Marvel Studios successfully regained the rights to some of its biggest characters after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox. However, there's always been one major Marvel character that the studio has never been able to fully regain the rights to: Spider-Man. Marvel Studios and Sony currently share the rights to Spider-Man, with the latter having tried to establish its own Spider-Man Universe without Peter Parker. Sony managed to find success with Venom on the big screen, and is preparing to say goodbye to the symbiote with Venom: The Last Dance.

However, while the first two Venom movies were successful, Venom: The Last Dance looks unlikely to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The film is expected to be the final turn as the titular character for Tom Hardy, and is being helmed by first-time director Kelly Marcel, who has penned the entire trilogy. The first movie was a massive success for Sony, having pulled in over $856 million worldwide, but the second movie only managed to bring in $506 million worldwide. Can The Last Dance end the trilogy on a successful note, or will it end with a whimper?

Related

Avengers: Secret Wars Rumored To Have A Big Connection To Venom

Avengers: Secret Wars is rumored to answer a big question involving Tom Hardy's Venom that fans have waited years to see resolved.

Everything Working Against Venom: The Last Dance

Venom: The Last Dance could be a huge film for Sony, especially given how well the first film performed pre-COVID. However, it seems like there is plenty working against the movie already. Hardy, who has been very passionate about the franchise from the get-go, is preparing to say goodbye to the character - at least, that's the current plan. Yet, the movie doesn't feel like it's a well-thought-out farewell to the franchise. Woody Harrelson's Carnage, who was first teased at the end of Venom, met his end soon after in Venom: Let There be Carnage. A decision that seemed rushed more than anything. Although Venom has other adversaries in the comics, the character's most well known adversary is easily Carnage. If Sony wanted to truly end the franchise on a high-note, it would've teased Carnage in the first two films, before finally bringing in the character for The Last Dance. Not only would it have worked well with the film's title, but it would've given fans what they wanted. A satisfying conclusion between the two.

Then there's the obvious Spider-Man problem. With Tom Holland's Peter Parker tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there's no Spider-Man for Tom Hardy's Venom to work with on the big screen. While there was a tease at the end of Venom: Let There be Carnage, indicating Venom and Spider-Man might just exist within the same universe finally, the trailer for The Last Dance seems to have retconned that. It's a strange move, of course. Although the character is shared with Marvel Studios, Sony does have the right to allow Peter Parker to appear in its villain films. Having teased Spider-Man in the end credits scene for Let There be Carnage, Sony implied Spider-Man could appear in the next Venom movie. Something that surely would've excited Spider-Man - and Venom - fans as a whole. So, the trailer seemingly suggesting the post credits scene is no longer canon is sure to frustrate many fans. It's a marketing ploy that might've just backfired against The Final Dance in the end.

Is There Any Reason for Spider-Man Fans to Care about Venom: The Last Dance?

Marcel, who has penned all three films, stepped behind the camera for The Last Dance as a first-time director. She follows directors Ruben Fleischer and Andy Serkis, respectively, who have previously worked on big-budget films before signing on for the comicbook franchise. While Marcel's turn as director may be worrisome for those who fear The Last Dance is a big project for a newcomer, it's important to note that Marvel Studios has regularly hired first-time directors for some of its biggest projects. A first-time director isn't a problem for The Last Dance, but everything else surrounding The Last Dance could just be an issue.

Despite a stellar cast that includes Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rhys Ifans, there's little reason for Spider-Man fans to care about the Venom threequel. The films have done a decent job with the look of the symbiotes, but they often feel rushed and overstuffed. For example, with the first two films, we've already met Carnage, Riot, Shriek, and Anne Weying, to name a few. Now, the third film is set to bring fans Toxin, and it may just be hinting at an appearance by the all-important Knull. While Knull could be an exciting character to feature in The Last Dance, it doesn't feel like the franchise earned it.

Venom's biggest issue is that the first two films didn't take their time to give fans something to care about. It rushed through big characters, especially Carnage. If it had properly set up the franchise, teasing Knull from the beginning, much like Marvel did with Thanos, The Last Dance would've benefited greatly. Teasing Knull's appearance for two films before bringing the character in for a final showdown in the final movie would've made for an exciting ending, even for those fans that have wished Tom Hardy's Venom could've appeared alongside Holland's Peter Parker.

As it stands, though, The Last Dance looks to be just another Venom movie that doesn't really feel like it's certain of itself storywise. That isn't to say the film won't be good in the end, because it very well could be, but as it stands, there's no reason for Spider-Man fans to really care about how the Sony franchise ends. Especially following Madame Web and Morbius, two Spider-Man offshoots that failed to be worthy of a watch. With one final dance, one can only hope Sony's Venom trilogy goes out with a bang rather than a whimper, but as it stands, that seems unlikely.

Venom: The Last Dance will hit theaters on October 25th, 2024.

More

Rumor: Fan-Favorite Villain Set To Appear in Spider-Man 4 (With A Catch)

There are already plenty of Spider-Man 4 rumors, but the latest suggests a supporting appearance from a major villain.