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Who is Knull in Venom: The Last Dance? Looking at who the actor is for Venom 3's big bad

Rhys Ifans is rumored to play the villain Knull in Venom: The Last Dance, so what's his story?

Knull on the cover of Planet of the Symbiotes from Marvel Comics — Image credit: Marvel Comics

Guides by Jules Chin Greene, Contributing Writer

Published on Tue Oct 01 2024

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He's big, he's blond, and he's got giant teeth - he's Knull. The latest trailer for Venom: The Last Dance, which will be Tom Hardy's final outing as Eddie Brock, revealed that the comic book villain Knull will appear in the film. Venom fans around the world had a strong reaction to the news, and if you're looking to understand what the story is, you've come to the right place.

Knull was created by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, Jason Aaron, and Butch Guice, originally appearing as an unnamed character in Aaron and Guice's Thor: God of Thunder #6. He later resurfaced for good this time in the third issue of Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman's masterful run on Venom, which began in 2018. If you want to delve into Knull lore, look no further than Cates and Stegman's Venom run.

Knull greatly expanded Venom lore in Marvel Comics, as he was revealed to be a primordial entity who is older than the universe itself. Before there was light and life in the universe, there was darkness, which was Knull's domain. To put it simply, Knull can also be thought of as the god of Venom's symbiote. He commands a vast symbiote army, which both the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe fought against in the epic King in Black crossover event.

So, Knull's a super old entity and he's got gnarly teeth, but what's his deal? Like some of Marvel's best villains (Malekith, I salute you), Knull's goal is very simple: he wants to drench the universe in darkness. As Knull spreads across the universe, he pulls sentient creatures into his Symbiote Hive. Essentially, part of what makes Knull so powerful is that he can access any person or thing he has possessed with his symbiotes. This makes him more or less omnipotent the more he spreads.

Who is playing Knull in Venom: The Last Dance?

So far, we have not had official confirmation regarding Knull's casting. However, we do know that Welsh actor Rhys Ifans is in Venom: The Last Dance. You might recognize Ifans from his role as Otto Hightower in House of the Dragon as well as the Lizard in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man. The only shot of Knull in the trailer shows him in profile, and it certainly looks like Ifans. Only time will tell whether or not it's actually Ifans.

Ifans cuts an imposing figure onscreen, which is perfect for the symbiote god. Since we only get a glimpse of Knull in the Venom: The Last Dance trailer, we are left to wonder whether Sony Pictures' film will capture Knull in all of his goopy comic book glory.

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Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, Multiverse of Color, and Screen Rant.