Sony has released the first Venom trailer. Based off the Marvel Comics character, the film is directed by Zombieland and Gangster Squad filmmaker Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Hardy as the eponymous antihero. Details on the plot have been scarce, and we don’t know how the movie will exist inside its own universe. We’ve been told that it’s disconnected from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in the comics, Venom comes from Spider-Man.

For those who don’t know, in the comics, Spider-Man comes into contact with an alien symbiote. That symbiote gives him special powers like increased strength and unlimited web-fluid. However, it also causes increased aggression. When Spider-Man gets rid of the symbiote, it finds his rival Eddie Brock, latches onto him, and Brock becomes Venom, which is why Venom has Spider-Man’s powers and resembles a grotesque version of the webslinger.

All that being said, this movie could go in a completely different direction. It’s clear that Sony wants to find a way forward with all the characters from the Spider-Man universe even if they entered into a sharing agreement on the live-action Spider-Man with Marvel Studios. What that means for this Venom movie remains to be seen, but this teaser trailer offers only a mere taste of what's in store. Indeed, we don't even actually see the symbiote in action, which could be due to the fact that filming only just wrapped a few weeks ago. Still, it's a bit disappoint to see the first trailer for the long-awaited Venom movie unleashed—only to get no actual Venom.

It'll be interesting to see how the character is handled. Director Sam Raimi was famously forced to include the character in Spider-Man 3, portrayed by Topher Grace, and his lack of enthusiasm showed. A Venom movie could be pretty cool, but there are a lot of ways it could go wrong.

Check out the Venom trailer below and click here for new images. Scripted by Scott RosenbergJeff Pinkner and Kelly Marcel and Will Beal, the film opens October 5th and also stars Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, and Reid Scott.

Here’s the official synopsis for Venom:

One of Marvel's most enigmatic, complex and badass characters comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award® nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector Venom.

For more on Venom, click on the links below:

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Image via Sony Pictures