Venom: The Last Dance, the third and final installment focused on the character Eddie Brock/Venom, officially premiered on October 25th. This film is considered one of the most anticipated cinematic projects of the year by Sony Pictures. Along with concluding Eddie’s story, Venom: The Last Dance introduces one of the most significant characters from Marvel comics to the big screen: Knull, the “father” of Venom and all symbiotes.
The Origins of Knull in the Comics
Knull first appeared in Thor: God of Thunder #6 (2013) but only played a minor role. It wasn’t until five years later, in Venom Vol. 4 #3, that Knull’s story was fully explored. Initially introduced as a godlike entity residing in the primordial void of the Marvel universe, Knull’s home was invaded by the Celestials—beings that brought light and obliterated Knull’s beloved darkness.
After a battle with the Celestials, Knull fled to the home planet of the god-slayer Gorr the God Butcher (who appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder). There, he discovered a source of immense power known as the Living Abyss, using it to create symbiotic creatures. In addition, Knull established a telepathic connection allowing him to control all of his “children” to carry out his sinister plans across the cosmos.
Initially, Knull created symbiotic dragons to attack various civilizations, and two of his dragons were ultimately slain by Thor Odinson. However, their remnants inadvertently spread across the universe, beginning to connect with various hosts on this planet. Despite this, Knull’s dark essence enabled him to maintain significant control over the symbiotes, including concepts of domination, superiority, and reputation. Eventually, these new symbiotic entities decided Knull’s fate, imprisoning him and significantly weakening his influence on his home planet, Klyntar.
However, the conflict between Eddie Brock/Venom and Cletus Kasady/Carnage inadvertently freed Knull, helping him regain his former power. Knull then re-established plans to conquer the universe by destroying Klyntar and building a new army of symbiotic dragons. Following this, Knull went to war against Thor and faced numerous famous superheroes, including Sentry—the “Marvel Superman”, who was involved in the MCU’s Thunderbolts blockbuster.
Knull only truly faced defeat after the Light God, the embodiment of goodness, entered Eddie Brock’s being and obliterated him in a blind rage. Following this incident, Eddie became the God of Symbiotes, while Venom found a new host named Dylan, Eddie’s son.
Knull’s Powers
Knull’s vast powers primarily stem from his ability to control the Living Abyss. This dark energy source allowed Knull to create various symbiotic beings and maintain a telepathic network to control them. Each symbiote contributed to Knull’s immense power.
Besides that, as a god, Knull possesses superhuman strength and regenerative capabilities. He is also a master in manipulating darkness, which can unleash powerful energy sources against Marvel’s top superheroes.
Knull’s strength also represents a significant threat, as it enables him to harness powers close to omnipotence. Since his debut in Marvel comics, Knull has been involved in numerous battles against various foes. And he has never truly been defeated. Even after being vanquished by the Light God and Eddie Brock in the aforementioned story, Knull’s essence still exists within the symbiotic network. This resilience allows Knull to survive through various states without needing food or water for millennia.
Explaining Knull’s Cinematic Appearance
Although Knull does not appear much in Venom: The Last Dance, he is a crucial character in the film’s overarching plot. Before the premiere, director Kelly Marcel revealed that The Last Dance serves as a starting point for Knull, and Sony Pictures is currently planning several projects for this character in the future. Instead, the Xenophage creatures were chosen for the primary antagonists in this latest installment, aiming to invade Klyntar and retrieve Venom’s codex to release Knull.
However, this plan failed, and The Last Dance concluded with Knull still imprisoned. Nevertheless, in the post-credits scene, he was hinted at as a significant threat, stating, “All planets will be ours. The King in Black has awakened. We will destroy the very essence of humanity, leaving no trace behind, and humanity will have to witness their doom.” This indicates that Sony Pictures aims to elevate Knull to a primary antagonist role in their Spider-Man cinematic universe, much like how Marvel Studios developed Thanos and the Infinity Saga.
Alongside this, with the appearance of Spider-Man in the MCU, Knull has a definite opportunity to “transition” into this cinematic universe in the future. In fact, compared to Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios currently holds many characters connected to Knull, such as Thor, Gorr the God Butcher, or Silver Surfer, who is set to appear in the blockbuster The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Source: ScreenRant
