Venom 2 trailer: Tom Hardy is up to his usual antics in parallel Marvel universe

The first trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the sequel to 2018's blockbuster antihero film Venom, has been unveiled. The trailer promises fans that the film will be released 'only in theatres'.

The trailer pits Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock against Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson. Carnage was teased in a post-credits scene in the first film, which defied poor reviews and went on to become one of the biggest box office hits of the year, grossing over $850 million worldwide.

Watch the trailer of Venom 2 here 

Director Andy Serkis is at the helm of affairs this time around, with original director Ruben Fleischer having chosen to kick-start another franchise -- Tom Holland's Uncharted.

Fleischer in a Reddit interaction commented on the negative reviews, when asked what he'd change about the film, hypothetically. "If anything, I would have changed the critics' reaction to it. I was really bummed that people didn't like it because it's a crowdpleasing movie and I'm not sure if there was just blowback against Sony or people just worship Marvel. But I was really surprised that the critics [were gunning for it] because audiences really enjoyed the movie. And so many people who've seen it just appreciated that it was a fun superhero movie. So I was a little surprised. I don't know what they were expecting," he said.

The trailer highlights the buddy dynamic between Eddie and the alien Symbiote which took over his body in the first film. It also shows the transformation of Cletus Casady into Carnage, a grotesque symbiotic killer.

Venom 2 features returning actors Michelle Williams and Reid Scott. It's slated for a September release. It is a part of Sony's Universe of Marvel films, which also includes an upcoming Morbius feature starring Jared Leto, and could possible feature cameo appearances by Tom Holland's Spider-Man.