Venom: The Last Dance is still being billed as Tom Hardy's final Venom movie, but at the same time, it's no secret that the stage is being set for Knull, God of the Symbiotes, to become a major threat to...something.
As things stand, it feels like we'll either see Venom and Knull appear in Spider-Man 4 or a Sinister Six movie featuring Eddie Brock assembling the likes of Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, and, uh, Madame Web, to take on the ultimate villain.
Talking at New York Comic Con yesterday, Hardy addressed his apparent exit from the Venom franchise. "Well, it's been seven years this day...I've absolutely loved playing Eddie and Venom," he told fans. "It's been one of the best things I've ever done in my life so it'll be sad to see him go."
Despite that, the actor added, "I would like to fight Spider-Man. I would like to fight him right now. In a movie, 100%. I would never say never."
Venom: The Last Dance writer and director Kelly Marcel was also on hand and, despite Hardy's comments, continued to hype up this movie as being the beginning of Knull's story.
"This is just the introduction to Knull. Obviously, he's a massive character, so you could never do one and done with him, so this is just a taste of Knull, you will get to meet him and then what the future holds for him...who knows," she teased.
"[The story of] Venom and Eddie closes here but, as you know, there are lots of Symbiote stories in the canon," Marcel added. "So there are lots of places to go and there may even be some Easter Eggs in here that starts that journey off."
We'll see what happens, but it does feel a little like all those Spider-Man 4 rumours could be lucky guesses based on Knull's cameo in this threequel and the movie's expected Multiversal premise.
As for Hardy, he may be negotiating in public for Sony to sign him to a lucrative new deal that will see him continue playing Venom in its own Marvel Universe.
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.