Riz Ahmed's Venom Role Has Been Revealed

Venom Riz Ahmed

Sony has been keeping its cards surprisingly close to its chest regarding Venom. Not very much about the plot is known and even character names have been largely kept under wraps as the movie inches closer to its release date. However, nothing stays hidden for long, especially at San Diego Comic-Con. At the Venom panel, more details about the movie were dropped for those in attendance, including CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell. One of the juiciest bits was that Riz Ahmed's secretive character was finally revealed. He's playing Dr. Carlton Drake, who will become an evil symbiote known as Riot.

He's a genius billionaire inventor. Life Foundation... is trying to answer the question of what does the future for humanity look like... He thinks, probably, we've got a future in outer space and he comes across the symbiote.

During the Venom panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Riz Ahmed revealed some new details about his character Dr. Carlton Drake. As seen in the trailers, he works for the Life Foundation and is a genius billionaire inventor who's trying to find the future of humanity in outer space. This leads him to come in contact with the symbiotes, which then go on to cause some havoc. Turns out Drake will be getting in on that havoc himself, and it was confirmed at the panel that he will become Riot, a symbiote villain from the Venom: Lethal Protector comic series.

Riot

There's not a whole lot to Riot in the comics other than that he's one of five symbiotes that run wild and battle Venom. However, the movie will add some unique flair to the villain. According to director Ruben Fleischer, the movie version of Riot can jump from host to host, implying that Drake won't be the only one who wears that symbiote in the movie. It's unknown if any of Riot's symbiote brothers and sisters will show up in the film.

Riot as the villain may surprise those fans who were still holding out hope that Carnage would be featured in the movie. The character has long been rumored to show up in Venom with Woody Harrelson as a key contender to play the part, and while there is still no official confirmation, it's worth noting that Ruben Fleischer did say at the panel that there "may be other villains in Venom."

Venom is all set to be released on October 5, 2018. That's still plenty of time to catch up on all the latest news, which you can do by checking out our What We Know So Far guide.

Matt Wood

Matt has lived in New Jersey his entire life, but commutes every day to New York City. He graduated from Rowan University and loves Marvel, Nintendo, and going on long hikes and then greatly wishing he was back indoors. Matt has been covering the entertainment industry for over two years and will fight to his dying breath that Hulk and Black Widow make a good couple.