The Weirdest Superhero Franchise Isn’t as Dead as We Think It Is

Venom is the lone jewel of the Sonyverse. Despite the dire depths of Morbius and Madame Web, Eddie Brock’s adventures have always drawn an audience. The upcoming third movie, Venom: The Last Dance, looked like it was ending the symbiotic shenanigans, although its trailer certainly suggested the end would come with a bang, as it included a Venom Horse, a trip to Vegas, and most excitingly, a glimpse at Knull, the eldritch being who created the symbiote.

But Knull’s inclusion may mean more than just a Thanos-esque threat for the trilogy-capper. A new quote from the film’s director suggests the adventures of Knull — and maybe even Venom — will continue even after this dance ends.

In an interview with IGN, Venom: The Last Dance director and co-writer Kelly Marcel revealed why Knull was saved for the third movie. “We were always aware of Knull, but knew that we needed to lay the foundation of the Venom character, and his relationship with Eddie, before introducing him.,” she said. “This is just the beginning for Knull.”

That means there are plans to put Knull in a future movie. “We know full well how important Knull is to the fans, so just as we laid a foundation for Venom, we hope we are doing the same for Knull,” Marcel continued. “The King in Black is way too powerful for ‘one and done.’ This film introduces Knull, but it just touches the beginnings of his story.”

It looks like Knull is about to become the big bad of the Sonyverse’s next chapter. That’s rather surprising, as it had been assumed that The Last Dance and the upcoming Kraven the Hunter would be a last hurrah to this iteration of the Sonyverse before Across the Spider-Verse directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord took control of the franchise and moved it in a new direction. This, however, suggests there will be at least some continuity between eras.

But don’t assume that Knull’s return means we’ll see Eddie and Venom on countless more adventures, as Marcel re-iterated that the Venom saga was always meant to be limited. “From the beginning, Tom [Hardy] and I always envisioned that this particular Eddie/Venom story would be told in three parts,” she said, “and the story arc would climax with the third film for reasons the movie will reveal.”

On the other hand, even though this trilogy is ending, there still could be more tricks up Venom’s gooey sleeve. Marcel did say this particular story, meaning they could appear in a future film. Maybe the pair will have more adventures if The Last Dance does well at the box office, or maybe Venom will be a side character in a future film. Either way, Knull will apparently be bringing his evil machinations into the future of the Sonyverse, whatever the franchise ultimately looks like.

Venom: The Last Dance hits theaters on October 25th.