Venom: The Last Dance introduced the next major Marvel villain in the form of Knull, and I am praying Marvel does not repeat its Thanos recasting. By the time of Venom: The Last Dance's ending, it was clear that Knull was being positioned as a major villain going forward in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. The many symbiotes of Venom 3's story were left facing off against the Xenophages in the film's ending, creatures sent by Knull to retrieve something called The Codex that would free him from his prison.
Venom 3's Easter eggs to Marvel Comics were aplenty thanks to this storyline, from the prison being the symbiote home planet of Klyntar to the other symbiotes shown fleeing from Knull's impending carnage. Although the popular Marvel Comics villain of Knull did not succeed in his plan in Venom 3, the film ended with a tease that he would return. While it is currently unclear where or when Knull will come back, I am left with one overriding thought after the teases to this storyline: I hope he is not recast like Thanos was.
Venom 3’s Poor Box Office Could Mean Andy Serkis Ends Up Recast As Knull
Venom 3 Is Unfortunately Underperforming Domestically
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann In Venom 3's cast of characters, Andy Serkis portrays Knull. Serkis is a well-known motion capture actor who often does not get the flowers he deserves from the wider Hollywood community. Outside of more mainstream roles like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy, Serkis has mostly been underutilized by big franchises. This was sadly summed up by his role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Snoke, in which the character was killed off before Serkis could show his capabilities.
Venom: The Last Dance was another film that underutilized Serkis as Knull, primarily due to the set-up of the character for future movies. This means that Knull's future is entirely reliant on Venom 3 succeeding at the box office. Although it is early into the film's run, I am not overly confident Venom 3 will have the legs necessary to solidify Knull's future. The film's domestic opening weekend was the lowest of the franchise, earning only $51 million. While it fared better overseas with an opening weekend of $124 million, it remains to be seen if Venom 3 has legs at the box office.
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Unfortunately, this means Serkis could end up being recast as Knull, and it is not lost on me that Marvel has no qualms about recasting major villains. After all, Thanos' original actor - Damion Poitier - was replaced by Josh Brolin. Despite this being the right choice, it is likely that replacing Serkis' recasting would not be. As such, I am hoping Venom 3's box office proves to have legs, allowing Serkis to stay on as Knull in whatever future film Sony has planned for the character.
Andy Serkis As Knull Could Be An All-Time Superhero Villain Casting
Custom image by Nicolas Ayala As I have alluded to, Andy Serkis' Knull could prove to be one of the best superhero villain casting choices in the genre's history. The reason for this stems from his proficiency in motion capture roles. Serkis never fails to imbue CGI characters with intense emotions, making them not only feel tangible but oftentimes sympathetic. With Knull's comic book story proving him to be an Avengers-level threat, having Serkis carry out this story could be truly epic.
It is clear that Sony Pictures is aware of this also, with the studio banking on Serkis to portray Knull again should Venom 3 succeed. Venom: The Last Dance's post-credit scene made this clear, with Serkis' Knull threatening both the audience and the Sony Spider-Man Universe that he will return and they will be forced to watch. Regardless of the quality of past Sony Spider-Man Universe films, the promise of Serkis as Knull makes the future of the character immensely exciting, making its reliance on Venom 3's - and Kraven the Hunter's - box office all the more vital.
If Venom 3 Fails, The MCU Should Steal The SSU’s Knull Casting
The Sony Spider-Man Universe May Not Be Serkis' Last Chance As Knull
Custome Image By Karlis Wilde Should the worst happen and Venom: The Last Dance fails to impress at the worldwide box office at the end of its theatrical run, Serkis' Knull hopes could have one last chance: the MCU. If Sony's plans for a Knull movie fall through due to the dwindling commercial success of the franchise, Marvel Studios could capitalize by taking Serkis and having him play the villain in the MCU. That said, Knull would likely have to be left for a post-Multiverse Saga story to be introduced, but it could prove to be more beneficial for the character.
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Venom: The Last Dance.
After all, I am left somewhat confused by how Knull could return after Venom 3's ending. The movie stressed that Knull could only escape his prison on Venom's home planet of Klyntar using The Codex, the mysterious key forged out of Eddie and Venom's bond. Venom's death meant that The Codex was destroyed, seemingly trapping Knull forever. For this reason, I am unsure how his return would even work.
This could then allow Serkis to flex his acting muscles as Knull as a potentially saga-ending villain that would see him come into conflict with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Spider-Man as he does in the comics...
However, if the MCU introduced its own version of Knull, it could follow the established comic storyline of the character without the fabricated plot point of The Codex. This could then allow Serkis to flex his acting muscles as Knull as a potentially saga-ending villain that would see him come into conflict with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Spider-Man as he does in the comics. With this promise in mind, Venom: The Last Dance's potential failure may not be the end of the road for Knull and, more importantly, Andy Serkis as the character.
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
Runtime 110 Mins
English (US) ·