Though he is not the major enemy of this trilogy-capper, The Last Dance features the Marvel Comics villain Knull on film. Director and co-writer Kelly Marcel told IGN by email, “One movie could never do justice to Knull.”
Although Venom: The Last Dance marks the last installment of Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock series (more on that in a moment), fans should expect the sequel to also act as a basis for future Knull appearances. “We knew we had to build the Venom character’s basis, but Knull was already known to us; his relationship with Eddie preceded his introduction. This is just the start for Knull, Marcel said.
“We’re in spoiler territory now and we hope some of the fun of watching this movie is not knowing what will happen, but trust me, we know full well how important Knull is to the fans, so just as we laid a foundation for Venom, so we hope we are doing for Knull,” she said. The King in Black is far too strong for “one and done.”
“This movie introduces Knull, but it just touches the beginnings of his story,” Marcel said. “Developed over time are Marvel’s best film villains. Here Knull is the threat hiding behind the danger that challenges the utmost limits of Eddie and Venom’s alliance; nevertheless, their friendship is still central to this narrative.
Apart from our one-on-one chat with Marcel, IGN can also reveal these two exclusive images from Venom: The Last Dance with the Lethal Protector exclusively.
Although Marcel created and produced the last two episodes and has a long association with star producer Tom Hardy, the Last Dance marks her first time behind the camera. The filmmaker clarifies Amazing Spider-Man veteran Rhys Ifans’ casting, why Michelle Williams’ Anne Weying isn’t back for the sequel, the contributions of Knull co-creators Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, and more in our complete Q&A with her.
Ignition: By the time we visit Eddie Brock and Venom, what is their relationship like? They have been together for some considerable time at this point.
Kelly Marcel: Eddie and Venom are fugitives in this film, distant from San Francisco and everyone they have known. Now everything the other possesses, pursued by several enemies is
Characters of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Juno Temple seem to fit the military-science complex. Given the events of the prior two Venom films, symbiotes cannot be surprising to them; so, what can you tell us about their objective in The Last Dance?
Marcel is The military research complex Eddie and Venom must run from is part of the reason symbiotes are not surprising given their characteristics. Though Chiwetel and Juno’s characters have conflicting goals, like Eddie and Venom, they must cooperate for the good.
IGN: This sequel does not seem to feature Anne Weying. Has Eddie finally moved on from her or were there any talks about bringing her back? Has he come to see that Venom is indeed his love in life? Just half-joking here!
Marcel: Only half are not joking in response; this narrative is essentially about Eddie and Venom and, let me say, their “depth” of relationship.
IGN: Given how Let There Be Carnage concluded, what can you say about Mulligan’s comeback?
Marcel is: Is Mulligan’s return merely natural? Alternatively, is he coming back with a buddy? As you will discover, symbiotes possess some quite remarkable powers.
Igniter: Your first feature film directing is this one. Though you developed and wrote the two previous Venom movies, how much of a struggle was it as a first-time filmmaker to create a movie so mostly dependent on visual effects?
Marcel: Having worked on the first two films, I knew the special effects and VFX work these films demand. Chris Corbould was kindly heading us up in SFX. As much as I could, I wanted to do in camera; one sequence called for Tom Hardy and the stunt squad to spend two weeks underwater in a specially constructed rapids tank Chris envisioned. Chris’s crew, together with the brilliance of our second unit director, Brian Smrz, took this beyond anything I could have dreamed of when writing it on the page. The SFX in this film is amazing.
Leading by the outstanding John Moffatt and Aharon Bourland, our VFX crew also knocked it out of the box. As you will see, there is a variety of species lot more than we have seen in the past two films and they imparted individuality and character to all of them, which was really of the essence for me.
The challenge question was difficult, but our teams truly embraced that task hand in hand with me to see to it the goal came to life.
IGN: Most people agree that Carnage is the definitive Venom villain. Given the prior film handling that rivalry, how challenging was it to advance the narrative and identify a villain capable of surpassing Carnage?
Marcel: Though the comics abound with villains, Carnage was one poor symbiote and most certainly a classic Venom competitor. We knew we wanted to raise our game with the threat in this movie, hence we brought out the major weapons to present a far more significant challenge to Eddie and Venom as well as to our planet.
“The King in Black is far too potent for ‘one and done’.”
ign: Marvel truly revived the Venom mythology when Knull and that connected backstory were unveiled in 2018. When did you first see Knull as a character, and when did you start considering how to include him in this movie universe?
Marcel: Though we understood we had to build the Venom character from his relationship with Eddie before introducing him, we were always aware of Knull. For Knull, this marks only the start.
Ign: Knull is the primary film’s antagonist? Alternatively, is his part in The Last Dance more of a tease for upcoming strife than the main villain? Should the latter be the case, did you find his character to be too large for handling as a one-and-done threat?
Marcel is Trust me; we know full well how important Knull is to the fans, hence much as we set a basis for Venom, we hope we are doing the same for Knull. We are now in the spoiler area and hope some of the excitement of seeing this movie is not knowing what will happen. The King in Black is just too potent for “one and done”. This movie presents Knull, yet it barely touches the start of his journey. Marvel’s best movie antagonists grow throughout time. Here Knull is the threat hiding behind the danger testing the utmost limits of Eddie and Venom’s alliance; but, their connection is still the central focus of this narrative.
Ign: We knew The Last Dance would be the last Venom film, but Tom Hardy also announced it would be his last performance as the character. Was that a Sony choice, or something that results from what transpires in the movie, without spoiling too much?
From the start, Tom and I always imagined that this specific Eddie/Venom narrative would be told in three parts and the story arc would peak with the third film for reasons the movie will highlight.
IGN: Why even set up such an important character as Knull here if this is indeed the only Venom movie with Tom?
Marcel: As the fans are aware, there are many, many more symbiote tales; the universe is vast and deep, and one film could never adequately depict Knull. There are more tales to discover outside of this trilogy; God is arriving.
IGN: The teaser also showed Rhys Ifans appearing in the film. Can you say whether he is portraying a completely new character here? He starred in earlier Spider-Man movies as Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard already.
Marcel: Actors cast as multiple Marvel characters over several films are not unusual; this is not different. Rhys is no exception; he portrays a fresh and unusual character in a really entertaining and significant role and I am so delighted for people’s response to his great performance. The greatest performers for the roles were cast.
IGN: Knull co-creator Donny Cates reported on X/Twitter that he visited Sony and was let to view the The Last Dance script. How much involvement did he and fellow co-creator Ryan Stegman provide on Knull’s character? What part, if any, did they have in this movie? Because they recently expressed on social media that they expect to be paid for his inclusion.
Marcel: David and Todd’s Venom novels through to Donny and Ryan’s run have always provided us with very great material. Tom spoke with Donny as far back as Venom 1 since he is a great admirer of Donny and Ryan. Tom and I both considered their design of Knull to be absolutely essential for research. Donny and Ryan have an advisory relationship with Sony.
Discover how Venom: The Last Dance could relate to the MCU and what the creators of Knull had to say about his presence in the film for more on Eddie Brock and Venom’s last ride. And in the Marvel Comics, see a preview of All-New Venom’s fresh host for Venom.
Venom: Friday, October 18th, 7:00 PM–8:00 PM at the Empire Stage of the Javitz Centre will be Sony Pictures’ New York Comic Con presentation. October 25th opens the movie in theatres.
Conclusion:
Venom 3 director reveals that Knull, the symbiote god, will not be the primary villain in the upcoming film, The Last Dance. Instead, the movie serves as a starting point for something much larger within the Venom storyline. Fans can expect a fresh narrative direction that expands the Venom universe beyond what was previously imagined, teasing bigger developments in future films.
FAQs:
1. Is Knull the villain in Venom 3?
A. No, the director confirmed Knull isn’t the main villain in Venom 3.
2. What is Venom 3 about?
A. Venom 3 focuses on new threats, with ‘The Last Dance’ marking the beginning of a larger storyline.