Topher Grace’s version of Venom in Spider-Man 3 may not have been the most intimidating thing in the world, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope to see a terrifying version of the villain become a star of his own movie. Todd MacFarlane, who created the character as it first appeared in the Spider-Man comic books, told Newsarama that Venom should be “creepier than what he was in Spider-Man 3."

MacFarlane added he didn’t even know that Venom was a human character when he created him, which resulted in a hulking, fanged creature, not just a guy in a suit. Even if the character remains Eddie Brock, though, MacFarlane says they could push the envelope a bit more. "You don't want to scare the kids, because the kids love the character. But I think you could add a little bit of a creep factor.”

If superhero movies in the future try to emulate The Dark Knight’s creepiness, it’s entirely likely we’ll see a much darker version of Venom in a spinoff movie. Note to Sony executives: Bring Todd MacFarlane on board. I know I’ve complained about pandering to fanboys and the original comic books in the past, but this guy clearly knows his stuff.