Summary
-
Venom 3: The Last Dance
is the final installment in Sony’s often maligned
Venom
franchise, part of their Spider-Man Universe. - Juno Temple, who stars in the film, focuses on bringing joy to the audience, regardless of commercial success or critical reception.
- Despite poor reviews, the previous
Venom
films were still box office hits, and Sony is hoping that
The Last Dance
will draw larger crowds than
Let There Be Carnage
.
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has been the critically-dismissed wing of Marvel movies ever since Venom debuted back in 2018. And, while Venom: Let There Be Carnage did quite a bit better with reviewers, Morbius and Madame Web were only good for memes and utterly toxic word of mouth. But those behind Venom: The Last Dance, which hits theaters October 25th, are aware of the SSU’s reputation. And, it seems they’re confident the third and reportedly final solo Venom movie can right the ship.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Temple was asked whether the critical and commercial failure of Madame Web and Morbius increased the pressure felt by the cast and crew of The Last Dance. Temple responded with:
“I can honestly say that I’m not programmed to think about it like that. It’s quite new for me to be a part of a movie this size. I’m just hoping that I did the best job I could at a [movie] that was a really amazing thing to be involved in. I hope that
whether five people go to see it or whether 500 go see it, or more, I hope that they enjoy it and it takes them out of their everyday lives for a minute
.”
It sounds like Temple has the same attitude those behind Venom and Let There Be Carnage had. Specifically, to have fun and, in the process, create something the audience finds fun. Regardless of one’s feelings about either Venom film, they’re pretty far from self-serious territory and are funky diversions from the MCU, and The Last Dance will likely continue the trend.
All that said, it’s certainly a movie that will put more than five butts in the seats (or 500 for that matter). Despite a 30% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, the original Venom pulled in a whopping $856 million worldwide. And, while it raked in much less at $506 million worldwide, Let There Be Carnage was still a major hit considering it was released in pandemic-era 2021, when many people were still hesitant to sit in an enclosed theater for two hours.
Related
Venom 3 Trailer is Confusing Fans and Setting Up a Big MCU Disappointment
Venom: The Last Dance unleashed confusion on Marvel fans with its first full look at the final outing of Tom Hardy’s anti-hero.
Unpacking Juno Temple’s Response
Temple has been in the industry since the aughts, slowly developing clout with impressive work in noteworthy films such as Notes on a Scandal, Atonement, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Killer Joe. But with her fan-favorite character Keeley Jones in the massively successful series Ted Lasso, she’s found herself attached to bigger and bigger projects and roles.
As Temple said, she hasn’t been in many blockbuster-sized movies, though it’s not as if she’s entirely unfamiliar with them. After all, she’s starred in the studio films Maleficent, Black Mass, Year One, and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
For that matter, she’s had a bit of experience with comic adaptation movies. That said, while her roles in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and The Dark Knight Rises were minor, her mysterious part as Dr. Payne in Venom: The Last Dance puts her front and center.
Venom: The Last Dance hits theaters October 25th. You can watch the trailer below:
