For years, it seemed as if the art of making action-heavy buddy cop comedies was dead. Not even the occasional Bad Boys entry could reignite audiences’ love for movies like Lethal Weapon, making the genre feel like a relic from the ’80s. Still, the dream of the perfect bromance action comedy wasn’t lost for some comic book movie fans – specifically, those who loved Tom Hardy’s Venom trilogy. After two successful films, Hardy’s symbiote trilogy comes to a close with the aptly titled Venom: The Last Dance. Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and Venom, presumably for the last time, in a movie so packed with intense action sequences, that it will remind you why we loved buddy cop films. Venom: The Last Dance is also one of the funniest and most competent rom-coms of the year, something most people would never have expected from a comic book film.
A Comic Book Rom-Com That Succeeds Where Others Have Failed
While Joker: Folie à Deux tried to be the ultimate rom-com of the comic book movie genre, Venom effortlessly takes the cake in that category. Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and, well, Tom Hardy’s Venom have the perfect on-screen chemistry, and we, as fans, have come to love their unique dynamic across three solid films. They might not be the critics’ favorites, but the Venom trilogy has been a pleasant surprise from beginning to end, especially if we compare it to other Spidey spin-offs like Madame Web or Morbius.
A Focus on Eddie and Venom’s Relationship
As Venom 3 will be the last we see of this unorthodox dynamic duo, the movie will more than likely shine a spotlight on the pair’s symbiotic – and at times toxic – relationship. Fortunately for fans, we’re in good hands for this Last Dance, as Kelly Marcel will finally take the director’s chair.
Marcel has co-written every Venom movie to date. If there is anyone in the industry who understands how Eddie and Venom feel with each other, that’s Kelly Marcel. Seeing her take the reigns in the trilogy’s final entry feels just right – and will undoubtedly result in a Venom movie that explores these characters with a uniquely personal perspective.
The director/screenwriter has shared her thoughts on the franchise before, calling the Venom franchise “A classic rom-com.” She also noted how the films portray the evolution of these characters.
The Seven-Year Itch and the Future of Eddie and Venom
According to Marcel, The Last Dance will mark a point of no return for Eddie and Venom, as their relationship reaches a breaking point that she describes as them facing the dreaded “seven-year itch.” It’s very apparent that the production team has always made it clear Venom is a bromantic movie first and foremost.
Now, all that talk about feelings and emotions doesn’t mean Venom: The Last Dance will focus purely on the “rom” and leave aside the “com.” The film features high stakes for our alien antihero, as other members of the Symbiote species are on the hunt for Venom, who is now considered a rogue element by its own planet.
A Star-Studded Cast and Potential Marvel Connections
The Last Dance features a star-studded cast, fitting for the epic conclusion to a franchise like Venom. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rhys Ifans join Hardy, alongside Juno Temple as a new menacing force standing in Venom’s way.
For die-hard Venom fans, Andy Serkis appears in an epic role that’s sure to take the Venom film franchise to the next level, introducing a character that could well play a part in the larger Marvel Universe in the future.
Behind the scenes, Kelly Marcel returns as a co-writer and director. However, much like Let There Be Carnage, Tom Hardy reprises his role as the film’s lead writer. Considering the love Hardy has shown for this franchise, he will no doubt want to end this dance on a high note for the fans who have been following Eddie Brock’s misadventures for nearly a decade.
The Last Dance: A Blueprint for a Satisfying Conclusion
In the end, The Last Dance stands as a blueprint for how to end a franchise by giving fans exactly what they want. While so many movies opt to “subvert expectations,” Venom has been a straightforward comic book movie series from beginning to end. And now, it’s easily one of the most intense – and surprisingly touching – rom-coms created since The Princess Bride. That’s right: if Deadpool is Marvel’s Jesus, then Eddie and Venom are Sony’s Westley and Buttercup, as strange as it sounds. It just works. Venom: The Last Dance is the best rom-com of 2024!
RELATED: Tom Hardy Finally Reveals If Spider-Man Make an Appearance in Venom: The Last Dance
Venom: The Last Dance arrives exclusively in cinemas on 25 October 2024.
Venom: The Last Dance |
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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. |
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| Studio: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, Matt Tolmach Productions, Pascal Pictures, Hutch Parker Entertainment, Hardy Son & Baker, Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Running Time: 110 minutes |
| Release Date: October 25, 2024 |
| Cast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Graham |
| Director: Kelly Marcel |
| Writers: Kelly Marcel |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Superhero |
| Box Office: N/A |
