Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Venom: The Last DanceFollowing Venom: The Last Dance, I know how Sony Pictures can adapt Marvel's King in Black storyline with Knull the Symbiote God (without the MCU). Having debuted Knull the Symbiote (Andy Serkis) in live-action, "The King in Black is awake" and poised to become an imminent threat in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. While the comics would suggest that an effective adaptation of Knull and his story would require certain heroes held by Marvel Studios, I do think there is a way that Sony could get away with adapting the epic storyline on their own.
By the end of Venom: The Last Dance, Knull's symbiote-hunting xenophages were unable to secure the codex within the Venom symbiote and its host Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy). While this codex was the key to Knull's release, it does seem as though he'll eventually be freed in the future, which will more than likely be part of a "King in Black" movie from Sony Pictures. To that end, here's how I think Sony could make a King in Black movie happen without the MCU's involvement.
Venom 3 Introduces Knull, Generating New MCU/Sony Crossover Hopes
Adapting Marvel's King in Black Comics Event
Debuting for the first time in live-action with Venom: The Last Dance, Knull the Symbiote God despises all light in the universe, wanting to restore it to the darkness and nothingness where he once thrived. However, Knull was eventually betrayed by his own symbiote creations who locked him away on their homeworld of Kylntar (their word for "cage"). However, all Knull needs is a codex to be free and cover the universe in darkness once more.
In the comics, Knull's freedom directly leads to 2020's King in Black crossover event, where Venom and the Avengers are featured leading the defense of Earth from the Symbiote God, his symbiote dragon hordes, and corrupted Celestials. Joined by Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and more classic heroes from across the Marvel Universe, King in Black was very much an all-hands-on-deck crossover featuring several characters who belong to Marvel Studios, rather than Sony. For example, Thor and Silver Surfer proved themselves to be instrumental in Knull's ultimate death, even though it was Eddie Brock's Venom who struck the final blow.
Venom: The Last Dance may be the final chapter for Eddie Brock and Venom's adventures together, but the movie leaves a lot open for the SSU's future.
As such, it makes sense that many fans are hoping that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are teaming up for a King in Black movie. After all, the studios have worked together and shared characters in the past to great success, as seen with Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy and future movies which are squarely set in the MCU. However, I've also been thinking about how Sony might be able to adapt King in Black movie on their own, only using characters that they have access to.
I'm Realizing Sony Doesn't Necessarily Need The MCU
Not When They've Got The Spider-Verse
It may seem as though Sony Pictures doesn't have nearly as many heroes to work with as the MCU does, and on the surface, that's true within its main live-action universe. However, there's also the entire Spider-Verse and its multiple realities to consider. Sony's animated Spider-Verse movies feature countless different variants of Spider-Man and variants of the Webslinger's classic foes who could be called upon for a King in Black crossover.
Likewise, Sony's live-action Spider-Man Universe has already been confirmed to exist in this grander Spider-Verse. In 2023's Across the Spider-Verse, The Spot can be seen briefly interacting with the Venom franchise's Mrs. Chen, supporting the idea that animated variants of Spider-Man like Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy's Ghost-Spider, Peter B. Parker, and more could theoretically be brought into live-action to fight Knull the Symbiote God whenever he is inevitably freed from his prison-world.
I Could Easily See Sony Replacing Morlun With Knull
A Live-Action Spider-Verse Movie Could Be Sony's Endgame
In essence, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony Pictures was looking to merge the Spider-Verse and King in Black storylines from the comics. Knull himself could effectively replace Morlun as the primary villain. On the page, Morlun and his family of Spider-hunting Inheritors were the first Spider-Verse villains in the comics, though one could argue Knull is the bigger and more popular name.
"I can at least see how Sony might be able to improve their own Marvel universe and do the story on their own via the Spider-Verse and its wealth of characters..."
Likewise, Sony Pictures is already heading in the direction of bringing their animated Spider characters to live-action, seeing as how a Spider-Man Noir series is currently being produced for Amazon starring Nicholas Cage (who voiced Spider-Man Noir in the first animated Spider-Verse movie). Ultimately, not involving MCU characters in a future King in Black movie would likely be pretty divisive. That said, I can at least see how Sony might be able to improve their own Marvel universe and do the story on their own via the Spider-Verse and its wealth of characters.
Venom: The Last Dance is now playing in theaters.
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 Kevin Erdmann
English (US) ·