Venom 3: Is Norman Reedus Playing Marvel's Knull?

Viral social media posts have some fans convinced of Norman Reedus' casting as Knull in Venom 3.

By Richard Nebens Posted:
Norman Reedus, Venom

Online speculation has Marvel fans wondering if The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus is playing Knull in Sony Pictures' Venom 3 (officially titled Venom: The Last Dance).

Knull made his live-action debut in the newly-released Venom 3 trailer, confirming him to be a major villain in Sony's newest Spider-Man spin-off. While the trailer only showed him for a second looking at his clawed hands, he's known as one of the most powerful characters in all of Marvel Comics.

More than anything else, he's known as the creator of all symbiotes, including Venom, Carnage, and Riot from the first two films. 

His exploits on the page are legendary, including killing the Celestial whose head becomes Knowhere and making All-Black the Necrosword, which was seen in the MCU's Thor: Love and Thunder.

Speculation on Norman Reedus Playing Venom 3's Knull

Knull in Venom the Last Dance
Sony

Rumors have spread on social media claiming that Norman Reedus is playing the role of Knull in Sony Pictures' Venom: The Last Dance.

Posts on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms discussed Reedus' casting as Knull, noting that the announcement came from Sony Pictures officially.

For the time being, these rumors remain unsubstantiated. 

Reedus was not included in the cast list shown at the end of the newly released Venom 3 trailer. 

While no official announcement has been made regarding who will play Knull, some fans are theorizing that Rhys Ifans - who briefly appeared in the trailer as an unknown hippie character - will portray the villain. It would make little sense to cast the award-winning Ifans in a non-important role in the movie; it's very possible that his "hippie" is more than meets the eye.

This comes about six months after Reedus was previously listed for a role in Venom 3 - Google mistakenly claimed that he was playing the role of Aunt May.

Additionally, Alex Perez from The Cosmic Circus shared a rumor pertaining to Knull on X.

Responding to another user hoping Knull would not be a villain who was only used once, Perez responded with, "The King in Black will be back," teasing Knull's eventual return after Venom: The Last Dance.

Will Norman Reedus Be in Venom 3?

No legitimate outlet or scooper has yet reported that Reedus will play Knull in Venom 3, leading to uncertainty about whether the casting speculation is true.

Not only has Sony not said anything about his place in the film, but Reedus himself has not discussed Venom 3 in any form on his social media accounts or in interviews.

However, The Walking Dead's former lead is no stranger to rumors pertaining to Marvel projects. In April 2022, Reedus helped fuel a fan campaign for him to play the MCU's Ghost Rider when he shared a fan-made image of him depicted as Johnny Blaze. 

Seeing Reedus eventually join a Marvel project would certainly be a thrilling prospect. Also important to note is that, while his casting in Venom 3 is merely a rumor as of writing, there is still a chance it could become a reality at a later date.

As for Knull being more than a one-time villain, his future should be exciting for fans considering he is one of the most powerful villains in all of Marvel Comics. Whether he is played by Reedus is a mystery, although his place as Venom 3's big villain will give that universe quite the threat to take down.


Venom: The Last Dance will debut in theaters on October 25.

- In This Article: Venom: The Last Dance
Release Date
October 25, 2024
Platform
Theaters
Actors
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Juno Temple
- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.