Marvel Comic book fans have been given a glimpse of Venom star Tom Hardy battling it out with co-star Riz Ahmed as a rival super villain in a new trailer for the upcoming film Venom.

Hardy, 40, will play journalist Eddie Brock who becomes bonded with an evil alien symbiote, transforming him into the movie’s bloodthirsty black and white title character.

The Oscar-nominated actor stars opposite Nightcrawler and Four Lions star Ahmed, 35, who plays inventor Carlton Drake, whose body is also consumed by the symbiote to create alter ego Riot.

Containing epic CGI fight and chase sequences, the thee-minute trailer also hints that the film will contain an element of dark comedy.

Towards the end of the promotional clip the monster’s face is seen in a shop ready to demolish a victim. Venom’s sharp-toothed features are partially peeled back to reveal Hardy’s own face, with the actor saying in character: “We are Venom.”

A terrified shopkeeper witnessing the grisly death is then comforted by Brock, who says: “I have a parasite. Night Mrs Chan.”

Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, the popular annual culture exhibition, Hardy said he used his experiences of playing the Kray twins in 2015 film Legend in preparation for the action film.

Asked at the event why wanted to play the anti-hero, he said: “Venom is by far, for me, the coolest Marvel superhero there is. I like the way he looks, first and foremost.”

He added his son was a big Venom fan and he “really wanted to do something my son could watch”.

Venom will be released in October.