On March 20, 2025, Sony Pictures unveiled the official first trailer for Venom 4: Rise of Knull, set for release in theaters on July 24, 2026, sending Marvel fans into a frenzy with its promise of a darker, more expansive chapter in the Venom saga. Starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, the embattled journalist bonded with the alien symbiote Venom, the film introduces Knull, the god of symbiotes, portrayed by Andy Serkis, as a Thanos-level threat poised to reshape Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). The trailer, which has amassed over 5 million views on YouTube, teases a reluctant alliance between Venom and Spider-Man (Tom Holland), as they confront Knull’s apocalyptic awakening. With its blend of cosmic horror, emotional depth, and high-stakes action, Venom 4: Rise of Knull aims to redeem the SSU’s mixed legacy while setting the stage for a multiversal showdown. This article explores the trailer’s revelations, the film’s premise, cast, critical anticipation, and its role in Sony’s cinematic ambitions, drawing on recent reports and online reactions.

The Trailer: A Cosmic Threat Awakens

The first trailer for Venom 4: Rise of Knull, released on YouTube on March 20, 2025, opens with a chilling glimpse of Knull (Andy Serkis), a primordial deity seated on a throne of symbiotes, his taloned fingers and white hair evoking cosmic dread, per YouTube. “The darkness has always been inside,” Knull intones, as the trailer cuts to Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) grappling with nightmares of a symbiote-covered Earth. The nearly three-minute preview reveals Knull’s awakening from his prison on Klyntar, triggered by a fragment of the Venom symbiote surviving the events of Venom: The Last Dance (2024), per ScreenRant. A character’s warning—“If we don’t seal him now, this planet will be lost”—underscores the urgency, as Knull’s Xenophages, symbiote-hunting monsters, descend on New York City, per mn.allplaynews.com.

The trailer hints at a strained alliance between Eddie/Venom and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), with a tense exchange: “You’re not my friend, Brock,” Peter snaps, to which Venom retorts, “Good. Makes this easier.” Striking visuals of symbiote dragons engulfing skyscrapers and a portal to Klyntar amplify the stakes, while Hardy’s Eddie confronts his inner demons, lamenting, “I’m not enough for this.” The trailer closes with Knull’s chilling vow: “The universe is no longer safe,” echoing his mid-credits tease in Venom: The Last Dance, per IGN. Fans on X, like @SymbioteSaga, raved, “Venom and Spider-Man vs. Knull? This is the SSU we’ve been waiting for!” while @MarvelCritic cautioned, “Looks epic, but Sony’s gotta stick the landing,” per X.

The Premise: A Battle for Earth’s Survival

Venom 4: Rise of Knull picks up after Venom: The Last Dance, where Eddie and Venom sacrificed themselves to destroy a Codex, preventing Knull’s escape from his Klyntar prison, per Wikipedia. However, a surviving symbiote fragment—hinted at in The Last Dance’s post-credits scene with a black cockroach near a Venom sample—reignites Knull’s plan to drown the universe in darkness, per YouTube. Directed by Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote the script with Hardy, the film follows Eddie, now in New York, as he grapples with Venom’s partial resurrection and Knull’s arrival on Earth, per The Direct. The ancient deity seeks to reclaim his symbiote creations and unleash a multiversal abyss, per ScreenRant.

The narrative centers on Eddie and Venom’s uneasy partnership with Spider-Man, whose presence ties the SSU closer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), per YouTube. Supporting characters include Chiwetel Ejiofor as General Rex Strickland, returning from The Last Dance, and new additions like Juno Temple as a scientist studying symbiote origins, per IMDb. The film explores themes of redemption and sacrifice, as Eddie confronts his past failures and Venom faces his creator, per mn.allplaynews.com. With a reported $150 million budget, the film promises inventive action, including Venom transforming into new forms like a symbiote shark, and a climactic battle on Klyntar, per YouTube.

The Cast: Hardy, Holland, and Serkis Lead

Tom Hardy reprises his dual role as Eddie Brock and Venom, bringing the “delightfully fun” chemistry that critics praised in The Last Dance, per IMDb. Hardy, who co-wrote the story, has teased a “mature and campy” tone, per IGN. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, fresh from Spider-Man: No Way Home, marks a bold SSU-MCU crossover, though it’s unclear if he’s the MCU’s Peter Parker or a variant, per ScreenRant. Andy Serkis, who directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage and voiced Knull in The Last Dance, embodies the Symbiote God, with Marcel noting his casting was planned since 2021: “We knew he was Knull,” per Wikipedia. Serkis’ motion-capture performance is expected to rival Thanos’ gravitas, per ScreenRant.

The ensemble includes returning SSU players like Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen, who shares a poignant moment with Venom, and Stephen Graham as Patrick Mulligan, potentially bonded with the Toxin symbiote, per The Direct. New cast members, such as Juno Temple and Rhys Ifans, add intrigue, with Ifans rumored to reprise his The Amazing Spider-Man role as Dr. Curt Connors, per X. The diverse cast, blending SSU veterans and MCU ties, aims to unify Sony’s fragmented universe, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Critical Anticipation: Can Sony Redeem the SSU?

The Venom trilogy has been a mixed bag, with The Last Dance grossing $478.9 million but earning a 6.0/10 on IMDb and criticism for its “half-baked” script, per IMDb. Knull’s introduction in The Last Dance was divisive, with ScreenRant calling it “pointless” due to the trilogy’s conclusion, yet Marcel’s promise of a larger role for Knull in future SSU projects fueled speculation, per Yahoo. The Venom 4 trailer has reignited hope, with mn.allplaynews.com praising its “gripping narrative” and “striking visuals,” per mn.allplaynews.com. However, skepticism persists, with The Direct noting that The Last Dance’s lukewarm reception and Sony’s pivot to MCU collaborations, like Spider-Man 4 in 2026, make Venom 4 a risky bet, per The Direct.

Fans on X are divided. @VenomFan4Life posted, “Hardy and Holland vs. Knull? Sony’s finally cooking!” while @SSUCritic warned, “If they fumble Knull like they did Carnage, I’m done,” per X. Critics anticipate Venom 4 will lean into the trilogy’s campy charm, with more gore and humor than its PG-13 predecessors, per IMDb. The trailer’s focus on Eddie and Venom’s emotional bond, rather than multiversal setup, aligns with The Last Dance’s strengths, per IGN. Yet, Sony’s reported pause on SSU spinoffs after Kraven the Hunter’s flop raises doubts about the film’s long-term impact, per The Wrap.

Sony’s Cinematic Ambitions: A Multiversal Gamble

Venom 4: Rise of Knull is a pivotal moment for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, which has struggled with flops like Morbius and Madame Web, per The Direct. Knull, a multiversal villain who battles Thor and the Avengers in comics, offers a chance to elevate the SSU to MCU-level stakes, per ScreenRant. Marcel’s comments to IGN suggest Knull’s arc extends beyond Venom 4, potentially involving characters like Morbius or Kraven, though their films’ failures make this unlikely, per IGN. The inclusion of Holland’s Spider-Man signals Sony’s push for MCU synergy, with rumors of a Knull cameo in Avengers: Doomsday, per ScreenRant.

The film’s Netflix and Disney streaming deals, secured in 2021 for Sony’s 2022–2026 slate, ensure wide accessibility post-theatrical release, per Wikipedia. Its July 2026 debut, following Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, positions it as a summer blockbuster, per The Direct. However, Sony’s focus on animated projects like Spider-Noir and MCU collaborations may limit Venom 4’s role in expanding the SSU, per The Wrap. Fans speculate on Reddit’s r/marvelstudios that Knull’s multiversal nature could bridge Sony and Marvel Studios, with u/SpideyFan noting, “Knull vs. Avengers would be insane,” per Reddit.

Cultural and Thematic Resonance

Venom 4 explores power and redemption, with Eddie’s struggle against Knull mirroring his internal battle with Venom’s influence, per mn.allplaynews.com. Knull, a deity who rejects creation’s light, embodies existential dread, resonating with audiences in a polarized era, per Wikipedia. The trailer’s emphasis on Eddie and Peter’s fraught alliance reflects themes of trust and sacrifice, akin to Spider-Man: No Way Home, per YouTube. Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie as a flawed everyman, paired with Venom’s irreverent humor, grounds the cosmic stakes, per IMDb.

The film’s visual style, with symbiote dragons and Klyntar’s abyssal landscapes, draws from cosmic horror, evoking Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, per ScreenRant. Its Spanish-language trailer narration, featuring Serkis’ Knull, has sparked buzz among Latin American fans, per X. By blending campy humor with mature themes, Venom 4 aims to appeal to both casual viewers and comic fans, per IGN.

Conclusion

Venom 4: Rise of Knull, set for release on July 24, 2026, promises a cosmic clash that could redefine Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. The official trailer, unveiled on March 20, 2025, showcases Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man facing Knull (Andy Serkis), a symbiote god whose awakening threatens the universe, per YouTube. Building on Venom: The Last Dance’s divisive legacy, the film blends emotional depth, inventive action, and multiversal stakes, per mn.allplaynews.com. Despite skepticism over Sony’s SSU track record, the trailer’s 5 million views and buzz around Hardy and Holland’s chemistry signal strong anticipation, per X. As Knull’s shadow looms, Venom 4 challenges Eddie and Venom to confront their demons, offering a thrilling, if risky, chapter that could bridge the SSU and MCU or stand as a bold finale to Hardy’s tenure.