When Tom Hardy first appeared as the fan-favorite Eddie Brock/Venom, it was largely the ideal combination. The grit, acting chops, and intrepid energy that Hardy brought to the character meant that Sony immediately had a hit on their hands.
While Venom was rated PG-13, it did not need to showcase a large amount of violence and gore in order to attract audiences. That was a job done by the film’s narrative, and the evergreen, oft-hilarious charm of Tom Hardy.
Regardless, Sony did what Sony does, and showed every intention of turning the Hardy-led movie into a full-blown franchise. Our favorite extraterrestrial symbiote, in an unfortunate manner, gave birth to an offspring in the form of Woody Harrelson’s Cletus Kasady / Carnage. However, things did not work out as well as the first time around.
This was majorly down to the movie’s PG-13 rating, which failed to show Carnage in all of its glory despite him going on multiple rampages. Now, Sony returns with Venom: The Last Dance, and early reports are set to brighten the fans’ day. The upcoming trailer is set to have an R-15 trailer, which indicates more gore for The Last Dance.
Venom: The Last Dance trailer set to be rated R-15
An R-15 rating for the trailer also suggests that the movie will be similarly rated, which is indeed promising with respect to the franchise itself. According to BBC, the upcoming trailer will be 2 minutes, 27 seconds long, and has been rated R-15 in the UK. Thus far, Sony has done an impressive job of keeping details about the upcoming movie strictly under wraps.
Set to be released on October 25, 2024, The Last Dance obviously sees the return of Hardy as the titular character, but not much else is known about its cast or narrative. Juno Temple, previously seen in The Dark Knight Rises and Fargo, is rumored to be in the movie as Scream, another of Venom’s unhinged offsprings from the comics.
Furthermore, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Clark Backo (Variety) are also confirmed to be in the movie, although no details about their roles have been announced as of yet. Hence, the only tidbit of new information that fans have, is the fact that the trailer in itself has been given an R-15 rating in the UK.
That, is a promising start, and more will obviously follow once the trailer is officially released, which can be expected any day now!
Shall we see Tom Hardy in the MCU, then?
Well, there is no doubt that Tom Hardy will be one of the best, unique new addition to the overall MCU, if he ever shows up as the antihero we have grown to love even more than before. While Let There Be Carnage did not get the best critical reception, in addition to the fact that Venom’s softening in itself was sometimes arguably cringeworthy, Tom Hardy was faultless.
The kind of energy and hilarious antics that he brings to the character means that a new Venom in the MCU will need a miracle to get appreciation from fans. However, as things stand, Hardy is some distance away from the overall MCU.
While his possible inclusion was teased in Let There Be Carnage via a post-credit scene that saw Hardy being transported to Earth-616 where Tom Holland and our live-action hardened Avengers reside, he was sent back in No Way Home. That in itself said to be down to the complicated character-sharing deal between Marvel and Sony. (via Screen Rant)
However, that is only the MCU and the fans’ loss. Still, stranger things have happened in Marvel’s live-action in the past, and the upcoming The Last Dance might indeed still give fans some hope.
