Over the years, we’ve learned to take a supposed cinematic finale with a pinch of salt. Years after Logan, Hugh Jackman is back in Deadpool & Wolverine. In horror-land, Saw: The Final Chapter turned out to be anything but. The apparent end of the Jurassic era with Jurassic World: Dominion lasted mere years, with a new film entering production shortly. But, if the title (and pre-release chatter) is to be believed Venom: The Last Dance will be Tom Hardy’s… well, last dance with the Venom symbiote, capping off Sony's trilogy of Spider-Man-adjacent comic book outings with a whole bunch more space-goo creatures in the mix. Following his very brief appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, we catch up with Hardy’s Eddie Brock, who is now on the run – and facing foes both from Earth, and Venom’s homeworld. Check out the trailer:
As with Venom: Let There Be Carnage, this third entry for Hardy’s Venom looks set to double down on the buddy-duo chemistry teased in the first entry, bringing some levity while its titular anti-hero monster chomps heads left, right, and centre. But this one is promising some more pathos too, with Brock and Venom looking set to part ways come the end credits – all hammered home by that tagline: ’Til death do they part’. Could a Venom movie be shooting for… actual emotion? Whether or not it achieves on that front, it does at least seem to be offering a Venom-horse. So, kudos to whoever had Venom-horse on their 2024 cinematic bingo card.
Here’s the official synopsis: “In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. 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.”
Venom: The Last Dance (not to be confused with Magic Mike’s Last Dance) is written and directed by Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote on Let There Be Carnage – and she gets a story credit alongside Tom Hardy on this one too. Stephen Graham is back, after being teased for a symbiote upgrade last time around, while the cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, and Rhys Ifans. We’ll find out if Venom: The Last Dance can – somehow – make people cry when it hits UK cinemas on 25 October.