The first trailer for Venom: The Last Dance is finally out, and speculation is all over the place as to what the horrific, seemingly alien monster is scene fighting Eddie Brock and his titular bonded symbiote. With Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage performing well at the box office, it’s no surprise that Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock is back for one final solo film. However, while Let There Be Carnage was clear up-front about Marvel’s serial killer symbiote being the menace, Venom: The Last Dance is keeping its cards closer to the chest.

The official synopsis of the movie explains that Eddie and Venom are “Hunted by both of their worlds,” so it’s no surprise that antagonists are taking the form of military, twisted scientists, and an unnamed threat from the stars. The monster’s design has produced a few leading theories, all of which could be exciting. However, Tom Hardy himself may have already spilled the beans two years ago.

Venom: The Last Dance’s Symbiote Monster May Be A Twist On Grendel

Given the monster moves quickly in the Venom: The Last Dance trailer, capturing images of it is difficult. However, it can be seen throughout the back half of the released footage posted above.

As of now, there are two theories dominating the discussion of who or what the alien monster is in Venom: The Last Dance. One idea is that it may be a Xenophage, aliens who are natural predators of symbiote. However, given that Venom claims his home world has found him, another option is that the creature could be a unique take on the symbiote “dragon” Grendel. While the creature’s visual design isn’t an exact match, the supposed narrative revealed in the trailer and the fact that the movies can take creative license with monster design – especially symbiotes – makes Grendel a realistic possibility.

In Marvel Comics, Grendel is a “dragon” created by the symbiote god Knull from the primordial universe’s darkness and spends millennia rampaging through the cosmos. Eventually, Grendel is trapped in ice on Earth by Thor in the 1600s, and its frozen body is discovered centuries later by S.H.I.E.L.D. and used to create secret symbiote-enhanced soldiers. However, Grendel eventually escapes government containment and reforms into their fully powered self. Given that the military and secret labs are featured in the Venom: The Last Dance trailer, Grendel seems possible.

Tom Hardy Said He Wan’t To Use Grendel In Venom: The Last Dance 2 Years Ago

Most convincing is that the idea of Grendel appearing in Venom: The Last Dance isn’t coming from nowhere. During the promotional tour for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, director Andy Serkis and Tom Hardy played a game in an IGN interview in which they had to guess if a name was a metal band of a symbiote. Upon hearing about Grendel, Hardy expresses “We have to put Grendel in there, in Venom 3! Somewhere!“

However, it’s fair to point out that it’s unclear if Hardy is actually interested in the idea of a monstrous, dragon-like symbiote or if he’s simply entertained by the pseudo-innuendo. While Grendel gets its name from the monster in Beowulf, Hardy also jokes in the interview about it being close to the vulger slang term for a body part. Regardless, it seems fitting that a monstrous symbiote-like creature is featured in Venom: The Last Dance after Hardy’s proclamation.

Grendel’s Inclusion In Venom: The Last Dance Could Signal An Even Scarier Villain

If Grendel is indeed in Venom: The Last Dance, it could signal the impending arrival of an even more terrifying villain. Knull is the “god” of the symbiote, a cosmic being from before the creation of the universe who wields incredible power and created the symbiote. Equally relevant for his potential inclusion in the movie is that he has deep and specific ties to the symbiote homeworld, Klyntar. In the lead-up to the “King in Black” comics event, its revealed Klyntar is simply their word for “cage,” and the entire planet has been keeping Knull trapped for millennia.

So, given that Venom says that his planet has found him, it could make sense that Knull—trapped inside the planet or recently having escaped it—is reaching out and trying to re-unify the symbiote across the galaxy to regain his full power. It seems unlikely that Knull will feature predominantly in Venom: The Last Dance, but it seems perfectly possible he could be a looming threat in the background while Eddie and Venom try to stop his approach or arrival. More information will presumably be revealed about the movie’s villains as marketing ramps up ahead of its October 2024 reelase.