Venom: The Last Dance is fast approaching and promotional tie-ins with Pizza Hut and Wendy's have revealed a new look at Tom Hardy's fan-favourite (well, some fans) Symbiote in action.
That black goo - don't worry, it's just garlic sauce - looks oddly appetising but on closer inspection, we see that some of the artwork has recycled images of Venom from the previous movies. For most franchises, that wouldn't fly, but in this one's case...why not?
Bizarrely, Venom's character design hasn't undergone any noteworthy changes since the first movie was released in 2018. That's despite fan backlash over the fact he has no logo on his chest, making Venom the one constant in a genre that frequently switches up costumes and appearances to, primarily, sell toys and merchandise.
This mostly new artwork comes as early box office tracking suggests Venom: The Last Dance is on course to open with between $80 million - $120 million at the North American box office next month.
That would potentially be the trilogy's highest debut and one of the year's biggest opening weekends. While it hasn't felt like there's that much buzz surrounding the threequel, we'll get more accurate tracking figures once tickets go on sale.
Likely helping matters are the rumblings Venom is going to feature heavily in Spider-Man 4. Sony may have leaked word of that crossover to increase interest in Venom: The Last Dance but, if those rumours don't pan out...well, there are going to be a lot of disappointed fans (and many who will be relieved too, of course).
Check out this new look at the movie's Lethal Protector in the X posts below.
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.