JuicyTalk
Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Venom: The Last DanceVenom: The Last Dance features a wide collection of Easter eggs and Marvel references. Amid massive symbiote mayhem and the introduction of Knull the Symbiote God in live-action, the final movie in the Venom trilogy starring Tom Hardy features some very exciting nods. This includes references to the previous Venom movies, Marvel Comics, and even the MCU.
Following his battle with Carnage in San Francisco and a brief visit to Earth-616, Venom: The Last Dance sees Eddie and his symbiote on the run as fugitives. Not only are they wanted by the police and a government organization tasked with studying symbiotes, but the minions of Knull the Symbiote God (Andy Serkis) are after Brock/Venom as well. To that end, here are the biggest Easter eggs and references to be found in Venom: The Last Dance.
Knull’s Comics Origins
Venom: The Last Dance opens with Knull trapped on the world known as Klyntar, the symbiotes’ word for “cage”. Having been imprisoned by his own creations, the reveal that the symbiotes turned and trapped their creator is ripped straight from the comics before the King in Black was inadvertently freed by Eddie Brock and Venom ahead of 2020’s King in Black crossover in the comics by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman.
Xenophages
Confirmed to be the symbiote-killing monsters known as Xenophages in the original comics, Venom: The Last Dance adds the twist that these creatures were also created by Knull following the symbiotes’ betrayal. However, Xenophages are simply another alien species in the comics, rather than being creations of the King in Black.
Eddie and Venom’s MCU Post-Credits Scene
Eddie and Venom’s story begins with a retelling of the post-credits scene at the end of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home which reveals that the two were transported to the MCU, albeit in Mexico rather than New York like the rest of the Spider-Man movie’s villains. However, The Last Dance’s version sees Eddie and Venom being shot back through a portal rather than fading away with a burst of light as originally depicted.
Sick Of This Multiverse S***
Returning to their own reality, Venom comments that he’s sick of this “multiverse s***“. Hilariously, this is a similar sentiment held by Deadpool as seen in this year’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Both are seemingly poignant commentaries on the higher influx of multiverse-focused superhero movies in recent years. After all, they are both part of the MCU’s ongoing Multiverse Saga.
Eddie Kicked Out Of New York
Realizing that they’ve become fugitives, Eddie decides that he and Venom should go to New York, as he has some dirt on a judge they can blackmail for help. He also mentions that he was kicked out of New York, as was referenced in the first Venom. Just like in the comics, Eddie had issues with an editor at the Daily Globe, a key rival of the Daily Bugle, explaining his move to San Francisco.
Still A Piece of Symbiote in The MCU?
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the piece of symbiote that remained in the MCU is presumably still unrecovered in Mexico. As such, this could have some major implications for the future of both Sony’s universe and Earth-616. Not only could this symbiote perhaps find its way to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for his own Symbiote Saga in the MCU, but it could also be a means of reuniting Eddie with Venom after the events of Venom: The Last Dance.
Eddie Hanging Upside Down
While fighting the dog-fighting gang, Eddie is shown talking to one of the thugs while hanging upside down by one of Venom’s tendrils. As such, it’s not hard to think about multiple iterations of Spider-Man who constantly hang upside down from their webs.
The Superhero Who Can’t Fly – “Wanna Bet?”
After Eddie complains that Venom can’t fly, the symbiote suggests that he indeed can. While the duo is later shown hanging off the side of a plane, this could also be a reference to Venom in 2020’s King in Black, who grew dragon wings of his own by the crossover’s end. Similarly, Venom also grew wings at the end of Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 game. Perhaps the same could occur for the live-action Venom when and if he ends up facing Knull.
Rex Strickland
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Rex Strickland in Venom: The Last Dance. While a bond doesn’t occur in the movie, the comics’ version of Rex did indeed bond to a symbiote and served in Vietnam alongside Nick Fury and Wolverine, having been codenamed “Tyrannosaur” alongside other symbiote-bonded soldiers.
Mulligan’s Original Symbiote Left Him for Dead
Patrick Mulligan is saved from his mortal wounds received at the end of Let There Be Carnage thanks to the Imperium Project and Doctor Teddy Payne. Bonding with a brand-new symbiote, it’s revealed that the original symbiote left Mulligan to die. Having come from Carnage, one can assume that this first symbiote was Toxin from the comics, Mulligan’s symbiote on the page.
