Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance marks the anticipated conclusion to the Venom trilogy, promising a decisive chapter for Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and his symbiotic other half. However, the burning question on everyone’s mind is: does Venom die in The Last Dance? While the film certainly suggests a significant departure for the character, the nature of comic book narratives leaves room for interpretation and potential returns.
Unpacking the Finale of ‘Venom 3: The Last Dance’
In Venom: The Last Dance, Eddie and Venom confront a new wave of formidable adversaries. Moving beyond the Carnage storyline from previous installments, the film introduces the xenophages, gooey creatures capable of consuming symbiotes, and the overarching threat of Knull, the god-like creator of the symbiotes.
The climax unfolds at Area 51, where government experiments involving symbiotes take a dangerous turn. Eddie and Venom find themselves facing not only human antagonists but also hordes of xenophages. In a desperate move to protect Eddie and the world, Venom makes a crucial decision. Overwhelmed by the xenophages, Venom chooses to separate from Eddie. In a heroic sacrifice, he absorbs the xenophages and subjects himself to a lethal acid shower, effectively dissolving his physical form and eliminating the immediate xenophage threat.
Venom and Eddie Brock facing a new threat in Venom: The Last Dance.
This act of self-sacrifice seemingly marks Venom’s end. His body is depicted as completely dissolving under the acid. Adding to the sense of finality, both Tom Hardy and director Kelly Marcel have indicated that The Last Dance is indeed intended to be the concluding chapter for this iteration of Venom.
However, amidst the apparent demise, there are lingering threads. Agony, another symbiote who bonded with Dr. Payne (played by Juno Temple), survives. Eddie, now separated from Venom, grapples with the emotional weight of his loss, seeking solace in memories of their shared experiences in New York City—a location notably within Spider-Man’s domain, though a crossover remains speculative.
“Goodbye For Now”: Is Venom’s Death Permanent?
As Venom faces his acid-induced dissolution, his parting words to Eddie are significant: “goodbye for now.” This phrase, echoing an earlier moment in the movie, isn’t a definitive farewell, but rather a strong hint at a future return. In the realm of comic book lore, death is rarely a permanent state, especially for popular characters like Venom.
The very nature of symbiotes suggests resilience. Venom’s essence can endure even from minuscule remnants. The narrative itself has already established fragments of Venom existing across the multiverse. A piece of Venom was left in the MCU after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and another droplet was left in Mexico during The Last Dance.
Venom seemingly dissolving in acid in a scene from Venom: The Last Dance.
Beyond physical remnants, the narrative possibilities within comic book franchises are vast. Resurrection through time travel, scientific intervention, or even magical means are common tropes. Therefore, while Venom: The Last Dance presents a poignant farewell, it’s highly improbable that this marks the definitive end for Venom in the broader cinematic landscape.
The Sinister Six and Venom’s Enduring Legacy
The potential demise of Venom in The Last Dance occurs against the backdrop of Sony’s ongoing efforts to build its Spider-Man villain-centric universe. The long-discussed Sinister Six project, envisioned as a villainous counterpart to the Avengers, remains a possibility. The introduction of Knull as a powerful, universe-level threat in The Last Dance post-credit scene further fuels speculation about a future team-up movie to combat such forces.
Sony’s cinematic universe, distinct yet loosely connected to the MCU and the animated Spider-Verse, continues to expand. Kraven the Hunter is the next installment, arriving in December, showcasing Sony’s commitment to this universe. Despite mixed receptions for previous films like Morbius and Madame Web, the Venom trilogy has consistently performed well, largely thanks to Tom Hardy’s compelling and eccentric portrayal of Eddie Brock and Venom.
Venom’s success, even without direct engagement with his iconic comic book adversary Spider-Man, underscores the character’s enduring appeal. Tom Hardy’s performance has been central to this success, creating a memorable and bizarre duality. If Sony intends to further develop its cinematic universe, it’s highly likely that Venom, in some form, will be a part of its future, regardless of the events in Venom: The Last Dance.
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