Morbius

## More information

***Morbius*** is a 2022 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is the third installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. It was released on April 1, 2022. The film received negative reviews from critics, with many calling it uninspired and dated, though Smith's performances received some praise.

## Synopsis

*One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?*

## Plot

At a private hospital in Greece, 10-year-old Michael Morbius welcomes his new surrogate brother Lucien, whom he renames Milo, and bond over their shared blood illness and desire to be "normal". Their adoptive father and hospital director Nicholas arranges for Michael to attend medical school in New York while he focuses on caring for Milo.

Twenty-five years later, Michael publicly declines a Nobel Prize for his work with synthetic blood before his colleague and girlfriend Martine Bancroft discovers he has secretly captured dozens of vampire bats from Costa Rica in the hope of splicing their genes with his own to cure his condition. After informing Nicholas and Milo of his planned experiment, Michael receives funding to outfit a private mercenary vessel in international waters with his equipment. While his cure works, it transforms him into a vampiric superhuman and he kills and drains the crew of their blood, save Bancroft, after they attack him out of fear. Once his bloodlust subsides and he regains his senses, a horrified Michael erases all CCTV footage of his experiment before contacting the authorities and jumping overboard.

Returning to New York City, Michael discovers he has superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and echolocation abilities, subsisting on his synthetic blood until it becomes less potent throughout. As FBI agents Simon Stroud and Al Rodriguez investigate Michael's victims and deduce his involvement, Milo learns that Michael is cured, but becomes furious when the latter refuses to cure him as well. While checking on a hospitalized Bancroft, Michael finds a dead nurse, drained of her blood. Believing he was responsible, he attempts to escape before being cornered and arrested. In prison, Michael is visited by a disguised Milo, who offers to use his wealth to free him. Upon realizing Milo took his cure and killed the nurse, Michael escapes to confront him. Milo confesses to his crimes, claiming that he did so because of his own bloodlust, before urging Michael to embrace his powers like he has. Unwilling to hurt his brother, Michael flees.

The next day, Michael meets with a revived Bancroft to explain what Milo has done before acquiring a new lab and developing an anticoagulant to commit suicide, as he will become unable to resist his bloodlust. Stroud and Rodriguez find footage of one of Milo's attacks and release it to the media. Recognizing Milo, Nicholas finds and pleads him to stop. Angered by Nicholas' perceived preference for Michael, Milo mortally wounds him before forcing him to call Michael. Michael responds, goes to Nicholas' side, and watches him die while Milo attacks Bancroft. Michael returns to her, but she dies in his arms and he drinks her blood. Confronting Milo once more, Michael summons an army of bats to help him restrain Milo as he injects him with the anticoagulant. Tearfully accepting the name Michael gave him, Milo dies and Michael flies off with the bats, mourning his loved ones and embracing his identity as a vampire. Unbeknownst to him, Bancroft is revived by her newly developed vampiric powers.

Elsewhere, Adrian Toomes finds himself transported to Morbius' universe by a spell. After obtaining a copy of his flight suit, he finds and approaches Morbius, suggesting they form a team.

## Cast

* Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius
* Matt Smith as Milo Morbius
* Adria Arjona as Martine Bancroft
* Jared Harris as Dr. Emil Nicholas
* Tyrese Gibson as Agent Simon Stroud
* Al Madrigal as Agent Alberto Rodriguez
* Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes
* Zaris-Angel Hator as Anna
* Charlie Shotwell as Young Michael
* Joseph Esson as Young Milo
* Corey Johnson as Mr. Fox

## Crew

* Daniel Espinosa as Director
* Matt Sazama as Writer
* Burk Sharpless as Writer
* Avi Arad as Producer
* Matt Tolmach as Producer
* Lucas Foster as Producer
* Jared Leto as Executive Producer
* Emma Ludbrook as Executive Producer
* Louise Rosner as Executive Producer
* Barry St. John as Co-Producer
* Oliver Wood as Director of Photography
* Pietro Scalia as Head Editor
* Jon Ekstrand as Composer
* Nina Gold as Casting Director
* Stefania Cella as Production Designer
* Cindy Evans as Costume Designer

## Production history

In November 2017 *Morbius* was announced, with a script written by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama. On June 27, 2018, Daniel Espinosa was announced to be the director for the project with Jared Leto starring. It was later announced that filming would begin in early 2019. On December 14, 2018, Adria Arjona was announced to have joined the cast as Martine Bancroft, Morbius's fiancé. On January 24, 2019, Matt Smith was announced to have joined the cast as the villain who was initially reported to be named Loxias Crown on March 6, 2019 (later revealed to actually be named Milo Morbius). Principle photography started late February 2019 in London. On March 4, 2019, Jared Harris had joined the cast.

In September 2019, Sony announced a new agreement with Disney that extended a previous deal to have Marvel Studios and its president Kevin Feige produce a sequel to Far From Home, keeping Spider-Man in Marvel's shared universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As part of the new agreement, Feige stated that moving forward the MCU's Spider-Man would be able to "cross cinematic universes" and appear in Sony's own shared universe as well.[38] This interaction was said to be "a 'call and answer' between the two franchises as they acknowledge details between the two in what would loosely be described as a shared detailed universe".

By January 14, 2020 Sony revealed that Art Marcum and Matt Holloway had made uncredited contributions to the film's script. Reshoots for the film began in Los Angeles by early February 2020, and were finished a month later when film productions around the United States were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, the film's release was pushed back to March 19, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In early January 2021, the release date was again pushed back several months to October 8, 2021. However, on January 24, 2021, it was revealed to have been further delayed; this time to January 21, 2022.c Then on January 29, 2021, Jared revealed that he still has his long hair because of reshoots for Morbius taking place in a couple of weeks.

While it's no secret that Michael Keaton will appear in the film, what has yet to be confirmed is his wether or not he will reprise his character of Adrian Toomes/Vulture, who first appeared in *Spiderman: Homecoming*.

In January 2021, the film was delayed again, first to October 8, 2021, and then to January 21, 2022, when *No Time to Die* was moved to the October 2021 date. At the end of January 2021, Leto revealed that additional reshoots were taking place in mid-February.

It was previously anounced to be released on January 28, 2022. However due to a Covid-19 surge as a result of the Omicron variant on January 3, 2022, it was anounced that the film was delayed yet again. This time to April 1, 2022.

Morbius premiered at the Plaza Carso in Mexico City on March 10, 2022, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 1, 2022, after being delayed several times from an initial July 2020 date primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Home Media

Sony signed deals with Netflix and Disney in April 2021 for the rights to their 2022 to 2026 film slate, following the films' theatrical and home media windows. Moreover, Netflix signed for exclusive "pay 1 window" streaming rights, which is typically an 18 month window and included future Marvel films in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.Disney signed for "pay 2 window" rights for the films, which would be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu as well as broadcast on Disney's linear television networks.

## Gallery

### Promotional images

Logo*Comic-Con* coverJapanese logoIn Theaters 2022December 2021 PosterApril 2022 Poster
### BTS Images

Oscar Isaac & Jared Leto promoting Moon Kight & Morbius

### Promotional Videos

MORBIUS - Teaser Trailer (HD)MORBIUS - Official Japan Trailer 2021 from Tokyo Comic ConJapanese Trailer as seen @ Tokyo Comic ConMORBIUS Vignette - Who Is Morbius?MORBIUS - Official Trailer (HD)MORBIUS Exclusive Scene - The TransformationMorbius- Creating the Claw of the Living Vampire - Time-lapse TransformationHow Morbius Created a Fighting Style for the Living VampireJared Leto wants to see Morbius battle Spider-ManMorbius – Save 30" – Ab 31.3.2022 NUR im Kino!MORBIUS Vignette - The Lore of MorbiusMORBIUS - Final Trailer (HD)Morbius - Monster - April 1 - Releasing in English, Hindi, Tamil & TeluguMORBIUS Vignette - TransformationMORBIUS Travel Vlog - Mexico CityMORBIUS Vignette - Universe¡Entrevisté a Matt Smith! Habla sobre Morbius y House of the DragonJared Leto on His MORBIUS Transformation and a Possible SequelMORBIUS – Is Von Miller Superhuman?
## Trivia

* On December 2, 2020 Jared Leto confirmed that he recently recorded a message about *Morbius* for Tokyo Comic Con in Japan. Which took place from December 4-6, 2020.
* During Tokyo Comic Con in Japan, which took place between December 4-6,2020, a minute-long teaser, which was specially made for Japan's Comic Con, was preceded by a special message from Jared Leto. The film's star goes onto say it is an exciting role that will help expand the universe of Marvel characters SONY is creating. He also admitted to being happy that everyone in Japan is doing well, and that theaters are open there.
* On December 31,2020, Jared Lot spoke to *Variety*, where he went onto say that stepping into this role allowed him to do things differently. He further went onto say that, "I haven't done that very much in my life, so that was a good challenge," Leto said. The actor went on to talk about the dichotomy of Morbius, mentioning that the character starts out weak, but turns into someone powerful. "I get to play these three different characters in a way in this Jekyll and Hyde story that's just big and fun and sometimes a little scary, which, I think, is different for that genre. I'm excited about it; it should be a big, fun popcorn movie."
* On January 30, 2021,Jared Leto during his recent interview on *The Late, Late Show With James Corden* was asked if his character would ever cross paths with Blade, just like in the comics, where they very much have a love hate relationship. "That is a good question,” responded Leto. “And I could see that happening in the future. I could see that happening, yeah".
* On February 2, 2021, Leto mention that he was "quite taken with Dr. Michael Morbius, and the movie is intense. It’s on the darker side of the universe, and the scarier side of the universe, which we’re just starting with. If we do more movies, we can explore that a bit more". He further added that the film starts off with "this guy trying to save himself and others because he has this rare disease – he’s at the end of his life, actually, and he’s frail and sickly – and then he goes through a series of transformations. So it’s really exciting as an actor to approach this film, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it."
* On February 3, 2021, a Morbius action figure was released from a company called MezcoToyz.
* On April 8, 2021 it was announced that Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have set a significant new licensing deal, which gives the streaming giant an exclusive 18-month window for the studio’s theatrical titles starting in 2022. The slate will kick off with tentpoles like *Morbius*, *Uncharted*, *Where the Crawdads Sing* and *Bullet Train*. Two subsequent windows will keep films circulating on Netflix as they reach other platforms across TV and streaming.
* On April 30, 2021, it was announced that the film was delayed once again; rather than staying alone on Jan. 21, where there is no wide entry competition, Sony has decided to go head-to-head with Universal/Blumhouse’s Scott Derrickson-directed horror film *The Black Phone* on its new date.
* On May 31, 2021, it was teased by Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President, Sanford Panitch, that there's actually a pla in motion that will become clear to fans once *Spiderman: No Way Home* comes out in how this film and *Venom: Let There Be Carnage* connect to Tom Holland's webslinger.
* On June 15, 2021, Sony Pictures Entertainment as result of previous comments made by Tyrese Gibson were forced to subsequently confirmed that this Spider-Man spinoff will not, in fact, be an MCU film. Instead, they clarified that *Morbius* will be connected with Sony's other Spider-Man films, but that it’s not intended to connect with Disney’s wider Marvel movie-verse.
	+ Also on this day, Sony Pictures confirmed that Morbius is still on track to be released on January 28, 2022.
* On August 12, 2021, when Michael Keaton was asked if he’s playing a Multiverse version of his MCU character, and if he’s even playing Toomes in that scene of the *Morbius* trailer, he replied with the cryptic: "Boy, you’re going to have to hold off on that answer. That’s ‘Answer to come.’"
* On August 24, 2021, it was reported that as result of no new footage from the sequel to the 2018 sci-fi symbiote thriller *Venom* it was notably absent from Las Vegas’s CinemaCon on Monday. While Venom is still currently teed up as one of the fall’s biggest titles, according to multiple inside sources, Sony Pictures is planning to delay the release of *Venom: Let There Be Carnage* until January 21, 2022; the date currently occupied by the Jared Leto vampire-superhero thriller *Morbius* — but the studio is waiting to make the announcement until after CinemaCon, the annual extravaganza at which movie-theater-chain executives and owners come to be dazzled by sneak peeks at Hollywood’s impending blockbusters.
	+ As of this day, Sony officially renamed the SPUMC as Sony's Spider-Man Universe following the *Spiderman No Way Home* Trailer reveal.
	+ Moreover, during Sony’s CinemaCon presentation, in addition to talking about and/or showing footage for *Spider-Man: No Way Home* & *Ghostbusters: Afterlife*, the studio had other projects they wanted to tease and that included a new look at Tom Holland as Nathan Drake in *Uncharted* and more footage of Jared Leto in action in *Morbius*. The footage shown provided a better look at the final version of the character of Michael Morbius.
* On August 25, 2021 it reported that rumors that Venom 2 would be delayed to 2022 and potentially take *Morbius* spot are untrue, according to a studio insider.
* On October 3,2021, some set images for the film leaked, and Tyrese Gibson also confirmed that they were filming more scenes during this week of October.
* On October 27, 2021, it began to be reported that there is a "high probability" that a second trailer for *Morbius* could be dropped before *Spiderman: No Way Home*.
	+ On this same day Kevin Feige, through an interview he gave to *Empire* Magazine 's latest issue,he talked about the shaky negotiations that went on with Sony in 2019 concerning the rights to Spider-Man. In the aforementioned interview, he talked about " preparing to emotionally separate " from the character before expressing how " thankful " he is to have worked everything out:"I was mentally preparing to emotionally separate from it. I didn't love it, but it is what it is. And then, thankfully, it came back together".
* On November 1, 2021, it was stated that a new promotional trailer would be premiering on November 2, 2021.
	+ On this same day, Jared Leto in a new featurette for *Morbius* that was released, it teased the 2022 film's possible connections to Spider-Man, claiming "there's a web of opportunity." In addition, the video also included a shot of J. Jonah Jameson's newspaper, The Daily Bugle.
	+ In addition, through the recently released featurette for the upcoming *Morbius* film, a quick shot of the Daily Bugle newspaper contained headlines of two Spider-Man villains, Black Cat and Rhino. One headline reads, "Rhino on the Loose: Zoo Hoax Fools us All," accompanied by another right beside it saying " Black Cat: Friend or Foe? ".
* On November 2, 2021, after the second trailer for the film, some new MCU connections were teased such as the new footage showing direct references to Tom Hardy's Venom and Marc Webb's *The Amazing Spider-Man* franchise with Andrew Garfield.
	+ Also on this day the new Morbius footage in the trailer shows what happens when he fully transforms into his more monstrous side.
* On November 3, 2021 it was revealed that Talenthouse is on the hunt for one-of-a-kind digitally illustrated poster artwork inspired by the latest trailer for Morbius. This creative static artwork should showcase the conflict within Dr. Michael Morbius, as played by Oscar winner Jared Leto, along with his recently-found dark, transformative, powers.A total of Five works will be selected by CTMG. Selected Creators will receive $2,000 in exchange for their works, which will potentially be featured on social media, physical posters, or used as digital art to promote the film.
	+ Moreover, an easter egg in the new *Morbius* trailer is a good sign for Green Goblin having a future in the MCU that goes beyond *Spider-Man: Now Way Home*.
* On November 10, 2021, Leto was asked to describe what audiences are in for, to which he said he "doesn't know if it's describable" and that he's "excited by Dr. Michael Morbius." Leto goes on to say that he's "honored" to bring the character to life on screen, something which he notes is becoming more difficult, as there are "so many of these great characters" already in their own movies.
* On November 15, 2021, Sony Pictures has announced that a scheduling adjustment for the film was announced. Instead of January 21 we will see it on January 28, 2022, as stated in a press release.
* On November 16, 2021,Matt Smith talked about his character of Milo Morbius, describing him as the estranged surrogate brother and best friend of Dr. Michael Morbius who contracts the same rare blood disease as the doc, confirming that "he does" serve as the film's ultimate villain. Smith went onto tell *Looper* he is "very excited for that to come out."
* On November 18, 2021, in an appearance on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, Michael Keaton revealed that "I'm shooting tomorrow," and when Kimmel asked what he was shooting, Keaton said, "Some Vulture stuff," but what he didn't clarify was if it was for *Morbius* or for *Spider-Man: No Way Home*.
* On November 23, 2021, the official Twitter account for the film shared some official promotional fanart posters for the film.
* On November 26, 2021, Jared Leto was asked before the release of his film *House of Gucci* and while he said that he loves the fact that fans are getting involved in the story, he says he’s not really paying any attention to what is being said because, as an actor that not where he wants his focus to be. Leto explains by saying how, "You’ve got to be careful. You know, if you’re the actor you’ve got to be careful because if you dig in too deep, it can kind of shock you or stun you into a place that you shouldn’t be. But you know, I love that people get involved with the story".
* On December 4, 2021, a new promotional film poster was released by the official Morbius twitter account courtesy of the annual CCXPWorlds in Brazil.
	+ Also on this day, Sony has released a new clip for *Morbius*.The new clip comes just over a month after Sony released a new trailer for the film, that details Morbius transformation.
* On December 7, 2021, Morbius was reportedly going through some additional reshoots for scenes with Michael Keaton as Vulture, who first appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
	+ Also on this day, Leto popped in to promote *Morbius* during Sony Pictures' presentation at CCXP Worlds 2021, where he went onto say that "in the film version of Morbius that we're bringing to you now, he's also a part of a much larger universe," and that "If you've seen the last Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, you know the multiverse has officially opened... And there's all kinds of opportunities for villains to meet up, thrive and maybe even nurture their more sinister intents. That's all I'm gonna say for right now".
* On December 8, 2021, Tom Holland revealed to Fandango, that he wants Spider-Man to face off against Morbius at some point down the line.
* On December 9, 2021, it was revealed that Crystal Palace Park in south London hosted one of the largest shoots it has ever dealt with when it doubled for Central Park, NYC, during the filming of Morbius back in 2019.
* On December 13, 2021, a behind the scenes video of how the cast and crew put together one of the biggest and most complex action scenes in the movie: (i.e. the birth of Morbius) and his first time using incredible new abilities as the Living Vampire was released.
* On December 14, 2021, Morbius' fighting style was talked about, and according to Greg Townley, who was the stunt double for Leto as Morbius said that, “the fighting style of Morbius is very predatory and beast-like. The way he moves sometimes is catlike, wild, and quite feral in the moment. He's not comfortable in his own body, because he is used to being quite frail, not being able to do these things. Now he's got this overwhelming power, which he doesn't know how to control. He doesn't know how to deal with it yet.”
* On December 15, 2021, Jared Leto subtly teased Morbius' involvement with The Sinister Six while attending the *Spider-Man: No Way Home* premiere in Hollywood, California.
* On December 17, 2021 Johnathan Fernández said that while he may have scored a role in "Morbius," his character is such a mystery that he still doesn't feature on the movie's IMDb page. Fernández went onto say that, "My character is still completely under wraps. What I will say is that it was one of the best days of my life on the set ever. We shot at Sony, and I wish I could tell you all of it because it felt like my destiny almost because I'm such a huge comic book fan. Also, Spider-Man is my favorite."
* On December 26, 2021, it was reported that according to Cinemark, Morbius comes in with a 1-hour-48-minute runtime, which is only eleven minutes longer than *Venom: Let There Be Carnage* which clocked in at 1 hour and 37 minutes.
* On January 5, 2022,that to date, Morbius has suffered seven delays with the latest pushing it from January 28 to April 1, 2022. While the latest delay is pressumably due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 beginning to take the world by storm, a recent report has offered another explanation for the delay that surprisingly throws Spider-Man: No Way Home under the bus.
* On January 13, 2022, according to Leto, Morbius makes three significant changes throughout the film. Leto describes the character as starting off as "searching for a cure," then continues on to detail how once the character finds a cure, he "becomes powerful and stronger than he's ever been." Leto continued on to mention that there is one final change the character of Morbius goes through, however he did not give any details as to what this final change might entail.
* On January 20, 2022, it was mentioned how the film is pulling significantly from Morbius' first appearance in *Amazing Spider-Man #101-102*, penned by Roy Thomas and drawn by Gil Kane...
* On January 27, 2022, with Morbius set to release in April, comics featuring the titular supervillain of Spider-Man are selling out. Now, Morbius comics are selling out ahead of the film releasing on April 1. With the villain’s exposure to mainstream audiences, he is gaining new fans as displayed by trade collections being sold at a distributor scale. Among the comics that are being purchased are *Morbius: Old Wounds*, written by Vita Ayala with art by Marcelo Ferraira, *Morbius: Preludes and Nightmares* which collects issues from the ‘60s to the ‘90s, and *Morbius Epic Collection: The End of a Living Vampire*, which collects issues from the ‘70s.
* On February 1, 2022, it was revealed by Cinescape that the Living Vampire’s live-action debut will begin rolling out in the Middle East from March 24, eight days ahead of domestic audiences.
* On February 2, 2022, Oscar Isaac who will portray Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Moon Knight in Disney+'s *Moon Knight (TV Series)* talked with Jared Leto in an Actors with Actors conversation with variety to promote both of their upcoming roles.
* On February 7, 2022, it was revealed that by March 31, Morbius will finally swoop into cinemas across Australia.
* On February 9, 2022, it was revealed that some merchandise for the film is available to purchase online.
	+ Also on this day, a new poster for the film was released,and this time featuring the whole cast and the new April 1, 2022 release date. The new poster features Jared Leto front and center, with the ominous red eyes of Morbius in the background. Alongside that, a handful of the main characters from the film, including Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jard Harris, and Tyrese Gibson can all be seen as well.
* On February 10, 2022, it was also confirmed that the film will come out in India on April 1, 2022.
* On February 18, 2022, a new international TV spot for Morbius reveals more about the connection between Dr. Michael Morbius and Milo Morbius.
	+ Also on this day, the official Instagram account for the film shared a reel where they thanked the people who came up with official fan-art posters for the film.
* On February 22, 2022, Columbia Pictures announced that two Filipino artists were among the top five winners of the recently concluded Morbius Talenthouse Fan Art Global Competition. They are Adriann Delmo and Jireh Villafuerte (aka Kyouzins) with Columbia Pictures said that their artworks captured the essence of the Marvel legend, Morbius. Moreover, the winning artworks of the Morbius fan art competition were selected by the lead actor, Jared Leto, who stars as Dr. Michael Morbius in Sony’s upcoming Marvel superhero movie.
	+ Also on this day, it was revealed that unlike the U.S. and most of the world, the movie is now confirmed to release in Britain a day earlier on March 31, 2022.
* On February 23, 2022, Leto shares, via Sony Pictures production notes, his excitement at having Keaton appear in his film. While he doesn't let slip a single plot detail concerning the significance of Vulture's involvement, the actor has nothing but high praise for his co-star saying that "One of the great things about being part of the larger universe is you get to plant Easter eggs – you get to pull on some other characters to jump in and join your party and surprise people. I couldn’t think of someone I’d rather work with than Michael Keaton – he’s one of my favorites".
	+ Also on this day, in Sony Pictures's official Morbius production release, director Daniel Espinosa stressed the importance of the titular character's "anti-hero" vibe, naming Marvel greats like "Magneto, Rogue, [and] Wolverine" that also shined due to towing that line.
* On February 24, 2022, it was mentioned that it was "the character came to life through CGI instead of through prosthetics and makeup, which Leto was adamant about to make sure that Michael Morbius' transformation would have as few visual limitations as possible. The actor was excited to explore the potential that could come from those technologies, allowing him and the team to "push the envelope" in that regard..."
* On February 25, 2022, Jared Leto revealed that what convinced him to play the Living Vampire was that, "I'm attracted to roles where there's an opportunity to transform – physical transformation, but also mental, emotional, any and all".
* On February 26, 2022, during a production release, Leto, who plays the titular living vampire, remarked on the pleasure of working with Keaton on his film and how it might connect to Marvel's ongoing multiverse project between studios sayin that, "One of the great things about being part of the larger universe is you get to plant Easter eggs – you get to pull on some other characters to jump in and join your party and surprise people," he stated. "I couldn’t think of someone I'd rather work with than Michael Keaton – he's one of my favorites."
* On March 4, 2022, some new stills for the Morbius film, where released but this time putting the spotlight on Matt Smith's villainous vampire, Milo Morbius.
* On March 6, 2022, some new promotional and BTS images for the film were made available to the public.
* On March 8, 2022, Sony released a new teaser for *Morbius*, in which the new teaser focused on Dr. Michael Morbius' (Leto) journey from a child with a deadly degenerative disease to a renowned scientist willing to do anything to find a cure.
	+ Also on this day Sony's latest Morbius promo reveals the close connection between protagonist and antagonist and why Matt Smith's Milo wants Morbius' power.
* On March 10, 2022, thanks to some new theater listings for Morbius points towards the upcoming superhero movie being even shorter than original reports, though not by much. Whereas previous reports had the film running at 108 minutes, AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas' pages for the new film have the film running even short at 105 minutes long.
* On March 13, 2022, Jared Leto was interviewed on the red carpet for the year's Critics Choice Award, and he went onto say that Morbius would make a “dynamic duo” with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
	+ Also on this day, a new poster was released by IMAX which takes a stylized approach to the character using only a few colors and contrast to make a fairly striking image of the "good" doctor, Michael Morbius. The image shows Leto's silhouette against a plain background, which serves as a source of light for the hole in his neck which is depicting the entrance to a cave. Within this cave is a horde of bats, which fly out of the back of the silhouette's head, a fitting artistic rendition of The Living Vampire.
* On March 14, 2022, in regards to a potential crossover between Morbius and Spider-Man, he said "I would love to get in the ring with Spider-Man...I think Tom Holland is amazing and we'd make quite a dynamic duo."
* On March 16, 2022, Leto talked about his concern for the financial health of the entertainment industry saying that, “If it wasn’t for Marvel films, I don’t even know if theaters would exist. It doesn’t seem like there’s room for everyone, and that starts to become a little heartbreaking”.
	+ After playing the Joke in the Suicide Squad, Leto mentioned how he was eager to get an offer for the lead role in “Morbius,” a superhero tentpole set in Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters, whom no actor has ever played in a movie or a TV show. Channeling the part of Spider-Man’s eventual foe, a living vampire, would allow Leto to really sink his teeth into a bad guy with a blank slate. Leto mentioned that, “I loved that it was the very first time this character was going to be on screen,” Leto says. “I’ve always been interested in transformation, and this was a way to explore that territory in a big Marvel film. It was impossible to say no.”
	+ Also on this day, Daniel Espinosa, the director of the film said about Leto that, "He really commits," who physically transformed himself once again in playing the Marvel vampire. "You have to watch out for it."
	+ Leto also mentioned how he had met with “doctors and patients who could teach him about living with a rare, incurable blood disease.” To master his character’s need to walk with a cane, Leto avoided the old trick of putting a pebble in his shoe and studied with real cane users. “For me … it’s an opportunity to learn,” Leto explained...
* On March 18, 2022, The Daily Bugle's official TikTok account, which is operated by Sony Pictures' marketing team, posted a video to promote Sony's Morbius, featuring a new reporter in place of Angourie Rice's Betty Brant. In the Morbius-centered TikTok video, Brant was replaced by Nicque Marina, a social correspondent from the Bugle.
	+ Also on this day,an article on *Fandom* talked about Morbius origins in the Marvel comic books, along with talking about not only Blade, but also the likes of Dracula, Baron Blood, Lilith, a Vamped-out Jubilee from the X-Men comics, and lastly, Vampire By Night.
* On March 20, 2022, it also began to be reported that several journalists who have already seen the film for press purposes described the film as "boring and uncalculated" with "no consistency..."
	+ Also on this day, a Morbius Blood Donation Campaign in Spain was unveiled.
* On March 21, 2022, a rumor began to circulate that said how the Morbius post-credits scene is actually a moment from the trailer. To be more specific, the current rumor is saying that the Morbius post-credits scene is the moment where Michael Keaton hollers at Jared Leto’s Dr. Michael Morbius. In the trailer, he can be heard saying, “Hey Doctor Mike, you and I should stay in touch.” After he says this, Jared Leto’s character gives him a nod that seems heavy, as if it promises more.
	+ Also on this day Leto teased his appearance at the premiere for the film in Paris on Tuesday, Mach 22,2022 to \ @ 7PM.
* On March 22, 2022, a Morbius banner in Milan, Italy was showcased.
	+ Also on this day, Leto was asked about this film and he went onto say that, "With so many great characters interpreted already, it's fun to portray (one) for the first time," Leto says. "And I like that he lives on the darker corners of the universe."
	+ In addition, Matt Smith discussed his mysterious role in *Morbius* and admitted that even he was confused about the identity and history of his character.
	+ According to some reports, Morbius cut several moments from the trailers that referenced the MCU Spider-Man films, including many Michael Keaton scenes.
* On March 24, 2022, some initial Social media reactions came out of an advanced fan screening in the United Kingdom and unfortunately, the general consensus is that *Morbius* is unfortunately not great" and "definitely not as fun as *Venom: Let There Be Carnage*. With the general consensus being that the visual effects were "shoddy", a "formulaic plot" straight out of the early 2000's and the questionable editing. However, on a posiitve note, people agreed that at least Matt Smith is clearly having a blast though!
* On March 25, 2022, in an interview with *Cinema Blend* being promoted by Sony Pictures themselves, *Morbius* director Daniel Espinosa answered some spoilerly questions regarding the film's post-credits sequence.Although a full description wasn't given, apparently at some point in the post-credits scene, Michael Keaton's Vulture shows up in full costume to talk with Jared Leto's Morbius, after having been portaled into his universe from the MCU. When asked how the character got his costume, the director excused it by saying that "he is a resourceful guy:"If you look closely, you will see it is not quite the same suit as Homecoming. He is a resourceful guy."
	+ Espinosa also went onto say that fans will soon learn which version of Spider-Man exists in Venom's universe.
* On March 27, 2022, Leto said he’d love to “take them all,” (in reference to all three present day Spider-Man actors), but he also added that Tom Holland would be his first choice to appear in a future *Morbius* film.
* On March 28, 2022, Matt Smith noted that he hopes the title character will "continue in multiple films" after his origin story. He went onto say that, "It's a new Marvel character for them to sink their teeth into, as it were. I'm sure Michael Morbius will be one that will keep returning, so hopefully it opens up a new world which will continue in multiple films beyond this". Smith, who plays the "confusing" Milo, admitted he's in disbelief that the film is finally hitting theaters. The Doctor Who actor encouraged people to "go to the cinema" to take it in stating how, "We made it yonks (ages) ago, I can't actually believe it's coming out to be honest with you. I am excited for people to see it. I hope people enjoy it and I hope people go to the cinema to see it as well, because it's, you know, a movie."
	+ Also on this day, Daniel Espinosa revealed he had to hold onto Avengers: Endgame's biggest secret after being let in on a major surprise. At the time Morbius began filming, Endgame was yet to release, and Espinosa confirmed there were "tons of small secrets" he was let in on that "[he] had to hold very close," including Tony Stark's death.
* On March 29, 2022, reports began to come out saying that since the film was booked at 4,200 locations, the Marvel vampire protagonist feature is eyeing a studio expected opening of $33M, but could get as high as $40M-$50M.
	+ Also on this day, Espinosa mention that "I almost never saw him getting into the role, it was more that Michael Morbius was on set. The moment he would exit his trailer, it would no longer be Jared Leto, and he would not want to be spoken to as Jared Leto. He's a very committed actor."
* On March 31, 2022, Leto surprised fans, when he did a Q&A on the discord community for the film.
* On June 3, 2022, following the trend of the "It's Morbin' Time" meme, Jared Leto shared a video on Twitter where he is reading a script titled: "*Morbius 2: It's Morbin Time*".

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Jared Leto to Star in ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff ‘Morbius’ From Director Daniel Espinosa" - Variety
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "'Spider-Man' Spinoff: Morbius the Living Vampire Movie in the Works With 'Power Rangers' Writers" - The Hollywood Reporter
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Jared Leto, Daniel Espinosa Team For Sony’s ‘Morbius’ Spider-Man Spinoff" - Deadline Hollywood
4. ↑ "Jon Ekstrand to Score Daniel Espinosa’s ‘Morbius’" - Film Music Reporter
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Jared Leto’s ‘Morbius’ Pushed to Spring Amid Omicron Surge - THR
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sony's Next Spider-Man Spin-off, Morbius, Receives Official Runtime - The Direct
7. ↑ Morbius Review: Why the Movie Fails - The Direct
8. ↑ Synopsis for Morbius film - Morbius movie
9. ↑ "‘Morbius’ Filming Details Revealed by Producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach" - Collider
10. ↑ 'Morbius': Adria Arjona in Early Talks to Join Jared Leto - Hollywood Reporter
11. ↑ Matt Smith to Star With Jared Leto in Marvel Spinoff ‘Morbius’ (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety
12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Hollywood Reporter`
13. ↑ ‘Morbius’ Filming Details Revealed by Producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach - Collider
14. ↑ Jared Harris Joins Jared Leto In Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff ‘Morbius’ - Deadline
15. ↑ Spider-Man Back In Action As Sony Agrees To Disney Co-Fi For New Movie, Return To MCU: How Spidey’s Web Got Untangled - Deadline
16. ↑ Morbius Taps Iron Man Writers for Rewrites - Comicbook.com
17. ↑ Morbius Crew - Writers Guild of America, West
18. ↑ Morbius Set Photos Suggest Stronger Spider-Man Presence - Comicbook.com
19. ↑ Disney Pausing Production On Features ‘Little Mermaid’, ‘Home Alone’, ‘Nightmare Alley’ & More Until Coronavirus Calms Down - Deadline
20. ↑ "‘Morbius,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ Sequel and More Sony Movies Pushed Back to 2021" - Variety
21. ↑ *Deadline*: Sony Marvel Movie ‘Morbius’ Moves To The Fall by Anthony D'Alessandro. January 11, 2021.
22. ↑ Morbius Updates Jan. 29, 2021 - Twitter
23. ↑ Morbius Trailer First Look: Jared Leto Talks Debut as the Iconic Marvel Monster - IGN
24. ↑ Jared Leto sinks teeth into Marvel Comics Vampire role - Deadline
25. ↑ Sony Marvel Movie ‘Morbius’ Shifts A Week Later Next Winter - Deadline
26. ↑ Morbius to undergo more reshoots as Jared Leto hints at script issues - Flickering Myth
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Sony Marvel Movie ‘Morbius’ Shifts A Week Later Next Winter - Deadline
28. ↑ Jared Leto Attends 'Morbius' Premiere in Sheer Top & Leopard-Print Jacket! - Just Jared
29. ↑ Netflix Nabs Post-PVOD Streaming Rights to Sony’s Feature Films in Multiyear Deal - Hollywood Reporter
30. ↑ Disney And Sony Reach Windows Deal That Can Sling ‘Spider-Man’ To Disney+ For First Time, Along With Reach Across Hulu, ABC, FX & More - Deadline
31. ↑ Sony Films Will Move to Disney After Netflix Window Expires - Hollywood Reporter
32. ↑ JARED LETO CONFIRMS 'MORBIUS' FOR TOKYO COMIC CON - Cosmicbook News
33. ↑ MORBIUS: JARED LETO DELIVERS SPECIAL MESSAGE TO FANS IN NEW TEASER FOR SONY AND MARVEL VAMPIRE FLICK - Syfy
34. ↑ Morbius' Jared Leto on the Challenge of Playing Marvel's Living Vampire - CBR
35. ↑ Jared Leto wants Morbius to crossover with Blade - Yahoo Movies
36. ↑ Jared Leto teases intense, dark, and scary Morbius: "I took this real character approach to the role" - Games Radar
37. ↑ One:12 Collective Morbius from @MezcoToyz - Action Figure Insider
38. ↑ Netflix And Sony Break Ground With Film Licensing Deal Replacing Starz Pact, Including First Look At New Direct-To-Streaming Titles - Deadline
39. ↑ Will Spider-Man Ever Connect With Sony’s Other Marvel Movies? ‘There Actually Is a Plan,’ Says Exec - Variety
40. ↑ 'MORBIUS' CO-STAR TYRESE GIBSON SAYS THE VAMPIRE SPINOFF IS SET WITHIN THE MCU; SONY SEEMS TO DISAGREE - SYFY Wire
41. ↑ Morbius Still On Track for January 2022 Release, Not in the MCU Despite Claims - IGN
42. ↑ Michael Keaton Gave The Most Marvel Answer Possible When Asked About His Morbius Appearance
43. ↑ Venom: Let There Be Carnage May Be Delayed Until 2022. Will More Fall Movies Follow? - Vulture
44. ↑ Aug. 24th, 2021 Tweet - Fandom Twitter
45. ↑ Uncharted first look, Morbius footage & more unveiled at CinemaCon - JoBlo
46. ↑ Aug. 25, 2021 Tweet - Fandom
47. ↑ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer Shatters ‘Avengers: Endgame’s’ 24-Hour Viewership Record - Variety
48. ↑ Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage 2022 Delay 'Not True' According to New Report - IGN
49. ↑ MORBIUS Set Photo Easter Egg Now Makes A Lot More Sense After VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE - Comicbookmovie.com
50. ↑ Spider-Man: No Way Home's Next Trailer Expected to Release After New Morbius Footage - The Direct
51. ↑ New Morbius Footage Expected Before Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer - We Got This Covered
52. ↑ Marvel Boss Addresses Concerns Over Spider-Man Leaving the MCU After No Way Home - The Direct
53. ↑ Fandango Nov. 1, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
54. ↑ Morbius: Jared Leto Teases Spider-Man Crossover Possibilities In New Teaser - The Direct
55. ↑ Spider-Man's Rhino & Black Cat Easter Eggs Spotted In New Morbius Teaser - The Direct
56. ↑ Morbius: New Trailer Features Michael Keaton's Vulture and More Spider-Man Connections - The Direct
57. ↑ The new Morbius trailer gives us our best look yet at Jared Leto's vampire transformation - EW
58. ↑ Create artwork inspired by the upcoming film Morbius - Talenthouse
59. ↑ Morbius Easter Egg Can Give Green Goblin An MCU Future Beyond No Way Home - Screen Rant
60. ↑ Jared Leto Feels Honored To Be First On-Screen Morbius - Screen Rant
61. ↑ Morbius retrasa su estreno una semana en España - Meristation
62. ↑ Matt Smith Teases What To Expect From Morbius And House Of The Dragon - Looper
63. ↑ Spider-Man's Michael Keaton Confirms More Vulture Scenes Left for Him to Film - The Direct
64. ↑ Morbius Movie Nov. 23, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
65. ↑ Why Jared Leto Steers Clear Of The Morbius Fan Theories He Finds Online - Cinemablend
66. ↑ Morbius Movie Twitter December 4, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
67. ↑ New Morbius Clip Released by Sony
68. ↑ Morbius Undergoing Reshoots To Add More Of Michael Keaton's Vulture - Game Rant
69. ↑ Morbius' Jared Leto Drops a Blatant Sinister Six and Spider-Man Tease
70. ↑ Fandom Dec. 8, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
71. ↑ Crystal Palace Park doubled for Central Park in Marvel's Morbius - KFTV
72. ↑ Morbius Attacks! Exclusive Action Sequence Breakdown with Jared Leto - IGN
73. ↑ How Morbius Created a Fighting Style for the Living Vampire - IGN
74. ↑ Jared Leto Teases Morbius' Sinister 6 Role At No Way Home Premiere - Screen Rant
75. ↑ Johnathan Fernandez Opens Up About Morbius And His Spider-Man Dreams - Looper
76. ↑ Spider-Man: No Way Home Reportedly Spurred Morbius Delay - The Direct
77. ↑ Jared Leto Teases Multiple Morbius Movie Character Transformations - Screen Rant
78. ↑ 10 Comics To Read To Prepare For Morbius - CBR
79. ↑ Morbius Comics Are Selling Out With Movie Approaching - Screen Rant
80. ↑ ‘Morbius’ getting an early release in some international markets - We Got This Covered
81. ↑ Oscar Isaac and Jared Leto Bond Over ‘Moon Knight,’ ‘Morbius’ and Going All-Out With Their Performances - Variety
82. ↑ Emo superhero Morbius will finally arrive in Australian cinemas this March - Flicks.com.au
83. ↑ Morbius Merch - Thirty Seconds to Mars Store
84. ↑ A New Legend Arrives in Latest Morbius Poster - Comingsoon.net
85. ↑ Morbius: Jared Leto's Marvel superhero film gets April release in India - News 9 Live
86. ↑ MORBIUS International TV Spot Teases The Living Vampire's Connection To Matt Smith's Loxias Crown - Comicbookmovie.com
87. ↑ Morbius Reveals Connection to Movie Villain - Paris Beacon
88. ↑ Morbius Movie Film IG Feb. 18, 2022 Tweet - Instagram
89. ↑ 2 Filipino artists win ‘Morbius’ global fan art competition - Rappler
90. ↑ abantaoartworks Feb. 18, 2022 IG Post - Instagram
91. ↑ Morbius confirms earlier UK release date - Digital Spy
92. ↑ Morbius: Jared Leto Teases Michael Keaton's Vulture Return - Screen Rant
93. ↑ Morbius Director Reveals How Jared Leto's Hero Relates to Wolverine & Magneto - The Direct
94. ↑ Sony Confirms Thanos-Like Mo-Cap for Morbius VFX - The Direct
95. ↑ Morbius' Jared Leto Explains What Drew Him to the Spider-Man Antihero - CBR
96. ↑ Morbius' Jared Leto Discusses Michael Keaton's Role in the Spider-Man Spinoff - CBR
97. ↑ New Morbius Stills Show Off Matt Smith's Villainous Vampire - CBR
98. ↑ Morbius: 4 High-Quality Images and 4 Behind-the-Scenes Images - Bleedingcool
99. ↑ New ‘Morbius’ Trailer Reveals Jared Leto Caught Between a Cure and a Curse - Collider
100. ↑ Morbius Promo Reveals Leto and Smith's Tragic Character History - CBR
101. ↑ New Morbius Movie Runtime Even Shorter Than Original Reports - Screen Rant
102. ↑ ET Now March 13, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
103. ↑ 'Morbius' IMAX Poster Showcases the Light and the Darkness of Jared Leto's Antihero - Collider
104. ↑ Morbius star Jared Leto responds to Spider-Man cameo rumours - Digital Spy
105. ↑ Jared Leto: Movie Theaters Might Not Exist ‘If It Wasn’t for Marvel Films’ - Variety
106. ↑ Morphing Into ‘Morbius’: How Jared Leto Sank His Teeth Into Marvel’s Vampire Anti-Hero - Variety
107. ↑ ‘Morbius’ Director ‘Got Scared’ for Method Actor Jared Leto During Intense Scene: ‘It Was a Bit Spooky’ - Indiewire
108. ↑ Morbius: Jared Leto’s Method Acting Worried Co-star - Den of Geek
109. ↑ Spider-Man: No Way Home’s TikTok Gets Rebranded for Morbius - The Direct
110. ↑ From Morbius to Blade: A Guide To Marvel’s Most Notable Vampires - Fandom
111. ↑ Morbius Reviews: Critics Reportedly Disappointed By Marvel Movie - The Direct
112. ↑ Morbius Updates March 20, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
113. ↑ Exclusive: Morbius Post-Credits Scene Revealed - Giant Freakin Robot
114. ↑ Fandom March 22, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
115. ↑ How Jared Leto 'listens to that voice inside' in transformational 'Morbius,' 'WeCrashed' roles - USA Today
116. ↑ Matt Smith Is Confused By His Morbius Villain Character - Screen Rant
117. ↑ Morbius Reportedly Cut Significant Scenes Shown in Trailers - CBR
118. ↑ Morbius Movie First Reactions Reveal a Disappointing Spider-Man Spinoff - Comicbook.com
119. ↑ Cinema Blend March 25, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
120. ↑ Morbius Director Says the Venom-Verse's Spider-Man Will Soon Be Identified - CBR
121. ↑ Jared Leto Wants All Three Spider-Man Actors in ‘Morbius’ Sequel - Indiewire
122. ↑ Morbius Star Confident About Sequels Despite Poor Reviews - The Direct
123. ↑ Morbius Director Had to Hide Avengers: Endgame Spoilers - The Direct
124. ↑ ‘Morbius’: Sony Sinking Teeth This Weekend Into Deeper Part Of The Marvel Genre Canon – Box Office Preview - Deadline
125. ↑ Morbius director Daniel Espinosa talks Jared Leto staying in character: "I almost never saw him getting into the role" - Gamesradar
126. ↑ Join the MORBIUS Discord Server! - Discord
127. ↑ Jared Leto on Twitter

## External links

* Official website
* *Morbius* at the Internet Movie Database