Summary
Marvel Studios successfully regained the rights to some of its biggest characters after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox. However, there’s always been one major Marvel character that the studio has never been able to fully regain the rights to:Spider-Man. Marvel Studios and Sony currently share the rights toSpider-Man, with the latter having tried toestablish its own Spider-Man Universewithout Peter Parker. Sony managed to find success withVenomon the big screen, and is preparing to say goodbye to the symbiote withVenom: The Last Dance.
However, while the first twoVenommovies were successful,Venom: The Last Dancelooks unlikely to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The film is expected to be the final turn as the titular character for Tom Hardy, and is being helmed by first-time director Kelly Marcel, who has penned the entire trilogy. The first movie was a massive success for Sony, having pulled in over $856 million worldwide, but the second movie only managed to bring in $506 million worldwide. CanThe Last Danceend the trilogy on a successful note, or will it end with a whimper?
Everything Working Against Venom: The Last Dance
Venom: The Last Dancecould be a huge film for Sony, especially given how well the first film performed pre-COVID. However, it seems like there is plenty working against the movie already. Hardy, who has been very passionate about the franchise from the get-go, is preparing to say goodbye to the character - at least, that’s the current plan. Yet, the movie doesn’t feel like it’s a well-thought-out farewell to the franchise. Woody Harrelson’s Carnage, who was first teased at the end ofVenom, met his end soon after inVenom: Let There be Carnage. A decision that seemed rushed more than anything. Although Venom has other adversaries in the comics, the character’s most well known adversary is easily Carnage. If Sony wanted to truly end the franchise on a high-note, it would’ve teased Carnage in the first two films, before finally bringing in the character forThe Last Dance. Not only would it haveworked well with the film’s title, but it would’ve given fans what they wanted. A satisfying conclusion between the two.
Then there’s the obvious Spider-Man problem. With Tom Holland’s Peter Parker tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s no Spider-Man for Tom Hardy’s Venom to work with on the big screen. While there was a tease at the end ofVenom: Let There be Carnage, indicating Venom and Spider-Man might just exist within the same universe finally, the trailer forThe Last Danceseems to have retconned that. It’s a strange move, of course. Although the character is shared with Marvel Studios, Sony does have the right to allow Peter Parker to appear in its villain films. Havingteased Spider-Man in the end credits sceneforLet There be Carnage, Sony implied Spider-Man could appear in the nextVenommovie. Something that surely would’ve excited Spider-Man - and Venom - fans as a whole. So, the trailer seemingly suggesting the post credits scene is no longer canon is sure to frustrate many fans. It’s a marketing ploy that might’ve just backfired againstThe Final Dancein the end.
Is There Any Reason for Spider-Man Fans to Care about Venom: The Last Dance?
Marcel,who has penned all three films, stepped behind the camera forThe Last Danceas a first-time director. She follows directors Ruben Fleischer and Andy Serkis, respectively, who have previously worked on big-budget films before signing on for the comicbook franchise. While Marcel’s turn as director may be worrisome for those who fearThe Last Danceis a big project for a newcomer, it’s important to note that Marvel Studios has regularly hired first-time directors for some of its biggest projects. A first-time director isn’t a problem forThe Last Dance, but everything else surroundingThe Last Dancecould just be an issue.
Despite a stellar cast that includes Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rhys Ifans, there’s little reason for Spider-Man fans to care about theVenomthreequel. The films have done a decent job with thelook of the symbiotes, but they often feel rushed and overstuffed. For example, with the first two films, we’ve already met Carnage, Riot, Shriek, and Anne Weying, to name a few. Now, the third film is set to bring fans Toxin, and it may just be hinting at an appearance by the all-important Knull. While Knull could be an exciting character to feature inThe Last Dance, it doesn’t feel like the franchise earned it.
Venom’s biggest issue is that the first two films didn’t take their time to give fans something to care about. It rushed through big characters, especially Carnage. If it had properly set up the franchise, teasing Knull from the beginning, much like Marvel did with Thanos,The Last Dancewould’ve benefited greatly. Teasing Knull’s appearance for two films before bringing the character in for a final showdown in the final movie would’ve made for an exciting ending, even for those fans that have wished Tom Hardy’s Venom could’ve appeared alongside Holland’s Peter Parker.
As it stands, though,The Last Dancelooks to be justanotherVenommoviethat doesn’t really feel like it’s certain of itself storywise. That isn’t to say the film won’t be good in the end, because it very well could be, but as it stands, there’s no reason for Spider-Man fans to really care about how the Sony franchise ends. Especially followingMadame WebandMorbius, twoSpider-Manoffshoots that failed to be worthy of a watch. With one final dance, one can only hope Sony’sVenomtrilogy goes out with a bang rather than a whimper, but as it stands, that seems unlikely.
