Venom: The Last Dance was meant to be the final chapter for the story of Eddie Brock and Venom, but the movie's ending left more questions than answers. The first Venom movie came out in 2018, and it kicked off Sony's Spider-Man Universe with a darker, villain-focused story. Since then, the SSU has grown to include five completed films with three separate subfranchises, and another film, Kraven the Hunter on the way.
However, Venom is the only character in the SSU who has had multiple movies released, and despite spending more time and energy on the character, there are still a lot of mysteries surrounding him and his story. Venom: The Last Dance may have closed the book on the Eddie Brock story, but in reality, there is still a lot left to learn about the characters and implications from the trilogy that hopefully the SSU can reveal as time goes on.
10 Is Venom Really Dead?
Firstly, the movies have established that these symbiotes are incredibly tough and resilient, with Venom being more durable than most. Venom has also had pieces of himself left in odd places, or combined with others like Cletus Kasady in order to create new symbiotes. While the character appears to heroically sacrifice himself at the end of Venom 3, it's hard to say for certain that he is dead.
Venom sacrifices himself at the end of Venom: The Last Dance, leaving Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock to go alone to New York City and fulfill his dream of seeing the Statue of Liberty. While Venom is seemingly dead, the character could return in two ways. A piece of the symbiote is still in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and could bond with Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Another piece of Venom continues in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, as the movie's post-credits scene shows the vial holding Venom that was with Strickland now broken. As such, Venom could come back, just without Tom Hardy.
Realistically, the large portion of Venom that was joined with Eddie Brock before this final encounter is likely to be dissolved, but due to the hive-mind nature of the symbiotes, and their ability to split, reform, and grow new life from smaller pieces of matter, it's possible that Venom survived. Yes, he sacrificed much of his body to destroy the monsters sent by Knull, but those were not the only pieces of Venom left behind. So, it's possible that Venom is still alive in the SSU.
9 What Happened To The Venom Bit Left In The MCU?
But, even if the character is retired in the SSU, there was a crucial scene included in the credits for Spider-Man: No Way Home featuring Brock and Venom. Brock was briefly transported to the MCU, where he enjoyed some cocktails in a beachy resort. But before he was zapped back to his own reality, a piece of Venom was left behind on the counter. This piece stayed behind in the MCU.
However, at the start of Venom: The Last Dance, it appears to contradict or overwrite this scene with Brock returning to his own universe before dropping a piece of Venom goo. Of course, things get complicated with a movie and IP that is operating under two studios who agree to share the profits. The MCU has every right to keep the symbiote storyline going in some capacity, but it's possible that they will simply retcon this development to pursue other stories that don't have the same complicated ownership issues.
8 What Happened To The Venom Piece Captured At The Start Of The Movie?
As stated above, the beginning of Venom: The Last Dance sees Brock and Venom return to their reality before a piece of Venom is left behind on the top bar. Despite the bar man reaching for the goo, hinting at his becoming a more important character, General Rex Strickland sweeps in an captures the symbiote in a tube. They also take the bartender in for questioning. However, the bartender is not seen again until the post-credits scene, where he is again seen near the Venom symbiote.
Sony's Venom: The Last Dance officially surpasses two Marvel movie bombs at the box office in just one week since Tom Hardy's trilogy capper released.
This hints at a possibility that this character, played by Cristo Fernández, who also appears in the popular Apple+ series, Ted Lasso. The character does not have a name in the movie, but Fernández could potentially be the next host for Venom in the SSU. However, it's difficult to know if this is the plan for the SSU going forward, or if this piece of Venom will be seen again in some other capacity down the line.
7 Why Was Venom: The Last Dance So Obsessed With Shoes And Feet?
One recurring theme of Venom: The Last Dance was the plentiful references to shoes. Eddie Brock appears to constantly lose shoes in the film, and despite being gifted a pair from a new friend, or stealing from a drunken partygoer, he can never seem to hold on to one pair for long. This was never a part of the other films, so it's hard to imagine why it suddenly became so key in this final entry. One Redditor presented an interesting theory about why this could be:
It's likely that this was more a gag than some sort of deep thematic message, but it's impossible to ignore the emphasis they put on shows in the film. It's also possible that there was a scene which would act as some sort of pay-off for this moment, but that didn't make it into the final cut, despite all the earlier references still being included in the movie.
6 Who Was The Man Commanding Strickland From The Shadows?
Throughout the film, Rex Strickland is in contact with a shadowy figure who appears to be in charge of Area 55. At different points, Strickland seeks permission and guidance on what his orders are, so evidently, this figure has a lot of power. However, by the end of the movie, they are never directly shown, and their purpose continues to be obscured. But there was something interesting in the credits of the movie that may hint at whom this is.
Venom: The Last Dance ending may have featured an emotional farewell, but the movie also set up the perfect replacement host for the Venom Symbiote.
In the credits, an odd inclusion is the actor Reid Scott, who played Dan Lewis in the previous two Venom films. Dr. Dan is the new partner of Brock's ex, Anne Weying, played by Michelle Williams, and he appears to be a goofy, kind-hearted, sweet man who does his best to help Eddie, whom he feels sorry for. Scott was listed in the credits for Venom 3, despite the character never appearing, as Dr. Dan Lewis. When looking at the shadowy figure and listening to their voice, it's clear that this is the same actor, but whether this means Dan Lewis was hiding big secrets, or the studio is simply using the actor as a placeholder is unclear.
5 Is The SSU Still Going To Crossover At Some Point?
Five movies in, the SSU has yet to have the characters crossover in a meaningful way. Previous Venom movies have had brief references to Spider-Man; the Morbius movie had the main character introduce themselves as Venom for a gag, and the post-credits scene in Morbius saw Michael Keaton as Vulture meeting with Morbius. However, none of this has paid of in a meaningful crossover six years into the SSU.
Venom appeared to be the center of the SSU, but with that character now potentially retired, or needing to be reintroduced in a new capacity with a new host, the possibility of crossover seems further away than before. However, the inclusion of the shadowy figure does appear to be hinting at a setup for a Sinister Six movie at some point. But, this has also been hinted at since the beginning of the SSU, and there have been no solid announcements or plans for such a project to be made.
4 Who's Going To Release Knull From Klyntar?
The rules around the Codex in Venom 3 were a little confusing, as a symbiote joined with a deceased person and revived is supposed to form a Codex. However, the Codex is invisible unless the full symbiote form is exposed, and the symbiote does not need to stay connected to their host in order to keep them alive. As a result, the Codex appears to be purely an odd mechanic to break Knull out of his Klyntar prison. But with the setup of this powerful villain, it remains to be seen who breaks Knull out of his cell.
Thanks to the debut of Knull the Symbiote God in Venom: The Last Dance, a Spider-Man: No Way Home dream can finally come true for Andrew Garfield.
Several symbiotes have been shown to be living on Earth, with a variety trapped in the secretive Area 55. Any of these creatures could find a host that they connect to and revive from death, or potentially who dies while they are bound, allowing them to bring them back to life. It's clear that Knull needs to break free at some point, and the only way out is through a Codex, but what is stopping him from making a new symbiote, sending them to Earth to kill someone, and then bond together to create a Codex?
3 Are The Other Symbiotes On The Run Or Heroes?
At the end of Venom: The Last Dance, Venom is joined by a host of other symbiotes who bind with human hosts and form an incredible team of symbiote superheroes. Together, they fight for the humans, defending against terrifying monsters. Some of these symbiotes even lose their lives protecting the humans, but after this spectacular sacrifice, where do they stand with the humans and the military that formerly held them hostage?
Now that they broke out of their cages, and Area 55 was destroyed, are they running to keep their freedom, or are they being seen and treated as heroes. It's possible that these symbiotes may continue working alongside their hosts if they are being treated fairly. Their heroic acts shouldn't be overlooked, but how the humans respond to these powerful creatures may not reflect their typical humanitarian responses.
2 Will Dr. Payne Return Now That She Has A Symbiote?
Dr. Payne was arguably one of the most pivotal characters in the movie. Played by Juno Temple, her backstory is revealed, and she is established as a highly intelligent, compassionate, and inquisitive woman with a thirst for knowledge about the symbiotes. Having suffered an accident as a child that left her without the use of her left arm, Dr. Payne relied more on her mind to make a difference as a scientist.
Venom: The Last Dance might be the final chapter in Tom Hardy’s Venom trilogy, but it has set up several potential future narratives for the SSU.
By the end of the film, Dr. Payne joins with a symbiote who not only restores the functionality of her arm, but also imbues her with incredible speed and lightning powers. It doesn't look like Dr. Payne would be quick to separate from her newfound powers, so is she likely to return in future SSU movies? And if so, how and when will she be popping up next?
1 Where Is Spider-Man While The Events Of The Venom Movies Play Out?
Custom image by Ollie Bradley
The only movie in the SSU to include Peter Parker was Madame Web. The film is set in 2003, and a young baby is born to Cassandra's close friend's brother and wife. The baby is then named Peter Parker. This prequel establishes that Peter Parker is alive in the SSU, and having been born in 2003, he is likely an older teenager when the contemporary film, Venom, plays out in 2018. But since the comics usually see Peter getting powers as a kid in middle school or high school, they have likely had powers for years now.
This begs the question, where has Spider-Man been this whole time? Yes, Venom 3 is set predominantly outside of New York City, but the first two movies were not. It feels unlikely that the web-slinger would not have run into the Venom creature, especially since he has been bound with Eddie for a year. Venom has made a lot of noise around New York, and Spider-Man should be fighting crime and honing his talents, but the pair never run into each other in Venom: The Last Dance.
Venom: The Last Dance is the third and final installment in Sony's symbiote trilogy starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock. It follows the events of Let There Be Carnage, where the anti-hero fought serial killer Cletus Kasady, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Brock was briefly transported to the MCU through the multiverse.
Director Kelly Marcel
Release Date October 25, 2024
Studio(s) Columbia Pictures , Marvel Entertainment , Pascal Pictures
Character(s) Eddie Brock / Venom , Mrs. Chen , Patrick Mulligan , Bartender
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
Custom image by Ollie Bradley 
English (US) ·