"You're not so bad yourself, champ."
Warning: Spoilers Off applies to this page. Proceed at your own risk.
- Before his life went downhill, we get a look at Eddie and Anne's relationship, establishing that despite what he did to expose the Life Foundation, he really did care about Anne before he even learned her computer held evidence of Carlton's corrupt deeds.
- In a nice subversion of expectations, while she's horrified of Venom the first time she sees him, Anne does not abandon Eddie. Her voice is still quivering due to the intense fear of seeing him almost eat a man, but when Eddie tells her fearfully that he needs help, she just points to the exit and says "Hospital. Right now." Ex-girlfriend or no, she still cares.
- Similarly, she confronts Venom when she thinks it's using Eddie, and shows anger when it's revealed that the Symbiote is killing its host. She might not be in love with Eddie anymore, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about him.
- Also, there's Dan; the man barely knows this guy Eddie, his girlfriend's ex-fiance, yet when Eddie bursts in on him and Anne's dinner, eating people's food and going batshit, he immediately knows something's wrong with him and tries to help, while any other guy probably would've punched Eddie out. Anne's in good hands.
- Similarly, she confronts Venom when she thinks it's using Eddie, and shows anger when it's revealed that the Symbiote is killing its host. She might not be in love with Eddie anymore, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about him.
- It's nice to know that even the Venom symbiote has something of a heart, as shown when it pushes Eddie to get back together with Anne.
- Similarly, on the ride to the hospital, the symbiote reminds Eddie that he never apologised to Anne, and that this may be his last chance to do so. It’s the first time we see the symbiote show concern for Eddie as a person, instead of just a ride, and it’s unexpectedly touching.
- Further, it at one point uses its powers to make Eddie dodge a drone, and Eddie even thanks him!
- Towards the climax, it's Venom that flat-out refuses to let Anne come along to with them to stop the shuttle launch because it was "too dangerous".
- When the symbiote climbs to the the city skyline, it sees all the city lights and says that Earth may not be so ugly after all, and that it’s actually peaceful from where it’s standing. This provides a nice way to contrast Venom and Riot with Venom preferring Earth to its species' home planet, which later becomes one of the reasons that it decides to help Eddie stop Riot from bringing their species to Earth.
- The simple fact that the Symbiote grows fond of Eddie. It even explicitly tells Eddie in the final act that he was what changed its mind on invading the Earth with Riot. It even shields Eddie from an explosion while carrying him to safety.Eddie: Cut the bullshit. What really made you change your mind?
Venom: You. You did, Eddie.- Also counts as a Meaningful Echo of when Anne told Eddie that the reason for his life going wrong was "[him]". It somewhat represents that while Eddie is capable of making wrong choices and mistakes, Venom also sees he's capable of doing the right thing.
- During that same scene, Eddie cries out "No!" when Venom sacrifices itself to protect him. He may have been put through the wringer by the Symbiote and all the chaos and pain that came with it, but damned if he doesn't stick by his friend when that's what it proves itself to be.
- After Eddie lands in an apartment full of people while trying to escape some gun-toting mooks, Venom extends itself in a wide barrier to block the gunfire. The symbiote seems to be largely Immune to Bullets, but ends up protecting the bystanders as well as Eddie.
- At the restaurant when Eddie goes there to meet with Anne, Venom is surrounded by loads of people, but doesn’t try to eat anyone, instead eating anything besides humans, such as a cooked chicken for instance, showing that Venom, even before its Heel–Face Turn, does not want to kill anyone senselessly. A nice way to show that Venom, despite its Blue-and-Orange Morality, always had a good heart even before it bonds with Eddie.
- Despite his flaws and impulsive decisions, and the fact that his body is being invaded by an alien and the side effects are not pleasant in the least, Eddie is clearly at his core a good and honourable person, and it shines throughout the film. Examples include:
- Eddie and Maria trading quips about her habit of taking free newspapers from their stands and selling them for five dollars. It quickly establishes them as good friends and proves that even after Eddie's fall from grace and subsequent cynicism, he still very much cares about the plight of those with less than him. It makes the scene when he finds Maria in the Life Foundation's lab being slowly eaten away by the Venom symbiote even sadder. The moment Eddie recognizes her in the cell, he immediately tries to free her, even though he was told not to touch anything.
- When Eddie returns to the office where he used to work with the intent of getting the evidence of Drake's unlawful experiments to his boss's office, the receptionist (who had been established as a long-time friend of Eddie's) is bound by the rules and can't let Eddie go upstairs. As Eddie's being refused, Venom's first instinct is to insist that they eat the receptionist's brain. Eddie immediately shouts refusals at the symbiote, saying that the man needs the job and already works two others to support his family. It's the first time that Eddie really gets angry at something Venom says, and solidifies just how fierce Eddie can be when someone he cares about is on the line.
- Even the montage of Eddie's news reports shows his depth of caring about his fellow human beings. Specifically picking out stories others would think of as not newsworthy, Eddie is out to be the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves. He won't ignore the ignorables, and he won't let you ignore them, either.
- During the aforementioned trip to the office, Eddie worries out loud that Venom's enjoyment of leaping through glass windows is going to get him killed. Venom seems to go for the classic Can't Kill You, Still Need You speech, saying that Eddie is too good of a match to simply discard, but then candidly adds that its host is starting to grow on it, even admitting they're not so different.
- Eddie reaching out for Venom when Riot rips it off Eddie's body. Venom reaches out as well and re-merges with its host: clearly showing them essentially becoming Bash Brothers as much as a human and an alien blob can be.
- Given how much Eddie and Venom eventually come to care about one another, it becomes clear how inaccurate the term "parasite" is when describing their relationship: as opposed to Venom entirely controlling Brock's actions, they seem to have struck up a mutual bond with each other.
- Cinema Wins notes
that this is the first time Eddie has consciously chosen to re-bond with Venom. Sure, Eddie's life was likely in as much danger from Riot as Venom's, but Eddie taking the step to willingly bring Venom back to him is a nice moment in the development of their relationship.
- While a bit creepy and definitely crossing over with funny, Anne letting the Symbiote inhabit her and going with it to rescue Eddie from the Life Foundation. Also while a little squicky, Anne as She-Venom acting very sultry toward Eddie and giving him a Big Damn Kiss. Keep in mind that unlike other symbiotes, Venom takes care of its hosts and never controls their minds or completely takes over their bodies, so Anne wouldn't have kissed Eddie if she didn't want to (although Venom probably influenced her by making her more aggressive and taking down her inhibitions a bit).
- The fact that Venom was the one who wanted to kiss Eddie is pretty sweet in and of itself too.
- Anne's new doctor boyfriend Dan is kind and friendly to Eddie, even as the sketchy ex-fiance keeps popping into Anne's life acting erratically. He recognizes that Eddie is sick, treats him with compassion, and never reacts with jealousy or suspicion over Eddie's relationship with Anne. At one point Dan stops a restaurant from calling the police on Eddie by claiming that Eddie is his patient. And in turn, Eddie is grateful toward Dan for the medical care, and he never treats Dan with resentment, even though he is clearly still pining over Anne. Eddie even stops Venom from attacking Dan over his suggestion to remove his "parasite".
- Dora Skirth’s love of her children, as well as her willingness to put her life on the line for the greater good, with her going against her boss as soon as it’s become clear that Drake is going too far.
- Stan Lee's obligatory cameo has him encourage Eddie not to give up on Anne, also implying he's aware of Venom's existence."Don't give up on her. Either of you."
