Who is Knull in ‘Venom: The Last Dance?’ Explained

The exciting conclusion of Sony’s Venom is upon us, Eddie, and that means they are pulling out all the stops. It was only six short years ago when we first saw Tom Hardy get possessed by the black sludge from space.

The franchise has had a rough go of it since then. Despite the wild escapism and genuine fun of the first film, the follow-up, Venom: Let There Be Carnage failed to impress in 2021. Even Woody Harrelson’s gleeful portrayal of Kletus Casady couldn’t save the film from the pacing problems and odd creative choices. Venom: The Last Dance is a chance to hold nothing back, and this includes the addition of the ultimate villain. In the new trailer for the third film in the trilogy, The Last Dance teases the arrival of someone that even Venom is afraid of.

Marvel’s Knull explained

If there is one thing that the Venom franchise does well, it’s upping up the ante. In each subsequent film, Eddie Brock (Hardy) and Venom find themselves at odds with more terrifying stakes. The Last Dance will introduce one of the more imposing villains in Marvel history. The trailer shows a brief glimpse of Knull, a fearsome being of the same caliber as Gorr the God Butcher.

In Marvel canon, Knull is a deity responsible for creating Venom’s race of symbiotes, known as the Klyntar. The Klyntar find purpose through bonding with other beings, such as Venom’s bond with Eddie. Knull created the sybmiotes from what is known as the “living abyss.” From here, he also created a great sword called the All-Black, the Necrosword which Gorr (Christian Bale) uses in Thor: Love and Thunder. But as Taika Waititi’s Thor film is under the Marvel umbrella, Sony will be unable to connect Knull’s backstory to the character.

More than likely, Knull’s backstory will be simplified to the basic facts in the Venom film. Knull created the symbiotes as a way to amass a giant army to defeat worlds. As depicted in the trailer, the deity created not just the human adjacent symbiotes like Venom, but other creatures from the primordial void. After years of subjugation, the Klyntar eventually rebelled against their creator and imprisoned him. It isn’t too hard to guess how the events of The Last Dance come to pass.

Residents of Earth are surprised to see a collection of comets cascading toward the planet. This receptacle is the form which many symbiotes choose to run. Venom realizes that Knull is the only thing that would cause such fear in his brethren, causing him to conclude that Knull is on his way. Presumably, Knull has escaped his prison and will become the biggest threat to Eddie and Venom yet. This result is bittersweet in many ways, as the relationship between the two is the ultimate love story in the Sony pantheon. Saying goodbye to our brain and chocolate-loving alien will be hard, just as it is hard for Eddie.

The Last Dance trailer only shows a brief shot of Knull, but rumors are flying far and wide about who will portray him. The third Venom film already has amassed a few Marvel alumni, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rhys Ifans, leading many to wonder who they’re playing. But if @SoulessCinema is to be believed, the role of Knull will go to another genre icon.

One source on X (formerly Twitter) reported that Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead fame will take on the character. He also joins the ranks in another comic book property after appearing in Blade II. But after a decade and a half of playing Daryl Dixon, changing it up may be welcomed. Viewers will have to tune into Venom: The Last Dance to confirm who will tear Eddie and Venom apart when it premiers om October 25.