With the exception of James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy, few Marvel-based superhero films of recent memory have cultivated the wicked charm, gallows humor, and delirious fun as the three "Venom" films, and the final triumphant entry, "Venom: The Last Dance," does not disappoint by any means.

Now a trilogy, the "Venom" movies have a distinct tone for Marvel-derived products, neither somber nor self-referential. That's largely due to its star's input.

Tom Hardy wanted his longtime friend and writer of his first two Venom films, Kelly Marcel, as the director of the third and potentially last Venom film