Venom: The Last Dance ending explained - Is Venom truly vanquished or will he slither back?

As the curtain raises on Venom: The Last Dance, the anticipation amongst Marvel enthusiasts and general audiences alike reaches a crescendo. The 2024 release concludes Tom Hardy's exhilarating tenure as Eddie Brock and his symbiotic alter-ego, Venom and marks the third and final installment of a trilogy that began with the surprising box-office success of Venom in 2018.

The first film, followed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021, collectively grossed over $1.3 Billion worldwide and created a benchmark for the climactic chapter.

Venom: The Last Dance emerges from a robust developmental phase spearheaded by Kelly Marcel, who makes her directorial debut, having been intimately involved in scripting the earlier films. The project officially kicked off in late 2021, with Hardy and Marcel co-writing, and transitioned into a full-scale production by June 2023.

With new cast additions like Chiwetel Ejiofor and Juno Temple and a plot that intertwines with cosmic stakes, the film hit the theatres with a spectacle that resonates well beyond its predecessors.

!! Major Spoilers Ahead !!

Venom's return is highly plausible due to the symbiotes' known regenerative capabilities, as evidenced in the comics where they can recover from minimal remnants.

Venom: The Last Dance - Is Venom gone for good or lurking in the shadows?

Venom: The Last Dance (Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment)

As Venom: The Last Dance concludes, audiences are left pondering about the fate of Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote, Venom. The film's climax is both dramatic and definitive which marks a major turning point in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.

The final act of the film sees Venom making a critical decision that redefines heroism in the face of an unstoppable threat, Knull—the creator of the symbiotes. Knull's plan to escape his prison and unleash chaos on the universe hinges on acquiring the Codex, which is a unique symbiote signature left inside Eddie.

In the climactic showdown, Venom chooses to sacrifice himself to prevent Knull's escape, absorbing the Xenophages sent by Knull and then directing Rex Strickland to use the facility's acid tanks to destroy both Venom and the alien beasts.

Venom's last words, "bye for now," to Eddie suggest a flicker of hope for their reunion. But with the symbiote seemingly disintegrated by the acid, the film presents a scenario where Venom's survival seems improbable.

The sacrifice is designed to feel final which wraps up the trilogy with a bold punctuation mark. However, the nuances of the Venom saga hint at potential loopholes.

In the comics, symbiotes have shown an ability to regenerate from even minute remnants. Given this, any surviving piece of Venom could theoretically regrow.

Additionally, the presence of a piece of the symbiote in the MCU, left behind in the Spider-Man: No Way Home mid-credits scene, serves as a plot bridge, potentially allowing Venom to re-enter the story.

Eddie Brock survives the ordeal, physically unscathed but emotionally shattered. His survival and the expunging of his criminal record, thanks to his heroic acts, set him up for a new beginning.

As he visits the Statue of Liberty as a reminder of Venom’s last wish, the story closes on a reflective note, with Eddie musing on his adventures and losses.

Yet, the post-credits scenes quickly pull us back from closure to speculation. Knull, despite the setback, vows vengeance and his ominous declaration hints at future chaos. The scene cleverly sets the stage for Knull's potential return and suggests that the threat he poses is far from over.

Moreover, the film subtly plants seeds for Venom's possible return. A key detail lies in the symbiote's nature and comic book history where symbiotes have survived seemingly fatal situations.

The presence of a surviving piece of the symbiote in the MCU, as teased in Spider-Man: No Way Home, provides a plot gateway for Venom's resurgence, either in the SSU or the broader MCU.

Venom: The Last Dance - How does Venom's sacrifice change his relationship with Eddie?

Throughout the Venom trilogy, the bond between Eddie and Venom evolves from mere survival to a complicated, co-dependent relationship, where both host and symbiote grow to respect and genuinely care for each other. The bond is thoroughly tested in the latest chapter.

In The Last Dance, Venom and Eddie face the looming threat of Knull, who seeks to reclaim the Codex embedded within Eddie to escape his cosmic imprisonment. As the stakes escalate, Venom's protective instincts towards Eddie intensify.

It leads to a critical moment where Venom recognizes the gravity of the threat Knull poses to them and to the entire world and makes the selfless decision to sacrifice himself.

By absorbing the Xenophages and directing Strickland to destroy them with acid, Venom ensures Knull's plan is thwarted at the cost of his own existence.

The act of sacrifice marks a major transformation in Venom’s character. Initially driven by survival, Venom has often leaned towards chaotic and selfish impulses. But his final act solidifies his evolution from a mere alien parasite to a true hero, embodying traits of genuine selflessness and heroism.

The moment also deepens Eddie's loss because he loses a part of his identity and a friend who had become an integral part of his life.

Venom: The Last Dance - What drives Knull’s obsession with the Codex in Eddie?

A central plot point in Venom: The Last Dance revolves around Knull’s relentless pursuit of the Codex within Eddie Brock. Knull, who is the creator of the symbiotes, has been imprisoned in a cosmic void and sees the Codex as his ticket to freedom and dominion over the universe.

The Codex, formed when a symbiote and its host are bonded in a life-saving moment, contains unique genetic imprints that Knull can exploit to escape his bonds.

Throughout the film, Knull’s obsession drives the plot forward, as his actions force Eddie and Venom into increasingly desperate situations. The pursuit sheds light on Knull’s character and depicts him as a villain by nature and as a strategic thinker consumed by a singular goal.

His fixation on the Codex is rooted in his primal urge for survival and supremacy, painting a picture of a being who, despite his god-like powers, is bound by an existential dread and a fear of perpetual confinement.

Knull's methods, including unleashing the Xenophages—a breed of deadly creatures designed to hunt down symbiotes and their hosts, show his willingness to wreak havoc and manipulate biological imperatives to achieve his aims.

The relentless pursuit escalates the tension throughout the film and serves as a catalyst for Venom's ultimate decision to sacrifice himself, knowing that the loss of the Codex is the only sure way to thwart Knull’s plans.

Venom: The Last Dance - How does Dr. Teddy Payne’s transformation into Agony shift the balance?

Dr. Teddy Payne’s journey from a scientist with a paralyzing injury to the host of the symbiote Agony marks a critical turning point in Venom: The Last Dance.

Her transformation occurs during a climactic battle, where her desperation and instinct for survival lead her to bond with one of the symbiotes she has been studying.

The event is a personal victory for Teddy who regains the use of her arm and achieves a strategic shift in the ongoing conflict with Knull.

Teddy, initially portrayed as a driven yet ethically conflicted scientist, becomes a powerhouse on the battlefield. Her new abilities, including super-speed and enhanced strength, allow her to save her colleagues and turn the tide in a seemingly hopeless fight.

The transformation challenges the conventional roles assigned to scientists in superhero plots where they typically serve as advisors or victims rather than active combatants.

Moreover, Teddy’s new identity as Agony introduces a complicated character into the Sony Spider-Man Universe, who embodies both the potential for scientific exploration and the unpredictable elements of symbiote partnerships.

Her transformation also raises ethical questions about the fusion of human and symbiote.

Venom: The Last Dance - What role does the battle at Area 55 play in the story’s progression?

The intense battle at Area 55 serves as a major plot point in Venom: The Last Dance, bringing together various character arcs and setting the stage for the film's dramatic conclusions.

As Knull's forces converge on the facility to capture Eddie and reclaim the Codex, the characters are thrust into a conflict that tests their resolve, alliances, and survival strategies.

The battle is a crucial moment that deepens the plot. For Eddie and Venom, it represents a trial by fire where they must navigate their internal conflicts and the external threats posed by Knull’s formidable Xenophages.

For the supporting characters like Rex Strickland and the newly transformed Agony, the battle challenges their previous beliefs about power, control, and the nature of symbiotes.

Strategically, the battle at Area 55 is also major for its role in showing the destructive potential of the Xenophages and the defensive capabilities of the symbiotes bonded with humans.

It shows the chaotic yet symbiotic relationships that can emerge under pressure which provides a rich canvas for character development and thematic exploration.

Additionally, this confrontation directly influences the film’s resolution and sets up Venom’s sacrificial act and the subsequent fallout that impacts each character's future.

Venom: The Last Dance is available in theatres near you.

Edited by Prem Deshpande