10 Movies That Could Be The Major Surprise Hits Of 2018
6. Venom
The Movie: It's quite hard to describe Venom - we know so little about it, and we don't even know if/where it fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What we do know is that it's an origin story about the coming together of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the alien symbiote that turns him into Venom.
Why It Could Be A Hit: You might be thinking to yourself "isn't Venom going to be a hit anyway?" but the mostly negative reaction to the first trailer (and Sony's track record with the character) seems to indicate that this will either be a successful franchise-starter, or an underwhelming misfire.
Fortunately, there are reasons to be hopeful. For one, Tom Hardy is notoriously picky with his projects. The fact that he chose to star in Venom must mean there's something special here, and an actor of his calibre automatically gives the project some credibility.
It's exciting that a respected A-list actor is taking on an outlandish comic-book character; this could be a turning point for comic-book movies, one where they aren't just thought of as disposable blockbusters, but platforms for great actors to deliver fresh, unique stories and iconic performances. Logan got the ball rolling, and Venom will carry the torch.
Other factors that could propel Venom to success? It's releasing in a moderately quiet October, it feels tonally distinct from the average MCU or DCEU effort, and a rumoured Peter Parker cameo could make this the movie that all superhero fans simply have to see.