movie would be a fanboy’s wet dream.
8. Bill Skarsgård
After his performance as Pennywise in the new IT movie, Bill Skarsgård is becoming somewhat of a hot commodity in Hollywood. People want to see more of him, and what role is better than that of the most insane character in Marvel comics? He has the perfect look, and has proved many times over that he can play crazier than crazy.
9. Walton Goggins
I mean, just look at the man. The smile, hair, the face, he was born to play characters that are off their rockers, and Carnage definitely falls under that category. Goggins has appeared in some pretty big films lately, and could give Hardy a foe to be reckoned with.
10. Aaron Paul
If you’ve seen Breaking Bad (as if anyone hasn’t), then you know that Aaron Paul has ridiculous range, and that could help him immensely if given the role of Carnage. He showed that he can play damaged and unhinged in the later seasons of the show, and is the right kind of star to put into a movie like this. He has the look, he has the skills, all that’s left is for him to get the role.
