Let's be real. Nobody expected the Venom franchise to last this long. When the first movie dropped back in 2018, critics absolutely shredded it, yet audiences showed up with their wallets open because, honestly, Tom Hardy arguing with a gooey space parasite is peak cinema. Fast forward to now, and Venom: The Last Dance has officially closed the book on Eddie Brock’s journey. It’s a weird, messy, and surprisingly emotional finale that tries to do a dozen things at once while also setting up a future for the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) that feels more uncertain than ever.
What Actually Happened in Venom: The Last Dance?
The plot kicks off right where the Spider-Man: No Way Home post-credits scene left us—at a bar in Mexico. Eddie and Venom are fugitives. They’re being hunted by the military, led by Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and something much worse from Venom’s home world. Enter Knull. If you aren't a comic book nerd, Knull is basically the god of the symbiotes, a primordial being who created the black goo we know and love. He’s trapped in a cosmic prison and needs a "Codex" to get out.
What’s a Codex?
Basically, it's a MacGuffin created when a symbiote brings its host back from the dead. Since Venom revived Eddie in the first movie, they are the only ones who have it. The stakes are simple: if Knull gets the Codex, he destroys the universe. If Eddie or Venom dies, the Codex is destroyed, and the universe is saved. It’s a classic "one of us has to go" scenario that the movie leans into heavily during the third act at Area 51.
The pacing is frantic. One minute we’re in a Vegas penthouse watching Venom dance to ABBA with Mrs. Chen—which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds—and the next, we’re in a high-stakes military shootout.
The Knull Problem and the SSU Future
A lot of fans felt a bit cheated by Knull’s role. He spends the entire movie sitting on a throne in the dark, sending CGI "Xenophages" to do his dirty work. It’s very much a "Thanos in 2012" vibe. Director Kelly Marcel has been vocal in interviews about how this was intentional; Knull is meant to be a looming threat for future stories, not a one-and-done villain. But since this is titled The Last Dance, it leaves the audience wondering where that payoff actually happens.
Sony is in a tough spot. They have the rights to Spider-Man characters but not necessarily the web-slinger himself for these specific spin-offs. We saw the introduction of several new symbiotes in the finale—including Agony (the purple one) and Lasher—who bond with the scientists at the Imperium lab.
This isn't just fanservice.
It's a clear pivot. By the time the credits roll, the "Venom" we know is gone, sacrificed to melt the Codex in a vat of acid, but pieces of the symbiote are clearly still around. You've got Juno Temple’s character, Dr. Teddy Payne, now bonded with a speedster symbiote. You've got a world that officially knows about aliens. The foundation is there, even if the house looks a little shaky.
Tom Hardy’s Performance is the Whole Show
Tom Hardy’s commitment to this role is frankly insane. He’s not just acting; he’s essentially doing a two-man vaudeville routine with himself. In The Last Dance, the chemistry between Eddie and Venom feels more lived-in. They bicker like an old married couple because, at this point, they basically are. Hardy, who also has a "Story By" credit, clearly poured his heart into making Eddie a lovable loser until the very end.
The emotional core of the movie isn't the CGI monsters or the military subplots. It’s the realization that Eddie is a man who has lost everything—his career, his fiancée Anne (who notably doesn't appear in this film), and finally, his best friend.
Addressing the Critics and the Box Office
Let's look at the numbers. Venom: The Last Dance pulled in a massive global haul, proving that despite what Rotten Tomatoes might say, people love this version of the character. Critics often point to the "messy" scripts and the lack of a cohesive tone. They aren't wrong. The movie jumps from body horror to slapstick comedy to military thriller in the span of ten minutes.
However, that’s always been the Venom brand.
It’s a throwback to the mid-2000s era of superhero movies where things didn't have to be part of a perfectly manicured "Cinematic Universe" to be fun. It’s loud, it’s dumb, and it’s unpretentious. The inclusion of the hippie family in the van, led by Rhys Ifans (who previously played the Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man), adds a bizarre layer of "road trip" energy that shouldn't work but somehow fits the chaotic spirit of the franchise.
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Key Takeaways for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore after seeing the film, there are a few things you should keep an eye on.
- The Comics: Read the "King in Black" arc by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. This is the definitive Knull story and shows exactly how dangerous the villain could be if he ever makes it to the big screen in a live-action battle.
- The Post-Credits: Don't skip them. The first one shows Knull promising to "show you the world," and the second features a lone cockroach near a glowing vial at the ruins of Area 51. This heavily implies a piece of Venom survived.
- Merchandise: The "Last Dance" figures and statues are already hitting the secondary market. Collectors are particularly focused on the "Venom-Horse" and "Venom-Fish" variants seen in the movie's middle act.
What’s Next for the Symbiotes?
The journey doesn't end here, even if Eddie's solo trilogy has concluded. Sony is still sitting on a mountain of intellectual property. We know Kraven the Hunter is on the horizon, and there are constant rumors about a potential Sinister Six movie. The most likely scenario is a soft reboot or a team-up film where the surviving symbiote pieces find their way to a new host—perhaps even Peter Parker, if the rumors about the next MCU Spider-Man film have any weight.
The reality is that Venom: The Last Dance served its primary purpose: it gave Tom Hardy a graceful (if gooey) exit while keeping the door propped open for the next big event.
To fully understand the impact of this finale, you should revisit the first two films to see the evolution of the CGI and the tonal shifts. Watch the mid-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home again to see how the "piece of black goo" left behind in the MCU connects to the events in this movie. Finally, keep an eye on trade publications like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter for official casting news regarding the future of Knull, as that character is too big to stay on a CGI throne forever.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the "King in Black" Motion Comic: This provides the necessary background on Knull that the movie skips over.
- Check out the Soundtrack: The music choices in The Last Dance are intentional; listen to the lyrics of the ending song for hints about Eddie’s mental state.
- Analyze the Area 51 Scenes: Re-watch the finale and look closely at the different colored symbiote vials; each one represents a specific character from the comics who may return.