Marvel Officially Unveils Venom Redesign in Major Character Update

Venom has undergone plenty of transformations across his decades of comic book history, but Marvel is preparing to give the iconic symbiote another striking evolution. Eddie Brock and his longtime other half are finally reuniting in a new ongoing series, and their renewed partnership will come with a look befitting everything they have survived.

The upcoming Venom series finds Eddie determined to become the symbiote’s ultimate host and prove that the pair can be genuine heroes, regardless of what the Marvel Universe’s other costumed figures think. Written by Charles Soule with art by Tommaso Bianchi, the comic follows Eddie’s recent time bonded with Carnage and the events of the Queen in Black crossover.

In a first look shared exclusively with CBR, Marvel unveiled Venom’s redesigned appearance, complete with a large symbiote crown emerging from his head. The new look appears on the cover of Venom #3 and in artwork from the series’ debut issue, although the crown will not be a permanent part of Eddie’s appearance. Soule explained that the redesign represents Eddie and the symbiote refusing to let their history determine what they can become next. “Their past is not their future,” Soule told CBR, adding that the crown will only appear during particularly significant moments.

Venom’s Next Chapter Introduces New and Returning Villains

Soule explained that the redesign represents the pair refusing to let their history dictate what they can become next. According to the writer, a crown felt like the right visual representation of Venom, surpassing the expectations placed upon him, with Bianchi bringing that concept to life on the page. While the accessory may not be permanent, Soule teased that its appearances throughout the series will carry real weight. The crown also immediately separates this version of Venom from the character’s more familiar design without abandoning the enormous frame, sharp teeth, and elongated tongue that have defined him for years. It feels especially appropriate after Eddie’s transformation into the King in Black, a title he inherited after defeating Knull and taking control of the symbiote hive. Even after everything that has happened since, Venom’s new appearance makes it clear that the character’s royal era has left a permanent mark.

Eddie’s attempt to establish himself as a hero will put him against Mogul, a relatively new antagonist empowered through technology originating from the Ultimate Universe. Soule described Mogul as a tech entrepreneur who does not respond well to being challenged, giving the writer room to develop a newer villain alongside Venom. The series will also revive Hazmat, an obscure character best known for appearing in the 2005 video game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. Soule called the villain a particularly deep cut and teased Hazmat as a dangerous opponent capable of meeting Venom in a more direct street-level fight.

With Eddie and the symbiote reunited, newly crowned, and facing enemies from opposite ends of Marvel history, Venom #1 launches next month.