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Tom Hardy personally requested his longtime friend to take on the directing duties forVenom: The Last Dance. Hardy and Kelly Marcel have collaborated on theVenomtrilogy for over seven years. In this latest installment, Marcel had the opportunity to make her directorial debut, an achievement in which Hardy had a role to play.
Marcel and Hardy were friends even before they worked together on Sony’sSpider-ManUniverse. They met each other when Hardy hosted an acting workshop near the video rental shop in London where Marcel worked part-time in the late 2000s. He brought her in to do uncredited rewrites for his 2008 British film,Bronson.
Tom Hardy Wanted Kelly Marcel As The Director OfVenom: The Last Dance
Tom Hardy‘sVenom: The Last Danceis out in theaters and the actor along with the director, Kelly Marcel, is promoting the film left and right. Speaking about their experience on the film with The Wrap, Marcel shared that Hardy wanted her to take on the director’s role in the film. She shared that when Sony came to her about the job, she first turned to Hardy for advice.
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TheMad Max: Fury Roadactor told her to take the job without pondering much on the subject. According to Marcel, her directorial debut was a“beautiful, lovely journey”. She shared that with the help of Hardy, she was able to make the film in a way that they both intended it to be. She shared withThe Wrap:
Sony asked me if I would direct it. I kind of looked at Tom. Tom was like, ‘You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to do it.’ So, yeah, it was a really beautiful, lovely journey to be able to take it all the way from inception, all the way through to the end, and really make it what Tom and I intended it to be. It was great.
Hardy too enjoyed the experience collaborating with Marcel. TheInceptionactor shared that Marcel was one of those few people in the creative space whom he could trust to understand his vision. He shared with The Wrap:
Kelly knows where all the bodies are buried, creatively. She knows all the souls are. There’s very few people in the creative space that I know and trust who understand what I’m trying to articulate when I’m struggling and can go, ‘Yeah, I understand where you’re going with that,’ and then manifest in a way that I go, ‘Oh, thank God, I’m not mad.’
He also added in the interview that despite working with well-respected directors in the field,he felt more comfortable on Marcel’s set. He also praised the level of professionalism she showed when asked to helm the sequel of a huge franchise. He went on to claim thatVenom: The Last Dancewas the best of all theVenomfilms.
Kelly Marcel Has Proven Herself To Be More Than Capable In The Industry
Tom Hardy has tattooed a tribute toKelly Marcel, which read ‘Skribe’, after she came in and did rewrites forBronson(via The Guardian). It was one of the first testimonials she got for her skills. Marcel’s big Hollywood break happened when her script ofSaving Mr. Bankswas acquired by Disney after it was featured on the 2011 Black List (via Deadline).
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She went on to adapt E. L. James’ erotic novelFifty Shades of Grey, though she was not happy about the finished film due to James’ interference (via The Guardian). She was later hired as one of the writers of Sony’sVenomalongside Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. She returned for the sequelVenom: Let There Be Carnage, earning sole writing credits.
She was the creator and showrunner of AppleTV+’s 2023 seriesThe Changeling.When Sony announced the third film, Marcel was the director, writer, and producer of the film. Her father is director Terry Marcel and her sister is actress Rosie Marcel.
Venom: The Last Dancewas released in theaters on July 04, 2025.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
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