2023 was an unmitigated disaster for the DC Extended Universe and even Marvel Studios struggled after The Marvels bombed at the box office.
For Sony Pictures' Marvel Universe, things haven't been good for a long time. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 went way over budget in 2014 and a combination of lower-than-expected profits and negative reviews left them with no other choice than to share the web-slinger with Marvel Studios.
Those movies have been a massive success, but Sony's own live-action efforts have been a mixed bag. Venom was a box office hit but ended up being eviscerated by critics. Venom: Let There Be Carnage was in a similar position, but Morbius and Madame Web are destined to go down as two of the biggest superhero flops ever made.
The buzz surrounding Kraven the Hunter is already extremely negative (especially in the wake of countless delays) and there doesn't appear to be a huge amount of excitement for Venom: The Last Dance either.
The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with star Juno Temple - who plays Dr. Payne - and asked if she's feeling any pressure for the Venom threequel to deliver after Sony's "recent streak."
"I can honestly say that I’m not programmed to think about it like that," the actress admitted. "It’s quite new for me to be a part of a movie of this size. I’m just hoping that I did the best job I could on a [movie] that was a really amazing thing to be involved in."
"I hope that whether the five people go to see it or whether 500 go see it, or more, I hope that they enjoy it and it takes them out of their everyday lives for a minute," Temple concluded.
Venom's popularity and the fact this movie is being billed as the end of his trilogy should be enough to ensure The Last Dance doesn't suffer the same fate as Morbius and Madame Web. How it fares with critics and fans may be another matter altogether, of course.
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.