Venom: Let There Be Carnage was a marked improvement over Venom, but still dropped the ball in ways many comic book fans couldn't forgive.
Woody Harrelson was a suitably bonkers Cletus Kasady, while No Time to Die star Naomie Harris did her best with the material she was given as the villainous Shriek.
Her sonic blasts played a key role in the sequel's final battle, and after failing to take revenge on Detective Patrick Mulligan, Shriek fell to her death before a massive church bell landed on top of her. It was a pretty definitive end for the character, though comic book fans will be all too aware that heroes and villains have managed to come back from worse than that.
Alas, in an interview with MovieWeb, Harris confirmed Shriek is done and won't be making a surprise appearance in this year's threequel, Venom: The Last Dance.
"Shriek was well and truly dead. So, there’s no chance of her returning in Venom," she told the site. "But I had an incredible time with Andy Serkis, he’s just a phenomenal director. Tom Hardy is another amazing actor who I would work with anytime in the future - and, of course, Woody Harrelson. I love Woody, he’s incredible to work opposite of."
"Of course, if [Sony] asked me, I’d come back, but Shriek is definitely dead, I’m afraid," Harris confirmed.
Also unlikely to make a comeback is Carnage. Despite being the ultimate Venom villain, he too was killed when Eddie Brock ate his head and devoured his costume's Symbiote offspring.
If rumours Sony is building to a crossover movie featuring Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, then it's possible Carnage will be resurrected. As for Shriek, that was clearly a one-and-done role for Harris.
In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel's greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.
The movie stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Graham, and Rhys Ifans. Kelly Marcel directs from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.
Venom: The Last Dance will be released in theaters on October 25.