The last few weeks have kicked off with exciting new trailers for movie fans to enjoy and dissect, mostly coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Mid-April brought the long-awaited first look at Simu Liu's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, showcasing the MCU's first dip into the world of martial arts. Then, two weeks later, Marvel Studios began to usher fans back to theaters with teases for multiple Phase 4 films with footage and release date confirmations, including the first few seconds of material from November's Eternals.
Sony decided to follow suit and jumped in on the Monday trailer release spree with their first full look at Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the sequel to Tom Hardy's billion-dollar-earning Venom from 2018. While the exact nature of the relationship between Sony's Marvel movies and the MCU is still unclear, this Venom 2 trailer teased intense action and drama while showcasing the first full look at Woody Harrelson's Carnage in action.
Additionally, eagle-eyed fans noticed a fun Easter Egg early in the footage, one that should unite fans of both Marvel franchises...
WELCOME BACK, STAN LEE!
The first full trailer for Sony Pictures' Venom: Let There Be Carnage included a tribute to the late Marvel legend Stan Lee, who passed away in 2018.
While Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock is walking through Mrs. Chen's convenience shop, Venom is coming out of Brock's back and waving at Chen.
As Brock passes by the magazine stand, one cover includes an image of Stan Lee bearing his classic warm smile.
EXCELSIOR — LET THERE BE CARNAGE!
Marvel fans worldwide instantly recognize the face of Stan Lee as he appears in this trailer, posthumously continuing his impressive run of Marvel movie cameos.
The company's long-time creative leader made it a regular practice to make short cameos for Lee in nearly every Marvel-based movie and TV show for over 30 years, which was especially prevalent as the MCU rose to prominence. Stan Lee's final live appearance came in 2019's Avengers: Endgame as a driver in the trip to the 1970's who yelled "Hey, man! Make love, not war!"
Lee was also in the original 2018 Venom as a bystander who told Eddie "Don't give up on her. Either of you." after Brock said goodbye to Michelle Williams' Anne. This outing was the last Marvel movie released before Lee's passing, although his impact on comic book movies continues to live on years later.
The MCU is continuing this trend in Phase 4 with WandaVision on Disney+ including a tribute to Lee by including his birthday on the "Wanda" license plate in the intro to Episode 7. Additionally, his original name for the X-Men is referenced in The Mutants, which is rumored to be in development for the future.
Stan Lee's impact on Marvel Comics can't be understated, and this cameo in the Venom sequel is already bringing smiles to the Marvel fandom.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage will release in theaters on September 24, 2021.
