(Updated 10/17/2024)
After the huge success of Sony's 2018 movie, VENOM, it was clear that we would see more of the toothy black Spider-Man villain as a leading character. Tom Hardy said he had a three-movie contract with the studio. Now the next movie in the series — and, in fact, a conclusion for Hardy's VENOM trilogy — is on the way.
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE, aka VENOM 3, leans even more into the strains of comedy and strange violence that characterized the first two movies. Here's the first trailer and everything else we know about VENOM: THE LAST DANCE.
What's the Venom: The Last Dance Release Date?
Sony Pictures will release VENOM: THE LAST DANCE in movie theaters on October 25, 2024.
Watch the Final Venom: The Last Dance Trailer
Is that a VENOM HORSE? It's a Venom horse! This is a terrific trailer that reminds us of all the important aspects of the series: The blend of comedy and action, Tom Hardy's unhinged approach to the character(s), and the possibility of something as insane as a Venom horse.
What's the Plot of Venom: The Last Dance?
Eddie Brock and Venom are on the run, and it turns out that Earthbound pursuers are not their only problem. Some of Venom's old friends from outer space are on the way to our planet, too. Well, "friends" might not be the correct word. Looks like there's going to be a whole symbiote smorgasbord to close out this story!
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE is written by VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE screenwriter Kelly Marcel. She also worked on Tom Hardy's early breakthrough movie BRONSON, and wrote SAVING MR. BANKS and FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. Marcel worked out the new story with Hardy. They went on to write the script together as well.
And, in addition to writing the script, Kelly Marcel is making her directorial debut on the movie.
Who's in the Cast of Venom: The Last Dance?
Naturally, Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and the voice of Brock's symbiotic partner, Venom. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays an antagonistic soldier who wants to capture the Venom symbiote. Juno Temple plays a scientist who has her own interest in Brock and his alien partner.
Additionally, Rhys Ifans plays a role. While he previously played the Lizard in both THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, his brief appearance in the trailer suggests that he is not reprising that role here. Peggy Lu does reprise the role of convenience store owner Mrs. Chen, and Stephen Graham is back as Detective Patrick Mulligan, who now carries a symbiote of his own.
Will Tom Holland Be in Venom: The Last Dance?
While we do not have a definitive answer, the chances are that Tom Holland will not appear in VENOM: THE LAST DANCE. Holland will almost certainly play Spider-Man again in at least one more movie, but it isn't likely to be in one of Sony's Spider-Verse movies.
Is Venom: The Last Dance Part of the MCU?
Probably not, though there's a good reason for the question. (Spoilers ahead for the end of VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE and SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME as well.) At the end of the second VENOM movie, Eddie Brock and Venom have moved out to an island where they can hopefully live in peace. But they're transported away to another dimension, which is quickly revealed as the MCU.
Eventually, we learn that one of the spells used by Dr. Strange in NO WAY HOME brought Brock and Venom to the MCU. At the end of NO WAY HOME, another spell sends them back to their own universe — with a bit of the symbiote seemingly left behind. So the Tom Hardy version of Eddie Brock was briefly in the MCU, but has since returned home. Or that's how it seems at this point.
Promoting LET THERE BE CARNAGE, Tom Hardy talked about bringing his version of Eddie fully into the MCU. “We will always [be] looking to campaign to play with that with all the brothers and sisters who are out there, do you know what I mean? Whether we can connect the dots, that's up to the constellations, and that's above my pay grade, but we would be remiss not to think about that when we're working on the material.”
Around the same time, Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige said, "the minute Sony made their Venom movie and it worked as well as it did, and Tom Hardy became as iconic as he has become as Venom, then the obvious question is then, 'How do we start to merge them?'"
So maybe we'll see a proper crossover — but as to when, we don't know.
Will Any Version of Spider-Man Appear in Venom: The Last Dance?
Right now we don't know if any version of Spider-Man will show up in VENOM 3. Chances are pretty slim! Let's just enjoy THE LAST DANCE as a frantic, funny buddy comedy with Eddie Brock and the slimy symbiote.
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE opens on October 25.
All images courtesy of Sony Pictures.