Venom 3 Seems Ready To Finally Break A Bleak Soneyverse Box Office Curse

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is set to continue with Venom: The Last Dance, and the symbiote-starring threequel may finally be the movie to break the divisive shared universe’s long-running downward box-office trend. The very idea of a Spider-Man universe without Spider-Man is a bit odd, but Sony rightfully started off the franchise with double star-power: acclaimed actor Tom Hardy playing the iconic Venom. The first movie’s box office take signaled good things to come, but that potential has gone unfulfilled with a critically and financially disappointing string of SSU movies in the following years.

However, Sony hopes that the anti-hero who started it all can help the SSU bounce back – and their hopes are likely at least partially justified. After quite the stretch of several superhero movies coming out each year, the MCU and burgeoning DCU are taking it slow – with only one theatrical release for the former and none for the latter. This positions the SSU – with three movies on the 2024 slate – to fill the void and hopefully cater to audiences who don’t want a break from the genre.

Every Sony Spider-Man Universe Movie Has Made Less Money Than The One Before It

As mentioned above, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe actually started out quite promising with Venom (2018), which pulled in an impressive $856k globally (this and all other numbers courtesy of Box Office Mojo). For perspective, that places Venom ahead of about a dozen and a half MCU movies and in the same ballpark as successful projects like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

However, it’s been down hill every single movie since. The SSU’s sophomore effort, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, saw a meaningful drop down to $506k, while Morbius ($167k) and Madame Web ($100k). While just over half a million for the Venom sequel still means the film likely turned a fine profit, but Michael Morbius and Cassandra Web’s solo projects are undeniable box-office bombs.

Why Venom 3 Is Likely To Break The SSU’s Depreciating Box Office Streak

Fortunately for Sony, Venom: The Last Dance will almost surely be the first SSU movie to make more money than the one that came before it. First and most importantly, Venom is a popular character with a built-in fan base of people who want to see more of him on the big screen. While Morbius and Madame Web are known entities in Marvel Comics and have some general appeal due to appearances in shows like the iconic Spider-Man: The Animated Series, they’re far from household names. Moreover, the first trailer for Venom: The Last Dance implies the movie understands what it is.

Both Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage understand that they aren’t high cinema, and they’ve rightfully positioned themselves to take advantage of Hardy’s skill as an actor and underrated comedic timing to present the Eddie/Venom duo as something more akin to a buddy cop movie than a serious dramatic action flick. In fact, failing to take advantage of the inherent silliness of Spider-Man’s supporting cast is part of what made Morbius and Madame Web so dry – they simply took themselves far too seriously. The banter and several scenes seen in Venom: The Last Dance make it clear that won’t be a problem here.

Of course, Venom: The Last Dance making more money than Madame Web is an incredibly low bar, and the more important question is whether the movie will actually turn a profit. In this way, there may still be reason for concern. There was a notable drop of about 300k from Venom to its sequel, and the threequel is coming off the heels of two disappointing Sonyverse projects. However, if reviews end up decent and further marketing lands well, it’s very possible Venom: The Last Dance could earn about the same as its predecessor and wind up the financial win Sony needs.