EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesVenom 3Toxin: Does Venom’s symbiote “grandson” appear in Venom: The Last Dance?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesAction MoviesMarvel MoviesVenom 3Toxin: Does Venom’s symbiote “grandson” appear in Venom: The Last Dance?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Venom: The Last Danceis out now, bringing the Tom Hardy-starring trilogy to a close. In the new film, Eddie and his symbiote are on the run, implicated in the death of Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham) in the previous movie,Venom: Let There Be Carnage. As anyone who watched that film will know, however, Mulligan is not really dead. He survived his encounter with Carnage and now appears to be infected with a symbiote of his own…
This development has its roots inMarvel Comics, where Mulligan and his symbiote are a pretty major character: Toxin, the offspring of Carnage (who is, himself, the son of Venom!). So, does that mean that Toxin features in Venom: The Last Dance? The answer to that is actually a little complicated…
Spoilers for Venom: The Last Dance
Mulligan survives and does indeed transform into Toxin – a dark red symbiote. When Venom realizes that he’s broadly speaking “good” and unlikely to help him take down the webhead, however, he forms a temporary alliance with Carnage to destroy him. They fail when Spider-Man intervenes and, realising that his old life is over forever, Mulligan decides to leave his wife and young child behind for their own safety, pledging to try and use his symbiote for good.
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

So, is Stephen Graham’s character in Venom: The Last Dance meant to be Toxin? The answer is: we don’t know, but probably not. It seems like Kelly Marcel (who wrote and directed the movie from a story that she developed with Tom Hardy) has taken the basic outline of the comics character – Mulligan is a cop who becomes infected with a symbiote – but gone in a completely different direction, similar to the way the Xenophages here are different to in the comics. That’s a shame, but at least there’s still the potential for Toxin to show up in a different film someday…
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Venom: The Last Dance is in theaters worldwide now. Check out our guide to theupcoming superhero moviesto add to your calendar, as well as how towatch the Spider-Man movies in order.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”