Recently, Sony Pictures officially released Venom: The Last Dance, the third installment of the Venom franchise, which also serves as the concluding chapter for the character Eddie Brock within the SpiderVerse cinematic universe. Like other superhero films, Venom: The Last Dance does not forget to include “post-credit scenes” that hint at future events through two segments at the end of the movie.
Decoding the First Post-Credit Scene of Venom 3 – The “Thanos” of SpiderVerse Declares War on Earth
The first post-credit scene of Venom 3 brings audiences back to Knull, who has not yet been able to escape his physical form after attempting to find the Venom symbiote and failing. He delivers a warning directed at all inhabitants of Earth, and as if challenging all viewers in front of the big screen: “The home of those who have fallen. The planet of the people shall belong to us. Knull has awakened. We shall eradicate the existence of humans; all shall perish before the face of humanity.†Knull’s warning directly demonstrates to Venom – “the fallen one†of Earth, who has sacrificed himself in the battle against Xenophage.
Referring to Knull’s character in the original comic book source, it suggests that Sony Pictures might want to transform this villain into the “ultimate threat” of the SpiderVerse in the future, similar to how Marvel Studios handled Thanos.
Despite some inconsistent box office results, Sony’s cinematic universe currently boasts many superheroes/franchises gaining attention, such as Morbius, Madame Web, Vulture, and upcoming titles like Kraven the Hunter and Rhino. However, Spider-Man’s role in the Spider-Verse has yet to be established, or at least it is still unclear how the character Agony – a symbiote that Venom leaves behind, will fit in. Sony could potentially gather all these characters to create a formidable force against Knull in the future.
Moreover, Knull’s challenge in the first post-credit scene alludes to his title “King in Black,” which is a central theme in the Marvel comics. “King in Black” was a significant event in Marvel comics, occurring from 2020 to 2021. This event revolves around Knull’s invasion of Earth and his army of symbiotes, forcing members of the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four, along with Spider-Man and Venom, to unite to stop him. The scale of the “King in Black” event is immense, spanning several different comic series, including Spider-Woman, Daredevil, and Fantastic Four.
Therefore, in the future, Sony Pictures could completely allow Marvel Studios to “borrow” their character’s dark theme. The power and ambition of Knull could easily transform him into a central antagonist comparable to Thanos, Kang the Conqueror, or Doctor Doom. Meanwhile, the MCU is currently home to numerous characters related to “King in Black,” including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men – all of whom could be crucial in the upcoming story.
Decoding the Second Post-Credit Scene of Venom 3 – Will Venom Return to the SpiderVerse?
The second post-credit scene of Venom: The Last Dance takes place in the devastated Area 51, confirming that the unnamed bartender (played by Cristo Fernández) is still alive and has found his way to Area 55 through a tunnel created from the battlefield between Venom and Xenophage. However, the most noteworthy aspect of this post-credit scene focuses on the scene of a mysterious portal opening. This could very well be the portal that Rex used to transport the deadly substance that Venom accidentally left at the bar in the opening scene of the film.
In order to prevent Knull’s dark energy from spreading, Venom decided to sacrifice himself, both to destroy the creature Xenophage and to cut off the signal that could potentially free a truly evil deity. Nevertheless, the second post-credit scene opens the possibility for Venom to return in the future, or at least a different version of this character. Furthermore, Venom also inadvertently left behind a piece of his symbiotic substance within the MCU during the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Therefore, the chances of the most famous anti-hero of Sony returning are very high, even if Eddie Brock may not be involved.
Another notable detail in this post-credit scene is the image of a “lucky” cockroach surviving after the Xenophage attack and moving around the mentioned portal. Cockroaches are known to be “survivors” when they can exist in hostile environments without needing to eat for about a month, even surviving approximately 45 minutes in space. Therefore, the image of the cockroach in this post-credit scene serves as a symbolic reminder that Venom, or other symbiotic creatures, also have a robust survival instinct and cannot easily be exterminated.
There have been numerous reports surrounding Sony and Marvel Studios wanting to bring the conflict between Spider-Man and Venom to the big screen in the future, as a continuation of the unfinished story from Spider-Man 3 (2007). This could potentially be a movie belonging to the MCU, with Tom Holland continuing to portray Spidey in the fourth installment of his series. It could also be a project related to the Spider-Verse, following Sony’s introduction of a new Carnage version. Regardless of the direction taken, Venom’s return, whether with Eddie Brock or not, is unavoidable.
Additionally, Tom Hardy, who plays Venom, has expressed his readiness to confront Spider-Man on the big screen. Although he has officially stated he is parting ways with the character following Venom: The Last Dance, the actor could easily reprise the role of a different version of Venom in this expansive universe or even become the official version of Venom within the MCU. This could also be a strategy that Marvel Studios has employed with Hugh Jackman in relation to the character Wolverine.
Source: ScreenRant
