Does “Venom: The Last Dance” have a post-credits scene? What that cryptic finale means for the franchise's future
Is this really the end for Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock?
Warning: This story contains spoilers for Venom: The Last Dance.
Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock has finally waltzed off into the sunset…or has he? Though Venom: The Last Dance was heralded as a definitive ending to Marvel and Sony’s financially well-received but critically maligned trilogy, the film’s mid and post-credits scenes seem to hint that this iteration of the franchise may live to see another day.
It’s not entirely surprising that the studio would have visions of continuing the franchise past Tom Hardy’s tenure considering that Last Dance arguably spends more attention setting up future franchise players than it does resolving Brock’s arc. The addition of new cast members, including Juno Temple replacing previous leading lady Michelle Williams, only adds to the feeling that Last Dance is intended to serve as both a capper to the initial trilogy and a bridge to upcoming installments.
But what exactly do those two post-credits scenes set up? Entertainment Weekly takes a closer look at the final sting(s) in Venom’s tail, including the setup for that iconic villain.
Related: How Venom: The Last Dance ends Tom Hardy's trilogy — and sets up future movies
Does Venom: The Last Dance have a post-credits scene?
Yes. In fact, there are both mid-credit and post-credit scenes which lay out where the Venom franchise might go should it continue. Though Hardy's contract is up after this third installment, there's no telling whether he might be tempted back to the franchise in the future. Regardless, it seems the Venom series more than adequately set itself up for a future without its leading man.
What happens at the end of Venom: The Last Dance?
Brock and Venom find themselves on the run as creatures known as Xenophages, sent by villain Knull (Andy Serkis, director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage), hunt them to obtain the Codex, which would free Knull from his eternal imprisonment. During their journey, Brock/Venom bump up against Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a militia leader who hunts down and eliminates symbiotes seeking a life on Earth. Strickland is in charge of decommissioning Area 51, where the explosive climax takes place.
After determining the Codex’s location at Area 51, Knull sends the Xenophages through a portal to the military compound to capture Venom. The symbiote realizes the only way he can ensure Knull’s imprisonment, and therefore the safety of the universe is to split from Brock and sacrifice himself. Merging with the Xenophages, Venom leads the creatures to their deaths as Strickland sets off a series of explosives that seem to ensure their fate.
The final scene finds Brock in Manhattan reminiscing about all the good times he and Venom had together.
Related: Where to watch all of the Venom movies in order
What happens in Venom: The Last Dance’s mid-credits scene?
The mid-credits give audiences their first solid look at Knull, a legendary villain in comic book lore who spends most of The Last Dance literally frozen to his throne, clutching the Necrosword, head bowed as he threatens intergalactic carnage. But in the mid-credits scene, Knull looks into the camera for the first time and tells the audience that Venom’s defeat has set the stage for his release from eternal imprisonment.
“Your champion has fallen,” Knull says of Venom. “Your planets will be mine. The King in Black is awake. I will kill your world. Everyone will burn, and you will watch.”
Related: Watch Tom Hardy and Venom: The Last Dance director shoot down fan theories
Fan theories leading into The Last Dance suggested Knull might actually be the film’s big bad, but it seems the character is instead being set up for a future Marvel/Sony appearance. However, Hardy and director Kelly Marcel didn’t debunk that theory as they did other fan conjectures, so who knows what remains on the table.
It will be interesting to see how (and if) the franchise returns Knull considering Venom’s sacrifice at the end of The Last Dance was supposedly made for the express purpose of keeping the villain locked up.
What happens in Venom: The Last Dance’s post-credits scene?
The post-credits scene goes a long way towards explaining the slightly cryptic mid-credits stinger. Cristo Fernández's bartender emerges from the Area 51 cavern in which he hid during the climax.
Related: How Venom: The Last Dance created the 'utterly mad' Venom Horse (exclusive)
As he takes in the destruction around him and flees the compound, the camera zeroes in on a broken booze bottle sitting atop a rock. A black cockroach crawls up the rock and towards the bottle, implying that there is still a microscopic piece of Venom that remains on Earth. That the symbiote has possessed another living creature and is on a mission to find his beloved drink suggests that he will go on to seek out, and perhaps repossess, Brock.
Might there be a team-up with Spider-Man on the horizon? We’ll have to wait to find out.