Spider-Man veteran confirmed to return for Venom: The Last Dance

There aren't a lot of superhero movies coming out in 2024. The genre is having a bit of a gap year as Marvel Studios hits the pause button and DC Studios resets all together. But one of the biggest tentpoles that will no doubt bring fans together is Venom: The Last Dance.

The film will see Tom Hardy reprise his role as Eddie Brock and the iconic Marvel symbiote one more time because, yes, as the title implies, the third Venom movie will indeed be the last one. How the trilogy will come to a close we don't know, but we do know that it will feature an unexpected appearance from a Spider-Verse regular.

The question is: Will they be bringing back a character they already played in Sony's Spider-Man movies, or are they playing another character altogether?

Spider-Man star Rhys Ifans will appear in Venom 3

The first trailer for Venom: The Last Dance was released on Monday, June 3, and it very quickly became the most-talked about thing in pop culture that day. Understandably so, because not only was it the first look at Venom's last hurrah, it looks absolutely bonkers, with everything ranging from memorable one-liners to - and I kid you not - a Venom horse!

To understand how truly off-the-wall it is, you must see it to believe it. So check it out, and be aware, you might just see a familiar face (or two) from a Spider-Man movie (or two).

Did you spot him? Well, if you didn't, Rhys Ifans makes a very brief appearance in the trailer and just in case you weren't sure that it was him, the press release showcasing the cast has been revealed, and it does indeed the confirm that he is in the movie.

Spider-Man fans will no doubt recognize the actor from 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man as he portrayed Doctor Curt Connors, a.k.a. The Lizard. After experimenting on himself, he accidentally transformed himself into the gigantic creature who planned on turning all of the people in New York City into lizards as well. That is until he was stopped by Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man.

Ifans reprised the role in a relatively brief capacity in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home as the character showed up as one of the many Spider-Verse villains to arrive from alternate dimensions. The Lizard was defeated rather easily and didn't go on to play as major of a role as the likes of Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, or even his Amazing Spider-Man successor villain Electro, but it was awesome to see him back in the role.

Ironically, Ifans won't be the only actor from Spider-Man: No Way Home to appear in Venom 3, as Cristo Fernández will actually reprise his role as the bartender from that movie who served Tom Hardy's Venom (during Hardy's cameo appearance). In the aforementioned scene, a part of the Venom symbiote was left behind on the MCU's Earth-616, so is this the MCU version of the character or the version on Venom's earth?

That's not the only question we have, because is Rhys Ifans' character a brand new one or could we be saying hello to an old friend?

Could Ifans be playing The Lizard one more time?

With Rhys Ifans appearing in the trailer for Venom: The Last Dance, fans are naturally wondering if he could be reprising his role as Dr. Connors / The Lizard from the Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Remember, this isn't the first time that Ifans and Hardy have appeared in a Sony Marvel movie before (both had cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home), so it would seem a little odd for the Venom franchise to recruit such a recognizable Spider-Man star (and a big name like Ifans) if it wasn't for a major role.

This isn't the first time that an actor from a Spider-Man movie has appeared in one of Sony's recent Spider-Man Universe films. Michael Keaton made a cameo appearance in 2022's Morbius, reprising his role as Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. The Vulture, from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Keaton was as brilliant as ever, but the scene was widely criticized for its odd filming technique and the senselessness behind the character's appearance in a different universe. So would they go there again with The Lizard?

Interestingly, there might be a chance. The release of the Venom 3 trailer isn't the first time that Ifans' name has been attached to the project, as a rumor had been going around Reddit since the beginning of this year claiming that he would not only appear in the film, but reprise his role as The Lizard. Furthermore, the name of the character he is playing has yet to be released, making him one of the only cast members not to have a confirmed character name as of yet.

The evidence is piling up, but anything can happen when the Spider-Verse or multiverse is concerned. Looks like we're going to have to wait and see when Venom 3 is released, but oh my did this movie just get even more interesting.

Venom: The Last Dance is released in theaters on October 25, 2024.