WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Morbius, now playing in theaters.
In Morbius, Jared Leto's Living Vampire prowled New York City to find his villainous vampire "brother" Milo (Matt Smith). The latter wanted to feed on humanity, while Morbius tried to stop him, realizing he unleashed a curse when he tried to cure them of their rare blood disorder. Interestingly, with Sony and Marvel once more working together, even closer at that after the success of the new Spider-Man movies, fans spotted some intriguing Easter eggs in past trailers. With that in mind, let's dissect the nods to the Marvel arena, from the comics to the films.
The X-Men Get A Shout-Out
Early on, a young Morbius saved Milo in their hospice in Greece, using a ballpoint pen to fix a complicated machine during a blood transfusion. Dr. Nicholas (Jared Harris) spotted how intelligent Morbius was, affirming he wanted to send the kid to a "school for gifted children" in New York to hone his talents. It's a subtle nod to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester, New York, allowing Sony to tease the X-Men, although the rights for the mutants belong to Marvel Studios.
Morbius Works At Horizon Labs
Morbius tried to save kids with the same blood disorder at Horizon Labs, while experimenting on himself with vampire bats. This lab actually debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #648 in Dan Slott's controversial run. Peter Parker worked there, flexing his genius a la Reed Richards, while Morbius worked there too, curing people who turned into arachnids in Spider-Island. Otto Octavius also ran sinister experiments there, when he placed his mind into Pete as the Superior Spider-Man.
Morbius' Boat Had Dracula And Marvel Nods
Morbius eventually used a boat to conduct his experiments, helped by his beloved colleague, Martine. The ship was way off Long Island's coast to avoid legal ramifications, nodding to when Morbius used a similar boat called the Zenith in the comics. This ship, though, was named the Murnau, a shout out to director F.W. Murnau, who made the first-ever vampire movie: 1922's Nosferatu. To top it off, Morbius joked he wouldn't go "full-Dracula" on Martine, homaging Marvel's own version of the warlord, who debuted in the '50s. Dracula has since set up his kingdom in Europe, warring with Blade as well as the Avengers.
Kraven Might Have Debuted Off-Screen
Earlier, when Nicholas was talking to Milo about his bodyguards and shady hobbies, Milo admitted he needed protection after crossing paths with a "Russian gentleman." It's most likely a nod to Kraven the Hunter, aka Sergei Kravinoff. The longstanding Spider-Man villain debuted in 1964's Amazing Spider-Man #15, hunting Spidey to show who's the real alpha. A Kraven movie started production in London in March 2022, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular predator.
The Daily Bugle Had Key Notes
While The Daily Bugle was a digital platform in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's back in traditional press form here. At various points, different characters grab the paper, which features numerous allusions to Spidey's enemies. One headline referenced Rhino being loose, leaving fans wondering if it's Paul Giamatti's character from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Another mentioned the Chameleon being out and about, which may tie into the upcoming Kraven movie as the master-of-disguise is Chameleon's half-brother. One also questioned if Black Cat was friend or foe, again nodding to how Sony's Marc Webb-universe planned a film with the thief.
Morbius Is A Vampiric Hulk
After feeding on mercenaries on his boat, Morbius got wrongfully locked up in a Manhattan detention facility after Milo killed Nurse Sutton at Horizon. Unfortunately, Morbius didn't have his red blood or the blue artificial one to keep his beast at bay. In an interrogation scene, when his face started to morph into vamp-mode, he told the FBI agents, "You won't like me when I'm hungry." It's a nod to many Hulk comics, movies and also, The Incredible Hulk TV series when Bruce Banner made it clear, "You won't like me when I'm angry," before turning into the Green Goliath.
Morbius Pays Homage To Venom
Morbius needed a second lab after Horizon, so he hijacked a counterfeiting lab and retrofitted it for blood work. However, as he broke the fingers of the leader, the goon asked what he was. Morbius paid homage to Eddie Brock's Venom by stating, "I am Venom!" It's the anti-hero's famous line, hinting they may cross paths soon. Another Venom nod came earlier on when the Feds compared the boat massacre to "that thing in San Francisco," alluding to when the symbiote went on its own feeding frenzy in the first movie.
Martine Becomes A Vampire
Before the final battle with his "brother," Milo drained Martine, leaving her for dead. Morbius, however, drank from her and transferred some of his blood into her. The film ended with Martine's eyes transforming, indicating she's a vamp too. It's a nod to when she got turned in the comics by a vamp trying to frame Morbius in the '70s. She'd then embark on a quest to become the "True Vampire," all to spend eternity with Morbius. Sadly, her story ended with Morbius killing her to put her soul at rest.
The MCU's Vulture Came Over
In two weird post-credits scenes, Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes appeared from the MCU. The first showed the rifts in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which dropped him into this reality in a jail cell. Seeing as he didn't exist officially here, he went free. It left fans wondering if this issue will be addressed when Doctor Strange meets Scarlet Witch to discuss the MCU's multiverse. The second scene had Toomes in an upgraded Vulture suit from Spider-Man: Homecoming, with the face more beak-like.
Sony's Setting Up The Sinister Six
In many comics, video games and cartoons, the Sinister Six teamed up, using different members to try to kill Spidey. Sony has been angling to do this for some time, with even the director, Daniel Espinosa, admitting Toomes was the catalyst now after the Webb films were abandoned. The second post-credits scene had Vulture recruiting Morbius, who deemed the partnership "intriguing." Notably, Morbius has never officially joined the group, but he has been an affiliate in the books and comics, with his research and tech helping them out.
To see all the Marvel references, watch Morbius, in theaters now.