SeveralMarvelmovies play a crucial role in setting up the complex web of multiverse connections and symbiote lore that will be vital to watch beforeVenom: The Last Dance.Sony’sVenom: The Last Danceis the highly anticipated continuation of Eddie Brock and Venom’s story, where they’ll face their biggest threat yet:Knull, the godlike creator of the symbiotes. To fully appreciate the storyline and the multiversal connections, there are several Marvel movies that audiences should watch first.
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) is a collection of films focusing on characters tied to Spider-Man, though they exist mostly outsidethe MCU timeline.Venom(2018) kicked off this universe, followed byVenom: Let There Be Carnage(2021). Now, with Venom: The Last Dance, the franchise is expected to delve deeper into the symbiote mythos and multiverse connections. Understanding Eddie Brock’s journey, the history of the symbiotes, and the expanding multiverse will be critical in following the events of the final installment in theVenomseries.
4Venom (2018)
Eddie Brock’s First Solo Movie
Venom(2018) introduced Tom Hardy’s version of Eddie Brock, a down-on-his-luck journalist who becomes bonded with the alien symbiote known as Venom. Unlike the comic version of Venom, which often portrays the character as more villainous,the film made Eddie and Venom a more sympathetic, even heroic, duo. Their dynamic is essential to understanding the franchise, as their relationship evolves from mutual distrust to a bizarre but functional partnership by the film’s end.
Venomalso introduces the concept of symbiotes, showing that Venom is one of many alien beings who bond with hosts to survive on Earth. The film teasesa larger universe of symbiotesby introducing the Life Foundation, a group that seeks to use the symbiotes for nefarious purposes. The movie also introduced Riot, another symbiote who becomes the film’s primary antagonist.
These early teases set the stage for the more expansive exploration of the symbiote lore in later films, which will be crucial asVenom: The Last Dancetackles the origins of the symbiotes and their god, Knull. Understanding the rules and biology of the symbiotes - how they bond with hosts, their weaknesses, and their ability to communicate with each other - is key going into Venom: The Last Dance. Knull, as the creator of all symbiotes, will likely manipulate these connections, making the events of the firstVenomfilm a necessary foundation for the new movie.
3Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Carnage’s Cinematic Debut
The secondVenomfilm,Venom: Let There Be Carnage, is essential for understanding the deepening bond between Eddie and Venom. The film continues their dynamic in a lighthearted, rom-com style but also escalates the stakes by introducing Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) and his symbiote, Carnage. This film establishes that symbiotes can bond in different ways and that there are even more dangerous variants like Carnage, whichsets the stage for the ultimate threatinVenom: The Last Dance- Knull.
The mid-credits scene inVenom: Let There Be Carnageis especially critical. In it, Venom reveals to Eddie that symbiotes share collective knowledge that spans across multiple universes,hinting at a multiversal symbiote hive mind. Before the scene ends, Eddie and Venom are mysteriously transported to a different universe where they witness J. Jonah Jameson discussing Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker on TV.
This crossover withVenom and the MCUis a monumental moment, confirming that Venom and other symbiotes are connected across the multiverse, a concept that could be expanded inVenom: The Last Dance, especially with the introduction of Knull. This connection is vital because itlays the groundwork for how Venom will navigate multiple universes. It also explains why the Venom franchise may be on the verge of connecting with the MCU, something that has been long speculated about.
2Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Venom Appears In The MCU
Spider-Man: No Way Homeplayed a pivotal role in confirming the existence of the multiverse in the MCU andexplaining the events of theVenom: Let There Be Carnagecredits scene.The movie brings together the three cinematic Spider-Men by cracking open the multiverse and allowing characters from different Marvel movie universes to collide. This event explains why Eddie Brock was transported to the MCU’s universe in the mid-credits scene ofLet There Be Carnageand how the multiverse functions.
In another crucial post-credits' scene,No Way Homedepicted Eddie Brock still in the MCU’s universe, drinking at a bar and trying to understand the world of superheroes and the Avengers. However, before he can meet Spider-Man, Doctor Strange’s spell sends Eddie back to his original universe. Importantly,a piece of the Venom symbiote is left behind in the MCU.
This small fragment of symbiote is key because it suggests that Venom’s presence will continue in the MCU, andVenom: The Last Dancemay explore or even retcon this event. The bar from the post-credits' scene is shown in thetrailer forVenom: The Last Dance, stronglysuggesting that the film will address what happened inNo Way Home. It might further explore how the symbiote hive mind operates across the multiverse and how Knull will play into these connections.
1Spider-Man 3 (2007)
The Original Venom Movie
AlthoughSpider-Man 3predates the SSU and MCU, it features Venom’s cinematic debut, which could be referenced with the multiverse. It features Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man battling a version of Venom played by Topher Grace. With theVenom: Let There Be Carnagemid-credits scene confirming that symbiotes share knowledge across the multiverse, andNo Way Homeconfirming Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man exists in the multiverse,Spider-Man 3nowretroactively ties into the larger symbiote mythos.
InSpider-Man 3, Venom is portrayed as a dark reflection of Spider-Man, a being thatamplifies aggression and violence in its host. This version of Venom is much more villainous and unsettling than Tom Hardy’s antiheroic take, and with Knull’s introduction inVenom: The Last Dance, there’s a possibility that the Sam Raimi version of Venom could be referenced or even appear. The hive mind established in the previous films suggests that all versions of Venom across different universes share a connection, which means that Eddie Brock fromSpider-Man 3could become relevant inVenom: The Last Dance.
Additionally,Spider-Man 3introduced the concept of a symbiote bonding with a human host in the live-action Marvel universe for the first time. The dark, parasitic nature of this bond and how it corrupted Eddie Brock’s character could serve asa warning or parallel to the ultimate threat Knull posesinVenom: The Last Dance. Understanding the different portrayals of Venom fromSpider-Man 3to Tom Hardy’s version inVenomwill provide a broader context for howVenom: The Last Dancemight integrate these versions in a multiverse-spanning storyline.
Venom: The Last Dance
Cast
Venom: The Last Dance is a film directed by an undisclosed director, featuring the character Venom in a thrilling narrative. The movie explores the alien symbiote’s latest challenges and transformations as it navigates through a world full of danger and new adversaries.
