Fans of San Francisco’s anti-hero will be happy to know that Venom (Tom Hardy) is coming back in Venom: The Last Dance.
This is the third movie in Sony’s Spider-Man villain universe. It is bringing some big changes to the series. However, fans will have to wait a little longer for it.
Eddie Brock is one of Marvel Comics’ most liked characters. He started as a scary enemy of Spider-Man but changed into a Lethal Protector, making even the toughest criminals afraid.
With his unique look, interesting character, and surprising humor, it is no wonder that comic book fans wanted to see Venom on the big screen for a long time. Many people remember that Venom first appeared in the last film of director Sam Raimi’s trilogy, Spider-Man 3.
But this movie faced some issues before, during, and after it was made. While Spider-Man 3 has its fans, many people still wanted to see a better version of Venom. They somewhat got that wish in 2018’s Venom.
The reason we say “somewhat” is that a key part of Venom’s character is that he is the opposite of Spider-Man. But in the new movie, Venom lives in a universe where he never meets Peter Parker. This made fans nervous at first.
However, even dedicated Venom fans agree that the film is fun and is carried by the very charming Tom Hardy in the lead role.
The excitement continued with the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), which introduced the popular character Carnage (Woody Harrelson) to Sony’s villain universe.
After appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the end credits scene of Let There Be Carnage and then being sent back to his universe in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel fans have been eager to know what happens next for Venom.
They will not have to wait much longer. Venom: The Last Dance is in active development with a new story, a new director, and a new writer. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming movie, including its cast, director, and production status.
Does ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Have a Release Date?
Sony has confirmed that Venom: The Last Dance will come to theaters on October 25, 2024. Currently, this movie is the only big film coming out on that date.
However, it will compete with other movies coming out in October, including the supervillain-themed sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, as well as the horror sequels Smile 2 and Terrifier 3.
Originally, the movie was set to release on July 12, 2024, and then pushed back to November 8, 2024. Now, it seems the October date is fixed. Both previous films did very well at the box office, so it was almost certain that this movie would also get a theatrical release.
The first Venom film made an amazing $850 million worldwide, placing it among the top 25 highest-grossing comic book movies ever. Venom: Let There Be Carnage also performed well, earning over $500 million on a $100 million budget.
The October 2024 release for Venom: The Last Dance was initially planned, and the fact that Sony moved it forward shows they are confident about the film despite the effects of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes on production.
It is also likely that Venom: The Last Dance will be available to stream after its theatrical run. In the past, Sony has worked with Netflix to stream many of their big movies, including their other Spider-Man spin-off, Morbius.
The same is true for Madame Web, which surprised many by being a hit on Netflix even though it received poor reviews. Recently, Sony’s partnership with Disney+ has changed the game by bringing some major Spider-Man films to the streaming service.
Right now, fans can watch Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Spider-Man: Homecoming on Disney+. Venom became available for streaming on Disney+ on May 12, so it is possible that Venom: The Last Dance will also be available on Disney+ after its theatrical release.
Is There a Trailer for ‘Venom: The Last Dance’?
The first trailer for Venom: The Last Dance came out from Sony on June 3, 2024. This trailer revealed Venom and Eddie’s third and likely last adventure. After the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Eddie and Venom are now fugitives.
They are being chased by a secret government group that wants to hide the truth about aliens. This goal will become harder because a symbiote invasion from Venom’s home planet is coming, threatening to throw all of humanity into chaos. With such high-stakes drama, it is great that Venom can still use his powers to take control of a horse’s body.
The second and final trailer for Venom: The Last Dance was released by Sony Pictures on September 12, 2024. This new trailer gives a deeper look into the story and shows that Venom will not be the only symbiotic animal in the movie. We also see a Venom-Fish in the trailer.
Who Stars in ‘Venom: The Last Dance’?
As always, Venom and Eddie Brock will be played by Tom Hardy. The Oscar-nominated actor has a strong connection to and love for this character. This time, he will have more influence on the creative direction of Venom.
One exciting new addition to the cast of Venom: The Last Dance is Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is known for playing the Doctor Strange villain Karl Mordo in the MCU.
The trailers show that the Academy Award-nominated actor will play a military soldier who is hunting down Eddie and Venom to get the Symbiote for himself.
Juno Temple from Ted Lasso will join Hardy as a scientist working with Ejiofor’s character to hunt down Eddie. Temple talked about her excitement about working on Venom: The Last Dance and with Tom Hardy, saying:
“His relationship to how he feels about Venom and Eddie together…it’s something that feels really close to his heart. It matters to him. I don’t know if anyone else could play Venom. That’s a tough pair of shoes to follow.”
We do not yet know if Eddie Brock’s ex-girlfriend, Anne Weying (played by Michelle Williams), will return. However, the trailer confirms that the detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) will appear in the sequel.
In the comics, Patrick Mulligan is the first host of the Toxin symbiote, which is the child of Carnage and Venom’s grandchild who tries to be a hero.
Sadly, Patrick was killed by the villain Blackheart, who took the symbiote and ended up bonding with Eddie when he was away from Venom.
Another familiar face returning is Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen. She appeared in the first two Venom films and had a memorable cameo in last year’s Oscar-nominated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Also new to the cast of Venom: The Last Dance is Rhys Ifans. He appears in both trailers and is known for playing The Lizard in both The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Ifans is expected to play a new character, similar to Ejiofor.
Ifans and Hardy are not the only actors from No Way Home returning. Cristo Fernández will reprise his role as the Bartender.
Interestingly, this character seems to come from Earth-616, rather than Sony’s universe, but the first trailer shows Ejiofor’s character interacting with him.
The recent trailer also shows that the villain Knull, the God of Symbiotes, will be a key part of the movie’s plot. However, we still do not know who will play this character.
What Is ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ About?
The official plot summary for Venom: The Last Dance says:
In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run.
Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
Who’s Making ‘Venom: The Last Dance’?
Kelly Marcel, who wrote both Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, will direct Venom: The Last Dance this time.
She is taking over from Venom director Ruben Fleischer and Venom: Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis.
Marcel will also write the screenplay for the film, which series star Tom Hardy will help write. Both Hardy and Marcel will be producing the project along with Avi Arad, Hutch Parker, Amy Pascal, and Matt Tolmach.
When Is ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Filming (And What’s the Production Status)?
After months of delays, Venom: The Last Dance resumed production in November 2023. Tom Hardy celebrated this by sharing a new set photo on his Instagram.
This is fitting since the first news about Venom: The Last Dance’s production also came from an Instagram post where Hardy mentioned that the script was being written.
Production began in June 2023, but the project paused due to the SAG-AFTRA strike that started on July 13, 2023. Now that production is moving forward again, we should see some footage from the film soon.
What Happened in the First Two Venom Movies?
The first film shows several mysterious extra-terrestrial symbiotes coming to Earth. The first, Venom, needs a host. Eddie Brock is a journalist who loses his job due to a story he tried to break.
He ends up merging with Venom and discovers that he has new powers. Together, they go after the leader of the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake, who is experimenting on humans and symbiotes.
The movie ends with Eddie defeating Drake and setting himself up as a “Lethal Protector” for the weak and innocent.
In Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Carnage is introduced. He is the son of Venom and a very dangerous serial killer named Cletus Kasady.
Venom and Eddie have their ups and downs in their relationship, but they eventually team up to stop Carnage.
The movie ends with Eddie and Venom living as fugitives after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where they had a brief encounter with Spider-Man and then returned to their own universe.
Fans of Venom have a lot to look forward to with Venom: The Last Dance. With a confirmed release date and an exciting cast, this film promises to be an interesting addition to Sony’s Spider-Man universe. It will also be the last movie featuring Tom Hardy as Venom.
Many people are excited to see how the story wraps up for Eddie and Venom. As the stakes rise and new challenges appear, audiences will witness the final clash between hero and villain.
This conclusion offers a chance to see character growth and resolution, making it a highly anticipated film for fans and newcomers alike.
