Following 2018's Venom, Sony's Jared Leto-starred Morbius is set to be the second entry in the studio's line of villain-centric Spider-Man spinoff films. However, new reports claim the film will actually contain direct references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Spidey.
According to Daniel Richtman (aka DanielRPK) on his Patreon, Morbius has ties to Marvel Studios' version of Spider-Man. ComicBook.com elaborates, claiming the likeness of Tom Holland's Spidey appears in the form of "wanted" posters. Richtman -- who is well-known for his generally accurate information and sources -- claims such shoutouts are the first step in integrating Sony-owned Marvel characters like Morbius into the MCU.
Notably, this report comes not long after rumors surfaced of J.K. Simmons making a cameo in Morbius as J. Jonah Jameson. Simmons, of course, famously played Jameson in director Sam Raimi's Sony-produced Spider-Man film trilogy, before returning for a surprise reprisal in the 2019 MCU film Spider-Man: Far From Home.
That being said, as with all unconfirmed reports, claims of Tom Holland's Spidey receiving a nod in Morbius in poster form should be taken with a grain of salt. (Though, once again, Richtman is known for his reliable inside sources.) Moreover, even if these reports is completely true, there is always the possibility any indirect cameos by Spider-Man could be cut from the final film.
After all, if other reports are to be believed, Holland actually filmed a physical cameo for Venom, but Sony was told to remove his scene by Disney/Marvel Studios. What's more, upon breaking news of Simmons' supposed Morbius cameo, Richtman himself even noted that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige still had to give the go-ahead before it would be allowed in the final cut.
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.