Tom Hardy returns for another round as the host of an alien symbiote, in Venom: The Last Dance.
Tom Hardy is back for one last hurrah as investigative journalist Eddie Brock, host of an alien symbiote that grants its host superhuman powers, in the final trailer for Venom: The Last DanceThe trailer has all the quick-witted buddy cop vibes and fast-paced action we've come to expect from the franchise, including a trip to Vegas where Venom discovers the addictive appeal of slot machines. But there are also hints of an inevitable bittersweet farewell—as this time around they're going up against Knull, god-creator of the symbiotes.
(Spoilers ahead Poison And Venom: There Will Be Carnage (below.)
As previously reported, the first film in the franchise served as an origin story for our anti-hero. A biotech company called the Life Foundation discovered a comet covered in symbiotic life forms and brought four samples back to Earth. Brock’s then-fiancée, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), showed him classified documents that revealed the foundation was conducting experiments on humans/symbiotes. The symbiotes needed oxygen-breathing hosts to survive, but they invariably ended up killing said hosts.
Brock eventually became infected with one of the symbiotes, named Venom. Venom revealed that the symbiotes were planning to take over the Earth by possessing/devouring all humans, but Brock eventually made a deal with Venom and they decided to protect the Earth instead. Together, they took on Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), who was infected with a symbiote named Riot. Naturally, they won.
Poison was released in October 2018 and was widely panned by critics, with several specifically complaining about the lack of a Spider-Man connection. Audiences, however, disagreed. Poison grossed $856 million worldwide. Hardy had already committed to two sequels, and a mid-credits sequence showed Harrelson's Cletus Kasady taunting Brock (whom Kasady was interviewing for a story) from his cell. Kasady vowed to escape and cause “carnage,” leaving little doubt as to the identity of a sequel's villain.
Venom: Let there be carnage, directed by Andy Serkis, was released in 2021, also to mixed reviews and a strong box office, grossing $506.9 million worldwide. That film ended with Brock and Venom defeating Kasady and heading off for a well-deserved vacation as the duo contemplated their next moves. In a post-credits scene, Venom told Brock that he and his fellow symbiotes knew of other universes, where there was blinding light, and they were transported to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — a direct result of the spell cast by Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home. (There were plans at the time for a future crossover film featuring Tom Holland's Spider-Man.)
“With you to the end”
Serkis was unable to return as director for The last dancebut Kelly Marcel, who wrote the script for Bloodbathstepped in to make her directorial debut. According to the official premise:
In Venom: The Last DanceTom 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. Pursued by both worlds and with the web closing in, the duo is forced to make a devastating decision that will bring the curtain down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
In addition to Hardy, Peggy Lu returns as convenience store owner Mrs. Chen, who became friends with Eddie and Venom early on. Stephen Graham also returns as Detective Patrick Mulligan, who played a prominent role in There will be a bloodbath and is now infected with his own symbiote called Toxin.
Cristo Fernández will reprise his role as bartender in 2012 The Great Spider-Man. Rhys Ifans played Curt Connors/Lizard in that film, but will play a man named Martin in the film The last dance. Is there a secret connection? We'll have to wait and see. (It appears Williams, after two appearances, will not reprise her role as Anne in the third and final film.) The cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as a soldier who wants to capture Venom; and Alanna Ubach and Clark Backo in as-yet unknown roles.
Venom: The Last Dance will be released in theaters on October 25, 2024.
Image of the list by YouTube/Sony Pictures
