Superhero movies are everywhere. With the MCU, DC Universe, and X-Men franchise, there’s a ton of superheroic properties being released every few months. Sony is now trying to get back into the superhero game, developing a series of films with Spider-Man’s supporting characters. The first of these is Venom, which will bring Eddie Brock and his antihero alter ego to the silver screen for the first time since the less than stellar attempt in Spider-Man 3. Joining Tom Hardy’s title character is four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, playing his love interest Anne Weying. Williams isn’t exactly a superhero regular like Zoe Saldana, so why did she sign on? As she recently revealed:
I always like to do things I haven’t done before—genres, parts. I like a challenge. And one of those challenges has been stepping into a bigger world.
It looks like Michelle Williams is an actress who like to challenge herself. And what could be more challenging than a Venom movie without Spider-Man? The odds are stacked against Ruben Fleischer’s upcoming blockbuster, so only time will tell if Williams made the right call by joining the infant Spider-Verse.
Michelle Williams’ comments to Vanity Fair make a great deal of sense, as the actress has been in a ton of different projects throughout the years. This includes big budget CGI wonders like Oz the Great and Powerful, intimate dramas like Brokeback Mountain, horror flicks like H20, and comedies like I Feel Pretty. Williams has never been one to take predictable acting jobs, so playing Anne Weying in Venom is just another way to continue challenging herself.
From the looks of Venom’s first trailers, Michelle Williams will mostly be playing a love interest and supporting character in Venom. In addition to her relationship with Eddie Brock, she’s also an attorney representing shady Life Foundation, run by Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake. Anne Weying will likely be the connective tissue between Venom and the Foundation, and will hopefully be able to get into some action of her own by the film’s end. With a talent like Williams attached, it would be a waste to keep her on the sidelines.
If Venom ends up being a success, then Michelle Williams’ role in the still growing Sony Spider-Verse will likely grow as well. In the comics, Anne Weying ends up eventually bonding with the symbiote herself. After being shot, it temporarily bonded with her to save her life, thus transforming her into She-Venom. This made her far more aggressive and violent, totally flipping the character on its head. This seems like a great storyline to explore in a possible Venom sequel, and will incentivize William to return for another go at Anne.
Venom will hit theaters on October 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.