One of the most iconic villains in the Spider-Man universe is the alien symbiote known as Venom. The Venom character in the comics is an all-time great but sadly filmmakers have struggled to adapt the popular character on the big screen.
The less said about Venom in Spider-Man 3 (2007) the better. However, Sony made a big play by reintroducing the character in its Spider-Man universe with Tom Hardy being cast as Eddie Brock/Venom. When the first Venom movie starring Tom Hardy was released in 2018 it garnered a mixed reception. On the aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes it scored 80% from the audience and just 30% from critics. Yet, it still managed to generate an impressive $856 million at the worldwide box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
Check out the Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer below!
Then in 2021, we were treated to the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage which starred Woody Harrelson as Carnage alongside Tom Hardy’s Venom. Naturally, those in charge of production would have hoped that the sequel would outperform the original movie.
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At least from the perspective of critical reception, the sequel scored better than the 2018 movie with scores of 84% from critics and 57% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes. As for box office numbers, the sequel took quite the hit with a worldwide total of just under $507 million. Still, that’s a lot more money than most movies would ever make.
The dwindling box office numbers haven't prevented a third Venom movie from going into production with Venom: The Last Dance scheduled to release later this year. And despite the name of this third movie, its plot will not centre around privileged and underprivileged young teens who get together to dance in a competition despite the disapproval of their parents (probably).
As reported by Variety, Venom: The Last Dance was originally scheduled to be released in theatres on 8 November 2024. Now, it has been moved forward to 25 October. The synopsis for Venom: The Last Dance has not been revealed yet, but we do know that it will be directed by Kelly Marcel (screenplay for the first two Venom movies), and will star the returning Tom Hardy alongside Juno Temple (Fargo), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange) and Clark Backo (Designated Survivor).
As the name of the movie suggests, this will likely be Tom Hardy’s last outing as Venom, at least as its own entity. Whether Tom Hardy’s Venom will be introduced in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe remains to be seen. Either way, I’m hoping that Venom: The Last Dance knocks it out of the park and that it will not be the last time we’ll see the oddly charming symbiote.
Featured Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing/Marvel EntertainmentTopics: Comics, Marvel, Sony, Spider Man, TV And Film