Though the upcoming film Morbius has been delayed more times than you probably remember, it might actually be coming out at the perfect time. The film opens April 1 (which seems like an April Fools’ joke but actually isn’t), making it the first Spider-Man universe film to open after the wild success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which will become the third film ever to gross more than $US800 ($1,111) million domestically this week. And Morbius plans on taking full advantage.
Case in point: a new video which features the film’s star, Jared Leto, being very up-front about the fact that “the multiverse has officially opened.” That, along with a mention of “that thing in San Francisco” is working extra hard to let audiences know this is a movie with Spider-Man ties. Check it out.
Now, “that thing in San Francisco” is referring to Venom, which has now had two films set in the city. Beyond that, there are no other direct references in this clip besides Leto’s insistence, but previous trailers have shown alternate versions of Spider-Man himself as wall-decor and even actor Michael Keaton, potentially reprising the Vulture role he debuted in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Not to mention there was the No Way Home reveal of a potential Venom crossover maybe not happening. Will any of those things play any significant role in what is certainly just an origin story of a sick doctor who cures himself and gains superpowers? Probably not. In fact, I’d be damned surprised if the Keaton scene wasn’t just a mid/post-credits tease of future films that haven’t been set up yet.
That’s just a wild guess. I have no inside intel. But before you say “Wait, Sony wouldn’t spoil an end credits reveal in a trailer!” may I present exhibit A: the trailer for Uncharted, another recent Sony film, which revealed Mark Wahlberg with the Sully mustache — a scene that’s in the mid-credits of the film. I’d also like to put into evidence the video you just watched. That the movie is banking less on you caring about Morbius and more on you knowing and loving Spider-Man comes off way more as a marketing ploy than a plot point. Like, spoilers be damned, Sony just wants your butt in a seat.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Eddie Brock shows up with Tobey Maguire and things get wild. I doubt it, but anything is possible. We’ll know for sure very soon when Morbius debuts April 1.
Wondering where our RSS feed went? You can pick the new up one here.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.