The Venom movies have brought fans thrilling, dark, and action-packed stories about Marvel's complex anti-hero Eddie Brock and his chaotic symbiote, Venom. Starring Tom Hardy, these movies have grown beyond a single storyline to create a compelling mini-universe within Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). Each installment has built on Brock’s relationship with Venom and his battles with various foes, human and superhuman. The trilogy's gritty take on the anti-hero and its talented cast have made these films popular with readers of darker comic book narratives.
With Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy’s Venom trilogy concluded in spectacular fashion, drawing in familiar and new faces to wrap up Eddie Brock’s journey in the SSU. Interestingly, many of the actors who portrayed characters in the Venom movies have also played other iconic comic book roles across film and TV. This article highlights these actors and the other major roles they’ve held in the MCU timeline and the DCU.
Tom Hardy Played Eddie Brock
Tom Hardy Also Played Bane In The Dark Knight Rises
Tom Hardy takes center stage in the Venom series as Eddie Brock, a journalist who becomes bonded with an alien symbiote named Venom. Eddie’s struggle to control his deadly new partner leads to clashes with law enforcement, crime syndicates, and other dangerous Symbiotes. Hardy’s performance as Eddie adds a gritty, intense, and sometimes humorous edge to the character, making him a memorable anti-hero in the SSU.
Before Venom, Hardy played another iconic comic book character: Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Hardy's Bane was a physical powerhouse with unmatched tactical intelligence, determined to break Batman and destroy Gotham’s corrupt institutions. His imposing physical transformation and chilling voice became instantly iconic. Hardy’s Bane was far more grounded than his Venom character, yet both roles spotlighted Hardy’s versatility in embodying intimidating, driven characters.
Rhys Ifans Played Martin Moon
Rhys Ifans Also Played The Lizard In The Amazing Spider-Man And The MCU
In Venom: The Last Dance, Rhys Ifans appears as Martin Moon, the aging hippy leading his family on a road trip to Area 51. Befriend Eddie Brock en route, the Moon family offer the heroes a lift, where they promptly sing David Bowie and offer Eddie and Venom a slice of normality and family life. The Moons appear throughout Venom: The Last Dance and are present during the climactic battle where they are rescued by Venom and the other Symbiotes in The Last Dance, finally fulfilling Martin’s wish to see an alien.
Rhys Ifans is no stranger to playing comic book characters. He portrayed Dr. Curt Connors, also known as the Lizard, in The Amazing Spider-Man. Ifans' Connors is a complex character: a well-intentioned scientist who transforms into a monstrous creature after experimenting on himself. The actor reprised this role in Spider-Man: No Way Home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he joined other multiverse villains. The Lizard’s monstrous nature and dual identity as a scientist and predator contrasts against his role as Martin Moon.
Andy Serkis Played The Villain Knull
Andy Serkis Also Played Alfred In The Batman and Ulysses Klaue in the MCU
Andy Serkis played the Knull, the God of the Symbiotes in Venom: The Last Dance. Serkis uses his trademark motion capture skills to play and voice Knull. Knull’s role as the dark creator of the Symbiotes is crucial to the trilogy’s lore, giving insight into Venom’s own origins and the wider Symbiote mythology. Serkis’ chilling voice and unique acting skills create a formidable presence, even in limited scenes. Besides acting, Serkis also directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, bringing an intimate understanding of the Symbiotes to both sides of the camera.
Beyond Venom, Andy Serkis is known for playing Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman, where he portrayed Bruce Wayne’s loyal but world-weary guardian and mentor. Serkis brought a grounded, compassionate side to Alfred that set his interpretation apart. Additionally, Serkis played Ulysses Klaue in the MCU, a chaotic arms dealer who first appears in Avengers: Age of Ultron and later in Black Panther. As Klaue, Serkis embodied a reckless, greedy villain, adding a vibrant, unstable energy to the MCU. Each of these roles shows Serkis' capacity to bring life to complex characters across comic book adaptations.
Juno Temple Played Dr. Teddy Payne
Juno Temple Also Played Jen In The Dark Knight Rises
In Venom: The Last Dance, Juno Temple joined the SSU as Dr. Teddy Payne, a character with her own hidden motives and unique connection to Venom and Eddie Brock. Temple is an original character made for the movie, with a tragic origin story in which her brother was killed by a lightning strike. Temple’s portrayal of Payne brings a sense of mystery and intensity. She adds to the high-stakes drama surrounding the Symbiotes, culminating in her bonding with the Symbiote Agony.
Before Venom: The Last Dance, Temple had a supporting role in The Dark Knight Rises, where she played Jen, Selina Kyle’s roommate and accomplice. Although her screen time was limited, Temple's role as Jen added depth to Selina’s character, hinting at a complicated past. Jen was based on the DC character Holly Robinson, who plays a similar role in the comics, and temporarily assumed the Catwoman mantle when Selina was pregnant with her daughter.
Chiwetel Ejiofor Played Rex Strickland
Chiwetel Ejiofor Also Played Mordo in the MCU
Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays Rex Strickland in Venom: The Last Dance, a soldier who discovered the Symbiotes when they first landed on Earth. He subsequently hunts Eddie and Venom, working for a shadowy military agency. Ejiofor’s Strickland was formidable and relentless in his pursuit, serving initially as a secondary antagonist.
Chiwetel Ejiofor also stars as Karl Mordo in the MCU, first appearing in Doctor Strange and later reprising his role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Mordo begins as an ally to Doctor Strange but gradually becomes a morally complex antagonist with his own principles and conflicts. One unresolved MCU narrative involves Mordo attempting to rid the world of sorcerers, much like his character in the comics. Though this narrative was initiated in Doctor Strange, it has not been fully realized.
Alanna Ubach Played Nova Moon
Alanna Ubach Also Played Liz Allan in The Spectacular Spider-Man
Alanna Ubach appears in Venom: The Last Dance as Nova Moon. Nova is the wife to Rhys Ifans’ Martin Moon, playing the generous and caring mother who gives Eddie Brock a ride. Like her husband, Nova is a hippie type but is less convinced about the existance of extra-terrestrials. Nevertheless, Nova is very supportive of her husband’s quest and is shown to be a caring mother, even to Eddie.
Before Venom: The Last Dance, Ubach voiced Liz Allan in the animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man. As Liz, she played the high school love interest of Peter Parker, adding a softer side to the otherwise high-stakes, action-packed series. Liz has appeared in numerous Spider-Man adaptations as Peyer’s love interest, including Spider-Man: Home Coming. In The Spectacular Spider-Man, Liz’s introduction complicates Peter's relationship with Gwen Stacy. Regardless, Ubach proffers an equally benign and pleasant presence in the animated series as in the Venom movies.
