The Last Dance’s box office is the lowest of Tom Hardy’s Marvel film franchise

Venom: The Last Dance was Tom Hardy’s worst-performing film Poison trilogy and the main reasons for this may be beyond the film’s control. Tom Hardy Poison The trilogy brought Marvel’s iconic antihero to life, transforming the typically antagonistic Venom into a reluctant hero – the lethal protector. Although the first two films performed relatively successfully, the third installment, Venom: The Last Dancemarked a significant drop at the box office. Despite being praised as the best of the trilogy, its box office performance is the lowest of the three films.

from Sony Poison The franchise has been one of the most financially successful Marvel spinoffs, anchored by Tom Hardy’s unique take on Eddie Brock and his symbiotic alter ego. Others in Sony’s Spider-Man universe haven’t fared as well. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe seeks to adapt origin stories for several of Spidey’s most famous supporting characters. Morbius and Lady Teia were among those who performed notoriously poorly. Now, with Venom: The Last Dance underperforming, the entire franchise could be approaching a pivotal moment.

How much less Venom 3’s box office is compared to the first two films

The financial disparity between Poison movies is glaring. Although the trilogy performed well overall, the the differences between each one are very evident. This can best be seen in the global box office numbers:

The first Poison the film, released in 2018, was an unexpected juggernaut, benefiting from novelty, a star-studded cast, and the lack of competing Marvel releases that fall. Its sequel, Let there be carnage (2021), suffered a significant drop, although it still managed to raise over US$500 million despite being released during the residual impact of the pandemic. However, The Last Dance fell below these numberssignaling diminishing returns for Sony’s Spider-Man universe.

Venom: The Last Dance it grossed almost half as much as the first film, with just $456 million. With a budget of US$120 million, it must be considered a relative success. However, when considered among its predecessors, looks like a blatant hiccup.

Why Venom 3’s Box Office Is the Lowest of the Venom Films

An important factor is the decline of public interest in SSU. While the first Poison The film stood out as a quirky, self-aware action comedy with horror elements; subsequent films have struggled to maintain that novelty. SSU also lacks the cohesive, interconnected narrative appeal of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While SSU was expected to achieve this at some point, it a long way to go before being able to reunite each of its protagonists – especially if Tom Hardy has retired from the role.

The end credits scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home teased Venom’s presence in the MCU, suggesting that the foe will finally appear in Marvel’s main timeline. However, Venom: The Last Dance failed to fully capitalize on this momentum. Despite what seemed like a monumental opportunity that could integrate Venom into a broader Marvel storyline, the film continued to isolate him. This was very disappointing and it seemed like Sony had disregarded the opportunity to collaborate with Marvel Studios in favor of examining their doomed franchise plans.

Reviews for The Last Dance were better than those for Let there be carnage, but it still fell short of critical acclaim. Critics praised Tom Hardy’s performance and the film’s balance of humor and action, but noted its lack of narrative depth. While negative reviews didn’t stop the first two films, the lack of a strong marketing hook or universally praised elements likely hurt audience participation. Much of the promotion focused on spectacle, when arguably the film’s strongest point was Hardy’s convincing performance – especially in Venom: The Last Dancethe moving conclusion.

ONE Poison crossover with a version of Spider-Man has been teased since Venom: Let There Be Carnageand Spider-Man: No Way Home It felt like I was finally setting this up. Whether it was Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, or Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, many were calling for it to finally happen, especially now that Appetites were skillfully whetted. Much like a collaboration with the MCU, Sony also squandered this opportunity, disappointing many and completely undermining the teases from previous films.

Spider-Man’s absence in The Last Dance probably contributed to public disinterest. The character of Venom in the comics is deeply linked to Spider-Man, and his continued exclusion from the narrative has diluted the franchise’s appeal. It seems rather aimless, and many viewers hoped in vain that The Last Dance would finally carry out a crossover.

Another potential factor is the Poison the franchise’s divergence from the character’s comic book roots. Although the films draw heavily on Hardy’s humor and eccentric portrayal, they failed to capture the darker, more menacing elements of Venom that comic book readers love. For some, the lack of faithful adaptation diminishes the films’ credibility as a Marvel property, transforming one of the most iconic villains into a fairly common superhero.

The superhero film market is increasingly crowded and not all projects are guaranteed success at the box office. The oversaturation of comic book films, especially in the wake of the pandemic, has resulted in greater audience selectivity and the emergence of “superhero fatigue”. Without a unique selling point or big event movie status, Venom: The Last Dance struggled to stand out in a crowded field. The SSU is particularly guilty of thisreleasing three SSU films in 2024 alone.

Venom 3 is still not the worst-performing film in Sony’s Spider-Man universe

Despite its lower box office return Venom: The Last Dance it still outperformed some of Sony’s other attempts to expand the SSU. Venom: The Last Dance won more than Morbius and Lady Teia. As such, The Last Dance and the third best performance of the five films.

MorbiusStarring Jared Leto, it is widely considered a critical and commercial failure. With a box office of just US$167 million, it fell far short of expectations and became a meme sensation more than a financial success. In comparison, Venom: The Last Dance looks like a blockbuster, proving that Tom Hardy’s Venom still maintains a dedicated fanbase.

Lady Teia did even worse than Morbiusdespite it being undoubtedly a better film. Lady Teia suffered notably due to its misleading trailerswhich suggested that the numerous Spider-Women would feature much more than them. Although they were integral, they mostly appeared before they gained their powers, disappointing many viewers.

Kraven the Hunter is projected to gross $39 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend. That would put it somewhere between Lady Teia and Morbius. This therefore, it will probably also bombputting it down Venom: The Last Dance. Venom: The Last Dance It may have underperformed, but it remains a more robust entry than Sony’s riskier projects. As Sony continues to expand its Spider-Man universe, lessons learned from Poison: The Last DanceThe company’s performance could shape future projects, although it appears increasingly unlikely.

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