Venom 3’s New Title Is Bad News For Sony’s Troubled Sinister Six Movie

Eddie Brock’s third solo movie in the Sony Spider-Man Universe finally has an official name, but Venom: The Last Dance may tease trouble for Sony’s long-troubled Sinister Six team-up movie. Spider-Man has a long and fruitful cinematic history stretching back to the early 2000s, and it’s clear that Sony has been trying to make a Sinister Six movie happen since at least the early 2010s. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featured a scene teasing the iconic weapons and suits of several iconic Spider-Man villains, but plans for a big antagonist team-up died after TASM 2‘s poor reception.

However, the idea of bringing together six different Spider-Man villains seemed like the clear end goal when Sony announced it would be releasing a series of solo movies based on the Web Head’s iconic rogues (since named the Sony Spider-Man Universe). The franchise seemed to invert the traditional cinematic universe plan, building up villains before later introducing a hero as the narrative antagonist. However, with Venom’s third movie getting a name that seems fairly final, Sony may be moving too slowly and risks losing out on its most bankable franchise star.

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Venom: The Last Dance Confirmed: Everything We Know So Far

The last hint of Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom came in a mid-credits scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and now they’re both returning for Venom 3.

Venom: The Last Dance Implies An End For Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock

While it’s been assumed that Venom 3 would be the last outing for Tom Hardy’s version of Eddie Brock, the movie now being officially labeled The Last Dance seems to put the speculation to rest. The soon-to-be trilogy hasn’t been a smash hit with critics, but the Venom franchise’s financial success is difficult to argue against (as seen below with data from Box Office Mojo). The character had a huge fan base before his movies, and Sony’s dark, campy tone has proven a good fit for the sinister symbiote.

Of course, it’s unclear if Hardy’s Eddie Brock/Venom could pop up anywhere else after his solo movie trilogy is over, much like Iron Man continued to be an MCU staple long after Iron Man 3. However, with the wider SSU failing to come together so cohesively, it seems likely that Hardy really will be done with the role. If true, it means a Sinister Six movie will be an incredibly tough sell.

No Venom Makes A Sinister Six Movie Way Less Likely

Just like how the Avengers were only as successful for Marvel Studios as they were because of how well-liked the individual heroes were, Sony needs to establish a group of villains people have an interest in before pulling off a big team-up movie. Unfortunately, so far, Venom is the only character who fits the bill. Sony’s other releases in the SSU have been met with general disdain (and not the kind audiences should feel for a villain).

Morbius and Kraven are all played by stars big enough to anchor a team-up movie (Jared Leto and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively), but none of that matters if their characters aren’t well-liked. If Venom is done in the SSU after Venom: The Last Dance, Sony will have the tall order of either bolstering its existing characters’ reputations or replacing Venom with someone equally popular. Neither is impossible, though it’s unclear what Sony Marvel movies are planned in 2025 and beyond.

What Is The Endgame For Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?

A Sinister Six movie seems like the natural end goal for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, but it isn’t the only option. Given Venom has already momentarily joined the MCU (at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home) and Vulture was pulled from the MCU to the SSU (in Morbius‘ post-credits scene). Given this light relationship, it’s possible the characters could join the MCU full-time via multiverse trickery.

Alternatively, Madame Web set up Peter Parker as well as the titular Madame Web and three future Spider-People. Given the movie takes place in the early 2000s, the timing is right for any of them to become recurring heroes in the SSU’s “present day.” The truth is likely that Sony’s remaining 2024 releases (Kraven the Hunter in August and Venom: The Last Dance in October) will determine which direction the franchise will take. With two bombs in a row for the brand, the path forward may change if an upcoming project doesn’t fix the brand’s critical and financial situation.