After the rollicking cameo-filled ride that was Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s safe to say that Marvel fans weren’t all that eager for a new Venom movie. But here we are, sat for the third film featuring the symbiote, Venom: The Last Dance. Directed by Kelly Marcel, the film features Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Andy Serkis as the new big bad, Knull among interesting new cast additions. The film sees Eddie and Venom on the run when Knull – a godlike creature caged by the symbiotes makes an escape attempt. It turns out that Eddie has the key to his lock, a codex that is formed when a symbiote resurrects its dead host. Gnarly creatures called xenophages can track this codex when Venom fully takes over Eddie’s body and take their shot at getting the codex to free Knull. If you’ve watched the film and are wondering what transpired between a symbiote horse and a symbiote roach, we got you.
How does Venom: The Last Dance end?
The film has a bitter-sweet ending. The xenophages and symbiotes including Venom have an all-out battle in Area 51 where the symbiotes discovered by Juno Temple’s Dr. Teddy Payne, Clark Backo’s Sadie Christmas and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Rex Strickland, join the fight. In a self-sacrificing moment towards the end, Venom decides to gather the xenopgahes and douse them in an acid shower. He leaves Eddie’s body and goes down with the creatures. As the movie suggests, in a self-referential dialogue, “The end is Knull.” But that doesn’t mean it’s the end for Venom. In the climax, Eddie finally visits New York City where he had promised to go with Venom. He visits the Statue of Liberty like they had planned and says, “I won’t forget you, buddy.” While the chances of Eddie and Spider-Man running into each other are slim, his presence in the city is exciting.
Teddy Payne transforms into Agony?
Eddie isn’t the only symbiote host. During the showdown in Area 51, Teddy Payne breaks the vial in her pocket and the purple goo within turns her into a purple symbiote with feminine features. She also has the ability to channel lightning, a link to her tragic past. Looks like she will have a key role to play in the Venom-verse.
What happens in the mid-credits and post-credits scenes?
The mid-credits scene, which arrives after a montage of Venom-animal combos as the credits roll, sees serkis’ Knull on his throne. He makes a sinister promise to come back and destroy the disloyal symbiotes. This opens multiple possibilities of him becoming the next big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor’s presence in any long-running movie universe is always a good sign. So fans can rest assured we’ll see more of him.
Remember the clueless bartender from the film’s opening? Cristo Fernandez’s bartender was taken to Area 51 with some Venom particles that were left behind at the bar. Later, we see him in a cave after the final clash destroys the area. Terrorised by the happenings, we see him running. The scene ends with a broken vial containing symbiote goo. It seems to be purple. We also see a cockroach nearby. The movie makes a mention of how resilient roaches have been, existing on Earth for millions of years. The shot serves as a clear indication that symbiote life will continue to exist in Eddie’s timeline. It could also mean that the bartender will return. So who knows?
Will Venom return?
We see Eddie without Venom before a compilation of their memories together. But if we remember correctly, a little bit of Venom’s black goo is left at the bar in Mexico. This is later discovered by Strickland who takes it back to Area 51 along with the bartender. As we know, the bartender is alive, if not well. And that could mean a small sampling of Venom could also be around, having survived the destruction. We still have the vial and a bug in the closing shot to hold out hope for Venom’s eventual return and reunion with Eddie.
Venom: The Last Dance is currently in theatres.