Venom: The Last Dancewrapped up theVenomtrilogy, and although the series has had its ups and downs, it ultimately carved aunique path in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Each installment offered something different, from introducing the wild, monstrous anti-hero of Venom to finally finding a satisfying balance in character and story in its third movie. Though the quality of each film has varied, the trilogy has left its mark, with Venom now an iconicMarvelanti-hero in superhero cinema.
The threeVenommovies (Venom(2018),Venom: Let There Be Carnage(2021), andVenom: The Last Dance(2024)) are a part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, a franchise connected to Spider-Man’s extensive world of allies and foes.Venom(2018) introduced Venom as an anti-hero dealing with villainous threats while navigating the odd dynamic with his human host, Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock. Now that the trilogy has officially concluded with Venom: The Last Dance, the success of the whole trilogy can now be considered.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Cast
Venom: Let There Be Carnage, directed by Andy Serkis, follows Eddie Brock, portrayed by Tom Hardy, as he struggles to coexist with the alien symbiote Venom. The film introduces the antagonist Cletus Kasady, a serial killer transformed into the menacing Carnage after becoming host to an alien symbiote.
Venom: Let There Be Carnageis the weakest entry in theVenomtrilogy. Directed by Andy Serkis, it promised an epic showdown between Venom and one of the most iconic villains in Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, Carnage. Yet, despite the high expectations,the film failed to deliver a satisfying villain arc. Carnage, also known as Cletus Kasady, was portrayed by Woody Harrelson, a casting choice that seemed immensely promising.
Although it had entertaining moments,Venom: Let There Be Carnageultimately felt like a missed opportunity and, therefore, ranks lowest among the trilogy.
However,Venom: Let There Be Carnagegave Harrelson little room to shine, providing a surprisingly restrained portrayal of the famously psychotic villain. Harrelson’s performance felt surprisingly docile,missing the violent, unpredictable edge that made Carnage a fan favoritein the comics. WhereVenom 2did succeed was in exploring the odd-couple relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote.
Venom’s Co-Creator Reveals What He’d Change About The Marvel Movies & Nails The Problem With Sony’s Spider-Verse: “Venom’s Not A Good Guy”
The man partly responsible for bringing Venom to life, Todd MacFarlane, reveals how he would have brought the symbiote to the screen.
Venom and Eddie’s bickering and attempts to navigate their shared existence brought humor and some depth, but the storyline lacked cohesion.Let There Be Carnagestruggled to balance its horror elements with its comedic beats,resulting in an uneven experience that felt as though the potential for a truly terrifying Carnagearc had been squandered. Although it had entertaining moments,Venom: Let There Be Carnageultimately felt like a missed opportunity and, therefore, ranks lowest among the trilogy.
The originalVenom(2018) sits in the middle, providing a promising but imperfect foundation for the character’s on-screen debut. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the film took its time setting up Eddie Brock’s origin story and introducing audiences to the alien symbiote concept. Though a bit slow-paced, the movie established the relationship between Eddie and Venom,exploring their initial, reluctant partnership that eventually develops into the quirky bonddepicted in later films.
Venommay feel slightly underdeveloped, especially when compared to superhero origin stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Still, it had entertaining action sequences and a few memorable moments that depicted Venom’s unique powers. While the symbiote’s personality was not fully fleshed out, Tom Hardy’s dual performance as Eddie and the voice of Venom kept the movie engaging. With a solid but unspectacular story,Venomprovided enough intrigue to pave the way for sequels.
Venommay have lacked the polish and depth of other superhero films, but it was a fun ride that succeeded in making Venom a relatable yet chaotic figure in superhero cinema.
Overall,Venomproved Sony’s gamble on a standalone Venom movie was worthwhile. While not perfect, the filmprovided a refreshing change from typical superhero storiesand set up the Eddie-Venom dynamic that would become central to the trilogy.Venommay have lacked the polish and depth of other superhero films, but it was a fun ride that succeeded in making Venom a relatable yet chaotic figure in superhero cinema.
The final installment,Venom: The Last Dance(2024), delivered on the promise of a greatVenommovie, effectively tying up the trilogy with humor, heart, and high-stakes action. With the foundation laid by the first two films,The Last Dancewas able to dive into its story immediately, depicting a fully developed bond between Eddie and Venom. Their partnership finally felt complete, with both characters embracing their respective roles as an anti-hero team. This installment gave Venom a more defined personality, striking the perfect balance between chaotic menace and reluctant hero.
24 Venom: The Last Dance Easter Eggs & Marvel References Explained
Venom: The Last Dance features all kinds of Easter eggs and Marvel references amid all the crazy symbiote mayhem and Knull the Symbiote God.
What setThe Last Danceapart was its emotionally charged narrative. Eddie and Venom face a formidable enemy in Knull and the Xenophages. Theclimactic moments inVenom: The Last Dancewere powerful, especially when Venom made a surprising sacrifice to save Eddie,exhibiting a rare and poignant side to the character. This selflessness added depth to Venom’s character, showing just how far he’d come since the first film.
Every Symbiote In Venom: The Last Dance Explained
Venom: The Last Dance features a sizable roster of new symbiotes and their hosts, going beyond Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom alone.
The Last Dancealso had a strong comedic edge, with Eddie and Venom’s interactions being funnier and more polished than in previous movies. By the time the credits rolled,Venom 3left a bittersweet sense of closure,marking a triumphant end to the trilogy. With refined storytelling, well-executed character dynamics, and a touching finale,Venom: The Last Dancestands as the best entry in the Venom trilogy. It’s only a shame that Sony didn’t crack this formula sooner.
Venom Also Appeared In A Spider-Man Movie
Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom weren’t just relegated to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.The post-credits scene forSpider-Man: No Way Homesees Eddie and Venom transported to the main MCU universe following the multiverse events of Tom Holland’s thirdSpider-Manfilm, but he is quickly transported back to his own universe, leaving a piece of the symbiote behind. This felt like a set-up for Black Suit Spider-Man in some way, but nothing has come of it since.
In fact,Venom: The Last Danceseemed to retcon a bit ofSpider-Man: No Way Home’s scene, and it is unclear if the piece of symbiote actually ended up staying in the MCU. While it is unlikely that Tom Holland and Tom Hardy will ever cross paths with their respective characters, for a brief moment, it really did look like they would, which could have been an exciting moment for fans of these versions of the characters.
Venom Is The Best Of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
For the most part, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe without the presence of a Spider-Man was a critical and financial failure, with each film getting worse and worse reviews as well as earning less and less money, as many are outright flops. The only films in the universe that have actually been successful were theVenommovies, which all three in the trilogy ended up netting Sony some nice profit, but even those films saw a downturn with each installment at the box office.
Sony’s attempt at a cinematic universe is a fascinating look at something that essentially goes wrong with just the premise alone.
While theVenomfilms were exactly critical darlings, they fared better than Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven, withTom Hardy’s committed performance as both Eddie Brock and Venom doing a lot of the heavy lifting throughout the trilogy and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe as a whole. Nevertheless, Sony’s attempt at a cinematic universe is a fascinating look at something that essentially goes wrong with just the premise alone, but at least theVenommovies are entertaining.
Venom
Venom is an action sci-fi movie that stars Tom Hardy as the titular Marvel anti-hero. When the Life Foundation begins experimenting on alien lifeforms they find on a comet that landed nearby, Investigative Journalist Eddie Brock begins to investigate them. When an infiltration goes wrong, Eddie finds that one of the aliens has bonded to him, forcing him to learn to live with his new uninvited host. Giving him superhuman powers, the two begin to work together to stop the rest of the symbiote’s invasive species.
Venom: The Last Dance
Venom: The Last Dance is a film directed by an undisclosed director, featuring the character Venom in a thrilling narrative. The movie explores the alien symbiote’s latest challenges and transformations as it navigates through a world full of danger and new adversaries.
