This weekend, fifteen years after the release of 2007's Spider-Man 3, Sam Raimi returns to the superhero genre with Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Though it has been re-evaluated over time, notably for Thomas Haden Church's mournful, moving performance as Sandman, audiences weren't especially kind to the trilogy capper. Many filmgoers felt this much-anticipated threequel was a stepdown for the Sony-produced franchise, with its portrayal of Eddie Brock, i.e. Venom, receiving the brunt of the film's criticisms. Indeed, even as someone who goes to bat for the movie, I have a hard time defending Topher Grace's uneven take on the popular villain/antihero. In the years following the movie's release, Raimi has voiced his dissatisfaction with Venom in general and the role he played in this sequel.

Even during Spider-Man 3's promotional run, Raimi expressed his general hesitance to include Venom in the sequel, noting that producer Avi Arad insisted that it was what the fans wanted. Being a good sport, Raimi did his best to include Eddie Brock in the 2007 film in a way that fit his style and vision. Alas, the end result didn't meet Raimi or the fans' expectations well, though 2018's Venom and its sequel, 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage, have generally been more successful (at least commercially) at appealing to the fanbase. Alas, Raimi wouldn't know it. Per his admission, Raimi hasn't gotten around to seeing the Tom Hardy-starring spin-off movies, and he claimed in an interview with Uproxx that he still doesn't "understand" what makes this gooey guy click:

"It was really more just that I didn't understand the character that well. It wasn't close to my heart. The best thing I like about Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Spider-Man is that they made relatable characters that I understand. Even if they were confused, like Norman Osborn, they still have goodness in their heart. They want them to do the right thing, or Peter Parker. Or even J. Jonah Jameson has goodness in his heart. When I read about Venom, which I hadn't read as a kid, I had to catch up on it when they wanted him to be in the movie. I didn't recognize enough humanity within that character to be able to identify with him properly. That's really what it boils down to."

Venom with his tongue sticking out

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When you watch Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, there's no denying that Raimi loves these characters and admires their spirit, core humanity, and emotionality. He uses his colorful, heightened style to reflect their larger-than-life personalities and bring out the spirit that shined throughout the Marvel comics. But either due to his lack of history with the character or his general inability to figure out what makes him special, Raimi just never grooved with Venom, and he's unlikely to gel with the guy anytime soon.

But who knows? Maybe he'll catch Venom on a plane one of these days and see what it is that makes people love that symbiote-infested dude. Until that day comes, though, don't pawn your Venom fandom onto Raimi. It won't find much love or enthusiasm for the fan-favorite character anytime soon.

While it may seem cold that Raimi hasn't gotten around to seeing Venom, by the director's admission, he hasn't seen too many MCU movies either. In another interview, Raimi confessed that he has only seen 4 or 5 MCU features in total, including 2016's Doctor Strange. Maybe Venom will end up on his watchlist with time? Maybe not. But unlike Eddie Brock and his black goo friend, Raimi and Venom aren't in sync.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres in theaters on May 6th.