London, UK - For their third time now, Tom Hardy and the alien that lives in him are out to save the day while leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Venom: The Last Dance might be the finale of a film trilogy, but Hardy tells us he's already thinking about fighting Spider-Man.

Things have not been going well for Sony Pictures and its Spider-Man Universe (SSU) lately.

Morbius with Jared Leto received several Golden Raspberries, Hollywood's negative awards. Madame Web, with a listless Dakota Johnson in the lead role, received scathing reviews.

At least Venom and the entertaining sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage were a success for Sony. The third installment of the comic book film series starring Tom Hardy (47) is supposed to be the last – at least for now.

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"I signed a three-picture deal," Hardy told dpa in London. "But then the way that these things work is that you're consistently working towards developing a bigger picture and landscape within that world."

Part three of the Venomverse contains several Easter eggs, plus a variety of characters whose storylines could be spun out, says director Kelly Marcel, who worked on the previous Venom films as a screenwriter.

The film continues the story of former star journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the alien Venom that lives inside him, continuing to wreak havoc when it has control of Brock's body.

This time, the duo is on the run from the authorities. Even in the depths of the South American jungle, Brock sees his face on TV and knows he's safe nowhere.

But the greater danger comes from another world. Knull (Andy Serkis) is an ancient, god-like being who existed before the creation of the universe. He is the creator of the symbiotes, who turned against him and wanted to lock him away forever.

But Knull sees a chance to escape his imprisonment. To do that, he needs the so-called Codex, a kind of genetic imprint that Brock and Venom carry.

Knull has dispatched the Xenophages, horrific alien creatures that hunt and destroy symbiotes. While Brock and Venom flee from the Xenophages, a soldier called Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is also hot on their trail.

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Scientist Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) and an alien enthusiast (Rhys Ifans) and his family soon find themselves caught in the crossfire.

Incidentally, in addition to Ted Lasso actor Juno Temple, her colleague Cristo Fernández also has a small role in the cult series.

Admittedly, it all sounds terribly complicated, but it's not. Even if you haven't seen the two previous films, you'll quickly get the gist of what's happening.

Director and screenwriter Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy, who co-wrote the script with her, deserve credit for that. Unlike some other recent Marvel films, the film is straightforward and easy for newcomers to understand.

"Every one of the films, it should be an encapsulation and standalone movie for the hardcore fan," Hardy says, "but as well as those who've never seen or heard of Venom before."

At the same time, the film is part of a larger story and contains a lot that can be built on, including the villain.

Hardy says they approached the film as a standalone work so that viewers can enjoy it, go home and never see another Venom film. "But also for those who are enjoying it, you're growing a franchise, ultimately."

If you get used to the anti-hero's insistent, loud voice, which is constantly booming from the off, as you did in the first two films, the wild spectacle is a lot of fun. The jokes are a bit silly at times, but Venom: The Last Dance scores with fast-paced action and a lovable Tom Hardy. Just don't spend too much time questioning the plot and or the characters' behavior.

Rhys Ifans, who happens to have played the Lizard villain in The Amazing Spider-Man, has a completely new role here. There are no direct connections to Spider-Man, not even a cameo, as was repeatedly rumored, although it was hinted at the end of the second film.

It's a shame, because many fans had been waiting for the character from Sony's Spider-Man universe since the first Venom film. The fact that it didn't happen was apparently not Hardy and Marcel's decision.

"I'd love to fight Spider-Man," the lead actor says, while noting that the studios had a clear concept and strategy. "And I'd love to see it," director Marcel agrees.

Of course, we won't reveal how Venom: The Last Dance ends here. But it would be surprising if it was the last time we heard about Venom.

"We write thinking about what Venom 4, 5, 6 is as well," says Hardy, "and what the spin-off opportunities are for that with variables on whether that's [comic book characters] Anti-Venom, Agent Venom, ..."

In times when Marvel and Sony are cooperating on Spider-Man, and thanks to the multiverse idea a few years ago, even former Spider-Men have reappeared – so anything seems possible.

However, the next film in Sony's Spider-Man universe will introduce a completely different character for the first time. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, considered a possible next James Bond, plays Kraven the Hunter.