The teaser trailer for Morbius serves as fans' first look at the second entry in Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters, following Venom, and officially introduces star Jared Leto as Michael Morbius. Arguably saving the best for last, the footage ends with a solid indication the film is an extension of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, is it really that simple?
The trailer certainly emphasizes MCU connections. Not only does it feature actor Michael Keaton, who presumably reprises his role as Adrian Toomes from 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, it also depicts a mural of the wall-crawler, defaced with "MURDERER" written in spray paint. The bombshell ending of 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home was the revelation that Mysterio, framed Spider-Man for murder. Only the Spider-Man doesn't look like the MCU's version of the hero.
While Spider-Man has worn a variety of costumes during his time in the MCU, they were always variations on the classic comic iteration of the suits. Whether it was a change in color palette, composition or something entirely different (looking at you, Spider-Monkey), each MCU costume was distinct from the one Spider-Man is best known for.
In fact, the one seen in the trailer for Morbius seems extremely familiar. The raised web pattern on the costume echoes the design from the Sam Raimi trilogy. While that look was a classic parallel to the most famous design from the comics, the Raimi films had their own flavor. The similarities reach beyond that original trilogy, however.
The Spider-Man video game launched in 2018 on PlayStation 4 with a variety of costumes, and as fans requested the addition of favorites, it was only a matter of time before developer Insomniac offered the suit from the Raimi films as a free download. And that's what provides the basis for the Spider-Man mural seen in the trailer.
The decision to use artwork from the video game that itself harks back to the earlier Sony Spider-Man is an odd choice, given the clear and direct parallels to the MCU. While Venom skirted around direct references to the title character's arch-nemesis (even going so far as to remove the white spider emblem from his chest), Morbius seems more than willing to stand on the wall-crawler's shoulders. If it truly were an MCU film produced by Sony, that would mark another significant shift in an usual relationship that fell apart in August, only to salvaged the following month.
But if the image comes from a video game published by Sony, then it's not depicting the MCU's Spider-Man, as portrayed by Tom Holland, but keeps the Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters at arm's length. We can probably safely assume that Keaton is indeed playing the same character that he did in Homecoming. However, as usual, Spider-Man's web of relationships is a little more complicated.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Morbius stars Jared Leto as the titular character, Matt Smith as Loxias Crown, Adria Arjona as Martine Bancroft, Tyrese Gibson as Agent Stroud and Jared Harris in an undisclosed role. The film is set to be released July 31.