24 Venom: The Last Dance Easter Eggs & Marvel References Explained

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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Venom: The Last DanceVenom: The Last Dance features a wide collection of Easter eggs and Marvel references. Amid massive symbiote mayhem and the introduction of Knull the Symbiote God in live-action, the final movie in the Venom trilogy starring Tom Hardy features some very exciting nods. This includes references to the previous Venom movies, Marvel Comics, and even the MCU.
Following his battle with Carnage in San Francisco and a brief visit to Earth-616, Venom: The Last Dance sees Eddie and his symbiote other on the run as fugitives. Not only are they wanted by the police and a government organization tasked with studying symbiotes, but the minions of Knull the Symbiote God (Andy Serkis) are after Brock/Venom as well. To that end, here are the biggest Easter eggs and references to be found in Venom: The Last Dance.
24 Knull’s Origins Straight From Marvel Comics Close Venom: The Last Dance opens with Knull trapped on the world known as Klyntar, the symbiotes" word for "cage". Having been imprisoned by his own creations, the reveal that the symbiotes turned and trapped their creator is ripped straight from the comics before the King in Black was inadvertently freed by Eddie Brock and Venom ahead of 2020"s King in Black crossover in the comics by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman.
23 Xenophages Symbiote-Killers Close Confirmed to be the symbiote-killing monsters known as Xenophages in the original comics, Venom: The Last Dance adds the twist that these creatures were also created by Knull following the symbiotes" betrayal. However, Xenophages are simply another alienee species in the comics, rather than being creations of the King in Black.
22 Eddie and Venom’s MCU Post-Credits Scene Some Slight Ret-Conning

Eddie and Venom"s story begins with a retelling of the post-credits scene at the end of 2021"s Spider-Man: No Way Home which revealed that the two were transported to the MCU, albeit in Mexico rather than New York like the rest of the Spider-Man movie"s villains. However, The Last Dance"s version sees Eddie and Venom being shot back through a portal rather than fading away with a burst of light as originally depicted.
21 Sick Of This Multiverse S*** Venom Agrees With Deadpool

Custom image by Yeider Chacon Returning to their own reality, Venom comments that he"s sick of this "multiverse s***". Hilariously, this is a similar sentiment held by Deadpool as seen in this year"s Deadpool & Wolverine. Both are seemingly poignant commentaries on the higher influx of multiverse-focused superhero movies in recent years. After all, they are both part of the MCU"s ongoing Multiverse Saga.
20 Eddie Kicked Out Of New York A Reference To Eddie's Comics Origins Before Venom

Realizing that they"ve become fugitives, Eddie decides that he and Venom should go to New York as he was some dirt on a judge they can blackmail for help. He also mentions that he was kicked out of New York as was referenced in the first Venom. Just like in the comics, Eddie had issues with an editor at the Daily Globe, a key rival of the Daily Bugle, explaining his move to San Francisco.
19 Still A Piece of Symbiote in The MCU? Venom May Still Live

Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the piece of symbiote that remained in the MCU is presumably still unrecovered in Mexico. As such, this could have some major implications for the future of both Sony"s universe and Earth-616. Not only could this symbiote perhaps find its way to Tom Holland"s Spider-Man for his own Symbiote Saga in the MCU, but it could also be a means of reuniting Eddie with Venom after the events on Venom: The Last Dance.
18 Eddie Hanging Upside Down You Can't Not Think About Spider-Man

While fighting the dog-fighting gang, Eddie is shown talking to one of the thugs while hanging upside down by one of Venom"s tendrils. As such, it"s not hard to think about multiple iterations of Spider-Man who are constantly hanging upside down from their webs.
17 The Superhero Who Can’t Fly "Wanna Bet?"

After Eddie complains that Venom can"t fly, the symbiote suggests that he indeed can. While the duo is later shown hanging off the side of a plane, this could also be a reference to Venom in 2020"s King in Black who grew dragon wings of his own by the crossover"s end. Similarly, Venom also grew wings at the end of Insomniac"s Spider-Man 2 game. Perhaps the same could occur for the live-action Venom when and if he ends up facing Knull.
16 Rex Strickland A Symbiote Host In The Comics

Image via Sony Pictures Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Rex Strickland in Venom: The Last Dance. While the same doesn"t occur in the movie, the comics" Rex was bonded to a symbiote and served in Vietnam alongside Nick Fury and Wolverine, having been codenamed "Tyrannosaur" alongside other symbiote-bonded soldiers.
15 Mulligan's Original Symbiote Left Him for Dead Toxin, Carnage's Offspring Close Patrick Mulligan is saved from his mortal wounds received at the end of Let There Be Carnage thanks to the Imperium Project and Doctor Teddy Payne. Bonding with a brand-new symbiote, it"s revealed that the original symbiote left Mulligan to die. Having come from Carnage, one can assume that this first symbiote was Toxin from the comics, Mulligan"s symbiote on the page.
14 Knull Spiral The Symbiote God's Classic Symbol

As Mulligan and his new symbiote reveal the dangers of Knull to Rex, Payne, and Sadie Christmas, a sequence on Klyntar reveals the codex needed to free Knull from his prison. Likewise, his classic spiral symbol is shown when the King in Black corrupts symbiotes in the comics.
13 All-Black The Necrosword Also Wielded By Gorr The God Butcher Close Knull the Symbiote God is also shown raising his massive sword above his head. This is All-Black the Necrosword, a powerful blade created by Knull that was lost in the comics, only to be wielded by Gorr the God Butcher (who recently debuted in the MCU played by Christian Bale). As such, it would be very exciting if a similar connection was eventually established on-screen and across universes.
12 Rhys Ifans' Martin Does Have A Possible Lizard Nod On The Side of The Family Van Close While Rhys Ifans played Doctor Curt Conners aka The Lizard in previous Sony Marvel films, he"s instead playing Martin in Venom: The Last Dance, a hippie believer in aliens taking his family to see Area 51 before it"s fully decommissioned. While there is no apparent connection to Connors, there is a "lizard person" on Martin"s van (that"s covered in alien paraphernalia), and it may be a subtle nod to his past Marvel villain role.
11 "Don't Say His Name" Not Unlike Harry Potter's Voldemort

When Eddie asks Venom about his creator, the symbiote struggles to say Knull"s name and shushes Eddie when he says it. To that end, it feels very similar to Harry Potter and the wizarding world"s fear of saying Voldemort"s name.
10 The Codex's Origins During The First Venom Movie With Riot Close Venom confirms that the codex was created when he revived Eddie in their first movie after Brock was stabbed by Carlton Drake/Riot. Likewise, the codex also exists in the comics, a means of retaining a host"s entire memories and consciousness within the greater symbiote hive-mind (even after death).
9 Venom Horse He Exists In The Comics Too! Close Needing a fast way to get across the desert, Venom bonds with a horse. Humorously, "Venom Horse" recently made its debut ahead of Venom: The Last Dance as a multiversal variant, (and he"s notably quite eloquent and informative).
8 Six Symbiotes In Area 55 Agony, Lasher, Phage, And More Close Six symbiotes are revealed in Area 55, having been contained by the Imperium Project after they landed on Earth. Once the first Xenophage breaks into the facility, the symbiotes are released and bond to nearby humans, aiding Venom and fighting the symbiote-hunter to ensure Knull remains trapped on Klyntar. This notably includes Sadie Christmas who becomes Lasher, a security guard named Jim who seemingly bonds with Phage, as well as Mulligan and his serpent-like other who was the first symbiote to be eaten by the Xenophage.
Doctor Payne herself bonds with Agony near the end of the battle. Also, Teddy Payne"s name is likely derived from Marvel Comics" Thaddeus Paine, a villain of both Venom and Moon Knight on the page. There"s also a red symbiote with fire powers and two symbiotes who merge, forming a two-headed version with their hosts.
7 The End is Knull A Possible Tagline From The King in Black Crossover

During Mulligan and his symbiotes" warning, he says that "The End is Knull". This was almost certainly a promotional tagline during the release of Marvel"s King in Black crossover and its several tie-in issues.
6 You’d Make a Good Dad Referencing Dylan Brock? Close While hitchhiking with Martin and his family, Venom tells Eddie he would be a good dad. As such, this could be a potential nod to Eddie"s son Dylan in the comics, a host of Venom who"s also known as Codex in a future timeline. Currently, Dylan and Eddie are both clashing over the Venom symbiote in Marvel"s ongoing Venom War crossover.
5 Thelma and Louise Fugitives On The Run

As they enter a Las Vegas casino, Eddie and Venom refer to each other as Thelma and Louise. This is quite fitting, and the self-awareness of Eddie and Venom is very on point considering 1991"s Thelma & Louise is a classic buddy fugitive film.