Tom Hardy, Director Kelly Marcel Always Planned For ‘Venom’ To Be A Trilogy: “We Knew It Would End Like This”

As Venom: The Last Dance continues to devour the international box office, leading the franchise to $1.5 billion overall, star Tom Hardy and director Kelly Marcel confirmed that they always envisioned the Sony Marvel movies to conclude as a trilogy.

“We knew it would be three,” Marcel, who is credited as writer on all three films and helmed the final installment, told People. “We knew it was a trilogy and we knew it would end like this from the beginning.”

She continued, “Sony asked me to [direct] and I was like, ‘Oh, okay then.’ I have been on the first two movies and it felt like we knew that this was the third and final one, and knew that this one was going to be both a blast but emotional as well.”

Speaking of her collaboration with Hardy, who co-wrote the story for the last two films, Marcel said, “I feel like Tom and I, having spent the better part of seven years working on this, really wanted to bring this one home from inception to the finish line. It felt like the right time to step up and the right movie to do it with.”

Hardy agreed, saying, “100%.”

Venom: The Last Dance follows up its 2018 and 2021 predecessors as investigative journalist Eddie and his wise-cracking monstrous alter-ego Venom are on the run. Per the pic’s logline, “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.” Also starring are Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham.

The threequel premiered in theaters yesterday.