Sony Pictures released a new trailer for Morbius, starring Jared Leto as the eponymous Marvel Spider-Man villain.
The trailer sees Michael Morbius undergoing a frightening transformation after seeking a cure for a blood ailment. Perhaps most notably, though, Morbius jokingly namedrops recent Marvel Cinematic Universe addition Venom after taking down a would-be assailant.
Morbius follows Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a doctor who becomes a vampire after attempting to cure himself of a rare blood disease. Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, the character debuted in 1971's Amazing Spider-Man #101. While originally a Spidey villain, Morbius has since gone on to become an antihero in his own right.
The film was originally slated to hit theaters July 10, 2020, seven months after the first Morbius trailer debuted. Shortly thereafter, it was bumped to July 31. When the COVID-19 pandemic began to take a toll on Hollywood, Morbius was delayed yet again, this time to March 19, 2021, and then Oct. 8, 2021. Most recently, it was pushed from October 2021 to January 2022.
For nearly two years, fans have been speculating as to how Morbius, set firmly in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, could tie to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was largely spawned by the surprise appearance of Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes/Vulture in the first trailer, but not even Keaton himself truly grasps the multiverse concept. "I'm nodding like I know what the fuck they’re talking about," Keaton recently explained. "I go, 'Uh-huh.' And I'm thinking, 'You may as well be explaining quantum physics right now to me. All I know is I just know my guy. And I know the basics.' They said, 'You don’t know what we’re talking about, do you?' I said, 'No, I don’t, no idea what you’re talking about.'"
The multiversal floodgates were busted open even further in October with Venom: Let There Be Carnage. In the film's post-credits scene, Eddie Brock/Venom is seemingly transported to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as evidenced by a cameo from Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Director Daniel Espinosa previously alluded to a Venom connection in Morbius as well, saying, "It usually feels strange before the day begins, when you look at the schedule and stand on set. When you walk around there, the recording looks just like a Swedish production, but then you look at the schedule and read names like Michael Keaton, Jared Leto and Tom Hardy."
Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Morbius arrives in theaters Jan. 28, 2022.
Source: YouTube