The trailers for Sony's upcoming Marvel movie Morbius are full of Easter eggs to the wider Spider-Man universe, but according to reports, many of them didn't make the final cut.The scenes that were cut allegedly include a shot of Morbius walking past a poster of Spider-Man with the word "murderer" painted over it and a newspaper headline that hinted at the presence of Rhino and Black Cat. It also appears that Michael Keaton's role as Adrian Toomes/Vulture has been greatly reduced and now only exists in a post-credits scene.
The initial report was corroborated by That Hashtag Show's Nick Santos, who also claimed to have seen a final cut of the film. According to Santos, Morbius is a messy film unsure of what universe it exists in. Though it won't release until April 1, Morbius has received negative reviews from journalists who have allegedly seen the film. The impressions that have leaked from these screenings are of a movie that is "boring and uncalculated" with only minor nods to the larger universe.
Even if the Spider-Man tease from the trailer isn't in the movie, the web-slinger does exist in the Morbius world according to director Daniel Espinosa. When asked directly, he pointed to the comics and said that although they might be alternate universes, a version of every character exists in each. "So in almost all verses, you have Spider-Man, or a Fantastic Four, or a Tony Stark, or a Morbius, But they will be different in tone," he said. "Which means that in all universes, there has to be a Spider-Man. Or a Spider-Woman."
Morbius is part of Sony's Spider-Man universe alongside Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. This shared universe extends to more than just Peter Parker as Morbius brings back Michael Keaton as Vulture, a role he first played in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Trailers for Morbius hinted at Vulture's role and suggested the illegal arms dealer had an interest in Morbius and his enhanced vampiric powers. In a trailer named "Monster," the camera cuts to a shot of Toomes while a voiceover suggests that "half the city wants to control [Morbius.]" However, it now appears that Keaton's only appearance will be as a post-credits tease.
Morbius hits theaters on April 1.