Venom: The Last Dance – A Trilogy's End, and What It Means for the Future!
Venom: The Last Dance – A Planned Trilogy's End
Tom Hardy and director Kelly Marcel revealed something huge regarding Venom: The Last Dance: They always planned this as a trilogy! Marcel (who wrote all three films and directed the last one) told People, "We knew it would be three...we knew it would end like this from the beginning." This confirms a threequel intended since the beginning, which will impact not merely how critics judge the final product, but also how the storyline itself is interpreted and also understood.
This also wasn't just some last-minute decision! Marcel says Sony asked her to direct, and felt like that this "third and final one" could work well and actually end things suitably: creating an enjoyable ending full of memorable plot moments that would provide satisfaction but would also be impactful; yet that was the whole plan, that specific ending was a crucial component in this project from its very inception, even prior to many others having been involved.
Venom 3’s Box Office Performance: A Mixed Bag
Venom: The Last Dance is doing really well internationally; that success pushed Sony’s Marvel movies beyond $1.5 billion globally; which may very well seem impressive and ultimately sufficient, which is exactly what Sony is claiming publicly as the primary reason behind their statement for why this was such a necessary and correct decision and for the various public statements provided to alleviate many criticisms from prior critics involved.
Yet its domestic opening was pretty weak: around $51 million (well short of projections of around $65 million and earlier films in the franchise), but made up for it through international successes which demonstrate why a larger scale release strategy with greater marketing investment to focus on broader geographical distributions could’ve led to a more profitable success. Sony blames the World Series (Yankees vs. Dodgers), but the difference suggests more than just the sports games prevented some ticket buyers. Those earlier successes are going to create some seriously complicated and deeply ingrained expectations which could be extremely detrimental given such widely fluctuating outcomes and ultimately result in decreased profits and an arguably far lesser reception overall; thus the primary success needs rethinking of what this ultimately signifies.
Venom 3's Critical Reception: A Consistent Theme
It's worth mentioning this specific element: Venom films haven’t exactly been loved by critics. This one’s at 37% on Rotten Tomatoes—with many sources commenting that audiences themselves may simply be showing tiredness and dissatisfaction over some storytelling approaches which remain inconsistent across its many installments; an issue repeatedly mentioned concerning plot details, narrative arcs and even thematic consistency of each film’s story elements. Even CinemaScore gives it only a “B-”, lower than previous movies.
What the Experts Say: Disappointment but Profitability
The analysts point out these shortcomings. The storyline feels incredibly rushed; creating those various thematic problems involving numerous story points with insufficient time and emphasis to actually resolve the existing mysteries surrounding certain narrative aspects and plot points from earlier Movies in the trilogy, and all of those plot details; while they initially added much suspense through carefully paced storytelling approaches ultimately fell short due to inadequate emphasis for actual conclusions, even creating those kinds of loose ends throughout its entire storyline that could otherwise been handled. This ultimately results in dissatisfaction for its viewers.
Yet Sony should still make profit. The $120 million budget (before marketing) with its projected $400 million theatrical revenue is likely a safe venture; making Sony profitable; ultimately resolving the critical conflict.
Venom 3: Setup for More Storylines
Let’s delve into those plot hints found in the finale. Those kinds of references could shape that entire Sony Spider-Man Universe for years to come; which could result in many future cinematic explorations using its existing fanbase for new ventures which will rely critically on those kinds of well-planned plot references, and well-executed storylines in prior works. Some sources comment that the current trilogy intended by Hardy and Marcel was merely to pave the way to even larger cross-overs which further explores new storylines that were implied only subtly in previous films, including new developments surrounding those established main characters within the symbiote-verse.
- Knull's Arrival and "King in Black": The Knull teaser in the mid-credits scene hints towards a possible adaptation of that legendary "King in Black" storyline, a potential setup for those interested audiences; emphasizing future expansion.
- Agony's Emergence as Sony's Symbiote: This introduces Agony ; the sole surviving symbiote; opening up opportunities and various creative possibilities that could be explored later, adding intrigue to this franchise through new and exciting characters which would allow additional development through unique characters; including further exploration of female-focused symbiote plots which were barely referenced in the original film.
- Dylan Brock and the New Generation: A potential lead-in towards developing Dylan Brock (Eddie's son from the comics) into the next major character; perhaps becoming Venom in future installments; tying in directly towards that earlier hinted arrival of Knull. That emphasis provides important future development for audience members already heavily invested in the lore!
- Venom's Possible Return: Even with his apparent demise, Venom’s potential return creates another major suspense moment; setting up various theories surrounding the continuation of that character’s adventures which ultimately continue in spite of many obstacles; showing just how pervasive those Symbiotes truly are within that entire universe and it adds unexpected, intriguing storylines and characters!
- A Hint at Sinister Six?: The brief mention of "the six" (those six soldiers apprehending Eddie and Venom) is being perceived as the possible foreshadowing of Sony's Sinister Six project. This suggests that a wider storyline was implied subtly, adding depth for interested fans!
Conclusion: The End of One Chapter, and the Start of Many Others!
Venom: The Last Dance ends that Tom Hardy trilogy, but it doesn't really close everything. It set things up quite brilliantly – but also very cleverly! Those hinted story arcs and cliffhangers, coupled with this entire universe’s inherent openness toward both exploring new directions as well as potentially integrating various established plot elements and expanding the lore shows that future adaptations have many more avenues to exploit for additional sequels; further highlighting those inherent opportunities for using fan expectations toward continued storylines.
Whether these leads become reality depends on Sony. The movie remains quite divisive in many places. However, its successes still create future possibilities!
