Superhero movie aficionados know the drill: stay seated until the very last moment because the post-credit scene is often as crucial as the main feature itself. For fans eagerly awaiting every morsel of information about Venom’s cinematic journey, the question is paramount: Does Venom: The Last Dance offer any of these tantalizing extras? The answer is a resounding yes! Venom: The Last Dance doesn’t just offer one, but two post-credit scenes – a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene – both brimming with implications for the future of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
(Spoilers are ahead for Venom: The Last Dance. If you’d prefer to experience the movie’s surprises firsthand, consider checking out our spoiler-free review before diving into this breakdown!)
Venom: The Last Dance marks the apparent culmination of the Venom trilogy, seemingly wrapping up the symbiotic saga of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his ever-hungry other half. However, the Marvel universe, especially Sony’s corner of it, is notorious for leaving doors ajar, hinting at continuations and crossovers. Despite the conclusive feel of The Last Dance, lingering threads remain, strategically woven into the narrative to potentially unravel in future Sony Marvel projects. Adding fuel to the speculative fire, Tom Hardy himself has hinted at his willingness to revisit the character, suggesting that this dance might not be the last after all. Before we delve into these broader franchise implications, let’s dissect exactly what unfolds in the post-credit sequences of Venom: The Last Dance.
Decoding Venom: The Last Dance – Beyond the Credits
To fully appreciate the weight of the post-credit scenes, a brief recap of the main narrative of Venom: The Last Dance is essential. The film plunges into cosmic territory with the introduction of Knull, the symbiote god, a formidable entity pulled from the pages of Marvel Comics. As trailers revealed, Andy Serkis, director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, portrays Knull, depicted as trapped in a void on the symbiote homeworld, Klyntar. Knull’s escape hinges on the Codex, a symbiotic residue, which, unbeknownst to Eddie, resides within Venom due to Eddie’s brief death in the first film. This Codex makes Venom a target for Knull’s monstrous hounds, the Xenophages.
The Xenophage’s hunt for Venom drives the central conflict. Adding complexity, the Codex’s survival is contingent on both host and symbiote remaining alive, placing Eddie and Venom in constant peril. Simultaneously, Eddie becomes entangled with Area 55, a clandestine government facility, and its operatives Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple). Area 55 houses a collection of symbiotes, including Toxin, bonded to Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). Toxin’s revelation about Knull’s universal threat unites the characters in a race against time to prevent Knull’s escape.
The climax unfolds at Area 55, where the Xenophage attack unleashes chaos. Despite the tragic demise of Toxin and Mulligan, the other symbiotes demonstrate heroic intentions, aiding humans against the Xenophage onslaught. The battle spills outwards, involving alien enthusiast Martin (Rhys Ifans) and culminating in Dr. Payne bonding with a symbiote, seemingly Agony, granting her super-speed. In a dramatic sacrifice, Venom, realizing the Codex must be destroyed to thwart Knull, seemingly perishes alongside the Xenophages in an acid shower, also claiming Strickland’s life. Eddie, presumed widowed of his symbiote partner, is surprisingly exonerated of past crimes, under the condition of silence regarding his symbiotic encounters. He ends the movie in New York City, gazing at the Statue of Liberty, a poignant promise to Venom unfulfilled.
Mid-Credits Scene: Knull’s Ominous Warning
The mid-credits scene plunges us back into the cosmic void, offering another glimpse of Knull. This isn’t a fleeting cameo; it’s a direct address to the audience, a chilling declaration. Knull, visibly aware of Venom’s sacrifice and the destruction of the Codex, delivers a menacing monologue: “Your champion has fallen, the King in Black is awake. Your world will burn, and you will watch!”
This scene isn’t just a throwaway moment; it’s a narrative cornerstone. It firmly establishes Knull as a looming threat, far from defeated by the events of The Last Dance. His “King in Black” moniker directly references a major Marvel Comics storyline, hinting at the scale of destruction he is capable of unleashing. Director Kelly Marcel’s statement that “this is just the beginning for Knull” further underscores the mid-credits scene’s importance. It’s a clear signal that Sony envisions Knull as a significant antagonist in their expanding universe, potentially crossing paths with other characters and storylines. The mid-credits scene functions as a promise – or a threat – that Knull’s influence will be felt in future films, potentially as a universe-leveling event.
End-Credits Scene: The Bartender and Lingering Symbiote
The end-credits scene shifts gears entirely, bringing us back to Earth, specifically to the wreckage of Area 51. We find the bartender, played by Cristo Fernández, a character previously seen in the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Intriguingly, this isn’t the same bartender from the MCU; it’s a variant within Sony’s universe, distinguished by longer hair. Kidnapped by Strickland’s forces earlier in The Last Dance, he emerges from the debris, disoriented and calling out for anyone.
The camera then focuses on a crucial detail: a broken vial emitting a faint purple glow, unmistakably hinting at a symbiote, likely Agony, given the color association. A cockroach approaches the spilled symbiote residue, ending the scene on an ambiguous and slightly unsettling note. This scene is far more subtle than the mid-credits scene but equally loaded with potential implications. The bartender’s presence itself is a nod to the interconnectedness of the Sony and Marvel universes, albeit in a variant form. The broken vial and the lingering symbiote fragment suggest that even though the main Venom symbiote is gone, pieces of it, or other symbiotes, persist. The cockroach could symbolize the resilience and adaptability of symbiotes, hinting at their ability to regenerate or re-emerge even from seemingly insignificant remnants.
Venom’s Fate: Dead or Alive?
The burning question following Venom: The Last Dance is undeniably: Is Venom truly dead? While the film strongly suggests Venom’s sacrifice, superhero narratives rarely embrace permanent death for popular characters. The movie itself subtly plants a seed of doubt. Early in the film, when Strickland captures the bartender, he also secures a small piece of Venom symbiote left behind. This fragment is contained in a vial, remarkably similar to the one in the end-credits scene, and then seemingly forgotten.
This forgotten vial might be the key to Venom’s return. It’s a classic Chekhov’s gun scenario – an element introduced early on that feels inconsequential but is likely to become significant later. Given Sony’s vested interest in the Venom franchise and Hardy’s expressed enthusiasm for the role, it seems improbable that Venom’s demise is final. The lingering symbiote piece provides a convenient and plausible mechanism for resurrection, setting the stage for future Venom appearances, perhaps even sooner than anticipated.
Doctor Dan Lewis and Unresolved Plots
Beyond Venom’s potential return and Knull’s looming threat, The Last Dance introduces another loose thread: Doctor Dan Lewis, Anne Weying’s fiancé from previous films, played by Reid Scott. While unseen, Lewis is revealed as Strickland’s shadowy superior, issuing orders with a clear interest in symbiotes. This revelation opens up intriguing possibilities. What are Doctor Lewis’s motivations? Is he seeking to weaponize symbiotes? Could he be connected to other organizations or villains within Sony’s universe?
Doctor Lewis’s presence adds another layer of intrigue, potentially linking Venom to other Sony projects like Kraven the Hunter or future Spider-Man spin-offs. His storyline could serve as a bridge between different franchises, further solidifying the interconnected nature of Sony’s Marvel universe and providing narrative avenues beyond the immediate Venom storyline.
The Dance Continues?
The post-credit scenes of Venom: The Last Dance are far more than just fleeting fan service. They are strategic narrative breadcrumbs, carefully placed to guide the future of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Knull’s ominous declaration in the mid-credits scene sets up a grand-scale cosmic threat, while the end-credits scene with the bartender and the lingering symbiote hints at more grounded, character-driven stories to come, potentially involving a resurrected Venom. While Venom: The Last Dance might be Eddie and Venom’s swan song for now, these post-credit sequences strongly suggest that the symbiotic dance is far from over, promising exciting – and potentially universe-altering – developments on the horizon.
