Venom 3 Can Outdo World War Hulk And Introduce A Bigger Villain Than Thanos

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has still given no clues about its next big villain, and while there are plenty of rumors about a  World War Hulk movie, Venom’s introduction to the MCU could also bring a much greater threat than the Hulk or even Thanos via Venom 3. For the main villain of a saga to be on the same level as Thanos, they’d need to threaten more than just Earth. One character who could take on that role is the creator of Venom’s species, a god-like figure named Knull — and his fingerprints are already all over the MCU.

Thor Ragnarok drew heavily from the extremely popular Planet Hulk comic arc, with Hulk stranded on planet Sakaar. The World War Hulk storyline continues this with a dark tone. In it, a grief-stricken Hulk, powered up by background radiation from Sakaar, attempts to take revenge on the heroes who he believes betrayed him. Avengers: Endgame sets up this storyline, from the Hulk’s mistreatment by Banner to grief over Natasha’s heroic sacrifice. This could all serve as a distraction from a more serious threat.

The entry of Venom and the symbiotes into the MCU at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage carries the looming presence of Knull into both the franchise and a potential Venom 3. An evil deity with the goal of plunging the Universe into darkness, he could eclipse the danger even the angriest Hulk might pose. As the creator of the Symbiotes, he could be introduced through an adaption of the Planet of the Symbiotes and King in Black comic arcs, which center around a Symbiote army invading Earth. A movie version of this storyline could mirror the Chitauri invasion during The Avengers, which originally introduced Thanos. With Let There Be Carnage also serving to expand on audiences’ knowledge of symbiotes, it would make sense for Knull to initially be introduced in something like Venom 3, only to be too big a threat for the Sony antihero alone to take down.

Knull could easily be woven into the MCU with elements from movies currently released and planned. The main antagonist in Thor: Love and Thunder will be Gorr the God Butcher, who characteristically wields a sword created by Knull. Knull once used that same sword to sever the head of a Celestial, which later became the outpost of Knowhere, introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy. Since then, Eternals gave more background about who the Celestials are, while leaving plenty of unanswered questions. Once the Symbiotes make their MCU debut, all the pieces are in place for Knull’s potential Venom 3 introduction.

The rumored World War Hulk movie would promise to pit heroes against each other, much like Captain America: Civil War did, and some have speculated about whether the Hulk may become a villain in future Avengers movies. As an existential threat to the planet, he’d certainly be a danger on par with the likes of Ultron. Knull, however, could easily match the threat level of the Thanos encountered in Avengers Endgame, with his own endgame being to annihilate everything. A movie adaption of Planet of the Symbiotes could easily set this story in motion.

Recent movies have taken the MCU in a cosmic direction, and it’s likely this trend is going to continue. Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok showed that audiences enjoy stories involving spaceships and alien planets and, despite harsh reviews, viewers widely enjoyed Eternals and all the mythological overtones which it contained. Hulk can claim a place in this too, following his time on Sakaar and his role in the Battle of the Rainbow Bridge on Asgard.

Venom and Hulk are among Marvel’s most popular characters, and both of them have the potential to take future Marvel Cinematic Universe story arcs in interesting directions. With no official confirmation from Marvel, it’s still a mystery what the rumored Hulk movie might look like, and what role Venom may play in the MCU. With an exciting lineup promised for the future though, there’s certainly a lot to look forward to – and the potential that Venom 3 and World War Hulk could hold is in many ways just the tip of the iceberg.

Next: Let There Be Carnage Failed To Answer Venom’s Biggest Mystery Set-Up