'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' developers Insomniac wanted to create something "very different" with Venom.
The studio is introducing new villains for the webslinging superheroes to battle across New York City, and casting 'Candyman' star Tony Todd as the symbiote was a key piece of the puzzle.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, creative director Bryan Intihar said: "For us, Venom is the host plus the symbiote.
"You don't get Venom without both of them being bonded together. What Tony represents is that bond.
"I think, if anything, casting Tony made us feel more confident in the visual design of the character."
Meanwhile, Insomniac wanted their take on the character to have its own approach compared to other incarnations, with Intihar pointing to the way this version embodies strength and power as an "anti-Spider-Man".
He explained: "We wanted to try something very different, and I don't think you can get much more different from Doc Ock than you do Venom.
"It's about power, it's about strength, it's about being slighted, it's about Peter being involved much more in the creation of Venom. I think that's what attracted us."
The team were delighted with the way things fell into place with the casting, as Tony was already on their wish list after his as the Candyman in the 2021 horror blockbuster without Intihar realising he had submitted an audition tape.
He added: "Everything we talked about [with] Venom - that sense of strength, that sense of fear, that sense of overwhelming, so different from Peter [Parker] - Tony embraces that completely in the performance."
