Last week, Sony released the final trailer for Venom: The Last Dance, giving us our first look at the antagonist for the third installment. We see Knull, played by The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus, who is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel universe. Nerds everywhere are geeked about his inclusion in the film as the reveal sent shockwaves through social media, with many speculating all the possibilities that his introduction could hint at for the future. Let’s take a closer look at the symbiote god.
Who Is Knull?
In a time when there was only darkness, Knull basked in the shadows on his own until he discovered a symbiote, created a sword from it, and killed a Celestial. For this, he was sent into the void to rot, but instead, he became more powerful. He lived within the head of the very celestial he killed (as teased in Guardians). During his time with the symbiotes, he learned how he could form a relationship and use them independently. Within a short period of time, he became one of the biggest threats in the history of Marvel. His first comic appearance was as an unnamed character in Thor: God of Thunder comics in 2013, but got his true introduction in Venom: Volume 4, #3. Further developing his story, Knull was at the forefront of the comic book event, King in Black in 2020 when he invaded Earth. Through a series of issues, he encounters Brock’s Venom, the X-Men, the Avengers, and an array of others.
Co-Creators Didn’t Know Their Character Would Be Included in Film
Imagine creating a comic book character and finding out with the rest of the world that he would be part of a major film. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to the co-creators of Knull, Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. In a tweet that was an instant trending topic on movie Twitter (X to be politically correct), Stegman said, “Yes, I did co-create Knull. No, I didn’t know until today that he was gonna be in Venom: The Last Dance. Yes, I do expect to finally be able to afford that lazy river moat around my house.” OG fans who were familiar with the character from the beginning took to the comments to express their frustration and shock, with one user writing, “Both you and @Doncates better get some royalties for this! Thought of you guys first when I saw Knull in the trailer.” Cates recently posted an update, informing fans that he has now read the script and that “it is so much bigger, and so much more ambitious than you can imagine…”
The previous two Venom flicks were met with mediocre reviews, but it’s quite possible the studio saved the best for last, given this very well may be the end of the line for Hardy in the role. Conversations swirled for weeks when the end credit scene of the sequel revealed that Brock was in the Tom Holland Spider-Man universe. However, with the Irish actor recently celebrating a 47th birthday, fans expressed their concern with their age gap. Nonetheless, the introduction of Knull has the power to call for an Avengers-sized team up.
What Knull Could Mean for Future Films
Let’s be real: if you know your stuff, you know Brock simply isn’t strong enough to defeat Knull on his own. The God of the Abyss is a powerful force to be reckoned with, even going as far as beheading a Celestial, which we got a glimpse at in Guardians of the Galaxy. It would take a team of strong individuals to take him down, but maybe this could be the perfect setup for a crossover. As you know, Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release next year, with Ozark’s Julia Garner stepping into the role of the Silver Surfer. While Knull effortlessly goes head to head with many, it’s ultimately the Silver Surfer that leads him to his demise. With that being said, is it possible Venom: The Last Dance is setting us up for a much larger picture? Could we see Knull reappear in First Steps? Like we mentioned earlier, many would have to gather to truly take him down, so what better bunch than Sue, Johnny, Mr. Fantastic, and the Thing?
It’s become quite the popular opinion that the Venom films would have flopped terribly if it weren’t for Hardy being attached to the projects. He is a fantastic actor with the ability to really bring Brock to life (we’re going to pretend Topher Grace’s version doesn’t exist). With Spider-Man being one of the biggest heroes of all time, telling the story of its most popular anti-hero was inevitable, but who would have thought we’d get three movies out of it. Nonetheless, we’ve reached the finish line — but can The Last Dance birth the next End Game-ish phase? With the introduction of Knull, the potential is there and fans are eagerly awaiting to see how this all plays out. Reedus was a solid casting choice, so it would be wise if the studio used him in a major way.
Venom: The Last Dance hits theaters October 25, 2024.