Minor spoilers for Venom: The Last Dance lie ahead, so read at your own discretion.
The time has come, as Eddie Brock and his mischievous, alien symbiote are taking their final ride in Venom: The Last Dance. Amid all the madcap mayhem and humor that engulfs the 2024 movie schedule release, it’s likely that there are some eager to know about Easter eggs and other small tidbits. Well, believe it or not, there’s actually a brief nod to the Ghostbusters franchise. It’s the definition of a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” moment, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t catch it when you were in the theater. (I can honestly admit that I didn’t even see it.)
Anyone who’s seen the film is surely aware of the fact that the legendary Area 51 plays into the plot of The Last Dance. In the film, the highly classified military facility, which is based in Nevada, is set to be decommissioned in a matter of days. With that, the neighboring Area 55 is set to remain intact so that extraterrestrial experimentation can continue. Considering all that, you may be under the impression that the link to the iconic team of paranormal investigators lies within the walls of the new facility. However, that’s not the case.
SlashFilm astutely pointed out that the Easter egg in question has to do with a mailbox that sits outside of Area 51. If you look closely at it, you’ll see several stickers, with one of them being an advertisement for Ray’s Occult Books. For anyone not familiar with Ghostbusters lore, that’s the New York-based bookstore that’s owned by Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz.
I have to say that while checking out The Last Dance, I definitely wasn’t looking out for any nods to the comedic supernatural franchise, which is also owned by Sony. (Spider-Man-related teases were on my mind.) Nevertheless, as a fan of the ghost-centric franchise, I’m still disappointed that I didn’t clock that sweet little nod. The sticker is a sweet addition to the film, and I’m curious as to whether director Kelly Marcel or someone else came up with the idea to add it in there. Regardless, kudos to whoever devised that.
What this shrewdly placed Easter egg helps signify is the continued influence of the Ghostbusters movies and TV shows. Since the franchise’s first entry (which is one of the best ‘80s films) was released in 1984, moviegoers have been captivated by the humorously creepy exploits of Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore and those in their orbit. The IP is still going strong as well, with the latest installment – Frozen Empire – having opened earlier this year. A new GB animated series is even in the works at Netflix now. All in all, the future still seems bright for this tried-and-true property.
At present, there are arguably more questions surrounding what lies ahead for the character of Venom as well as Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Kelly Marcel confirmed that The Last Dance marked the end of Eddie Brock’s story but that it would set the table for future SSMU developments. That’s particularly the case when it comes to the introduction of the planet-conquering big bad Knull. Additionally, Tom Hardy still wants to see his eponymous symbiote fight Spider-Man, though whether that actually happens remains to be seen.
What also seems unlikely at this point is the notion of the Venom and Ghostbusters franchises crossing over. Nevertheless, that doesn’t take anything away from the cool piece of connective tissue created by that mailbox sticker. I honestly can’t stop thinking about this Easter egg (and how I missed it) and am thinking that I now may need to take another trip to the cinema.
You can check out Venom: The Last Dance for yourself, as it’s playing in theaters nationwide now. Also, read up on upcoming superhero movies.