Carnage does not enter Venom: Let There Be Carnage quietly. The red symbiote emerges during Cletus Kasady’s execution and immediately turns a prison into a disaster zone. But its escape is only the beginning. Cletus has one personal mission in mind: finding Frances Barrison, the woman he believes is the only person who understands him.
Woody Harrelson plays Cletus, a convicted serial killer whose earlier encounter with Eddie Brock changes everything. During a prison visit, Cletus bites Eddie’s hand and swallows a trace of the Venom symbiote. That small contact gives birth to Carnage, a powerful red organism with a more aggressive personality than Venom.
When the execution begins, Carnage blocks the lethal injection and tears through the prison. Guards are attacked, cells are opened and the facility loses control of the situation. Cletus escapes with the symbiote, and the two form an agreement. Carnage will help him find Frances, while Cletus will help Carnage destroy Eddie and Venom.
Frances Barrison, played by Naomie Harris, is also known as Shriek. She has a sonic ability that can produce destructive sound waves. As a child, she was taken to Ravencroft Institute, where her powers were restricted. Cletus has spent years holding on to the memory of their relationship, and he learns that she is still alive inside the facility.
The rescue sequence is one of the film’s most chaotic scenes. Cletus and Carnage reach Ravencroft, where the warden is caught off guard. Carnage uses its tendrils to break Frances out of her cell and carry her outside. The pair then escape in a stolen car, with police vehicles closing in behind them.
Carnage turns the chase into a brutal display of power. Its tendrils become blades and hooks, tearing through police vehicles and throwing officers aside. Frances joins the escape, but her sonic scream hurts Carnage. The symbiote reacts violently because sound is one of its weaknesses. Cletus has to explain that the noise can damage the creature, making their reunion more complicated than either expected.
The scene also shows why Carnage is different from Venom. Venom can be violent, but his relationship with Eddie includes arguments, jokes and a growing sense of loyalty. Carnage and Cletus are more destructive together. They encourage each other’s worst instincts, and Frances becomes part of that dangerous bond.
Andy Serkis directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, released in 2021. Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and Venom, while Michelle Williams reprises her role as Anne Weying. The screenplay was written by Kelly Marcel from a story developed with Hardy. The film takes its characters from Marvel Comics, where Carnage is one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous symbiote enemies.
The Ravencroft escape sets up the final conflict at a cathedral, where Cletus and Frances plan to marry. Their idea of love is tangled with revenge and violence. Carnage may help Cletus reach the woman he wants, but the escape also makes clear that this is not a happy reunion.
The red symbiote does not just free a prisoner. It unleashes a much larger threat.