Venom: The Last Dance director and co-writer Kelly Marcel promises the movie is only an introduction to the monstrous being known as Knull, surely setting up his future in Spider-Man 4. Known to comic book readers as the God of the Symbiotes, Knull is the villain of Venom 3. As exciting as that may be, though, the revelation has rather surprised those who are familiar with the comics; Knull is too big for a Venom movie, a threat so dangerous the “King in Black” comic book event united every single Marvel hero (and many villains) against him.
Fortunately, Venom 3 co-writer and director Kelly Marcel has assured IGN this is just the beginning of Knull’s story. “The King in Black is way too powerful for ‘one and done,’” she observes. “This film introduces Knull, but it just touches the beginnings of his story. Marvel’s greatest film villains are developed over time. Here, Knull is the threat lurking behind the danger that tests the absolute limits of Eddie and Venom’s partnership — but it’s their relationship that remains the heart of this story.“
What The Venom 3 Director’s Comments Mean For Marvel’s Movie Future
Marcel is absolutely right. In the comics, Knull is a being from beyond the dawn of time itself, who dedicated himself to destroying life wherever he found it. Knull is best known for creating All-Black the Necrosword, a weapon designed to kill gods, and this became his legacy – ultimately coming into the possession of Gorr the God-Killer. When Knull was finally freed from an ancient prison in the comics, he plunged the entire planet Earth into a terrible night, with heroes and villains uniting against him to save the world. He is far too big for Venom 3.
Given Knull is clearly part of Sony’s plans for Spider-Man movies, it’s reasonable to assume this is setup for Spider-Man 4 – with this iteration of Knull serving as a multiversal foe. That would explain rumors that Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield will unite once again, in a multiversal adventure that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s also arguably been set up by Thor: Love & Thunder, which featured the MCU’s version of All-Black the Necrosword – in the 616 universe. Presumably the cinematic Knull traverses the universes.
Our Take On The Venom 3 Director’s Knull Comments
I confess that, when the trailer for Venom: The Last Dance made it clear the movie was going to introduce Knull, I had something of a mixed reaction. Although I was excited to see such a tremendous character brought to life, I felt he deserved so much more than to be a “one and done” villain. I’m frankly relieved to learn Sony had the same idea, and now I am even more excited about Venom 3.
Oddly enough, Knull could potentially become one of the most important villains of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. He can unite two of the main themes of Phases 4-6, the multiverse and the pantheons, bringing them together into an apocalyptic whole. The interesting question, of course, is just how this will be handled by even three Spider-Men; Knull is an Avengers-level threat, far more dangerous than even Thanos. Venom: The Last Dance will hopefully do him justice, and set him up for a bright future.
