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Dr. Michael Morbius ( Jared Leto ), the title character of Columbia Pictures’ MCU-adjacent semi-horror movie “Morbius,” is a “living vampire.” What, you might be thinking, does that mean? Did the good doctor become a vampire without having to die first? Why, yes—he fused his DNA with vampire bat DNA in an attempt to cure the rare, fatal blood disease that’s been plaguing him since childhood. (What disease, you ask? You sweet, innocent child.) The fusion gave him super speed, super strength, echolocation abilities, and an appetite for blood that’s only partially sated by the artificial substitute for which Morbius rejects a Nobel Prize at the beginning of the film. (Why? Again, you’re asking too many questions.) In short, he’s a science vampire . (So, like if Batman was a doctor, then? Wrong universe, but close.)

So that means the usual rules of vampirism don’t apply, right? Yes and no. Loxias Crown ( Matt Smith ) Morbius’ best friend turned greatest adversary, does turn himself into a vampire using Morbius’ formula. But we don’t know if he died in the process. That sequence is left off screen, for reasons presumably tied to the many reshoots and delays that hampered “Morbius” on its journey to the big screen. And other characters die and come back to life after tasting Morbius’ blood, a supernatural transformation that doesn’t involve—as Morbius himself puts it at one point—"science stuff" at all. In short, the nature of Morbius’ affliction is messy and contradictory and not worth thinking about for more than a few seconds, a quality that extends throughout Daniel Espinosa ’s misbegotten superhero/horror hybrid.

All the greatest metaphorical hits are present in Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless ’ script, as well as in Leto’s performance: Vampirism as illness? Check. Vampirism as addiction? Yup. Don’t ask for much in terms of actually developing these themes, however, as the film’s approach is to point and yell, “look over there!” whenever things get complicated. A superhero whose murders are the direct result of his attempts to help people presents a complex moral dilemma. But you wouldn’t know it from this film, which takes any intriguing elements of its title character’s story and flattens them into clichéd grandstanding about the obligation of the privileged few to protect the unsuspecting many.

The basic thrust of the plot is that Morbius—a celebrity scientist whose lab is funded by Crown’s family fortune—is conducting experiments ethically questionable enough that all involved think it best to pursue them on international waters. That’s no problem, given Crown’s vast wealth. But the aftermath of the experiment’s first human trial leaves eight sailors dead, and soon their bodies are discovered on a ghost ship much like the one that harbors Count Dracula at the beginning of Bram Stoker ’s novel. (That’s not “Morbius’” only reference to other, more coherent vampire narratives: The ship is named the Murnau, after the director of “ Nosferatu .”)

From there, Morbius—who, as you may have already guessed, was turned into a “living vampire” during the experiment—is ostensibly under investigation by the FBI. But Agents Rodriguez ( Al Madrigal ) and Stroud ( Tyrese Gibson ) do a terrible job tracking him, given that he returns to his lab with his colleague and love interest Dr. Martine Bancroft ( Adria Arjona ) within hours of the crime. This is a front-page story with an escalating body count, and the prime suspect is wandering around unnoticed by doing little more than putting up the hood on his sweatshirt. But no matter. On to a more important question: Is the vampire stuff cool?

Sadly, not really. Like most superhero movies, “Morbius'' is rated PG-13, which limits the blood to the sanguine juice boxes Morbius chugs throughout and the occasional rusty stain across a character’s throat. And although prosthetic artists are listed in the film's credits, their contributions are difficult to make out amid the heavy-handed CGI. “Morbius” is not an MCU film: It belongs to the so-called “Spider-Verse,” coming from the same studio as “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” But it shares an Achilles’ heel with the MCU, in the sense that you can’t tell what’s going on in any of the film’s action sequences.

If it’s not the wavy, sketchy CGI trails that follow in Morbius’ wake—picture a combination of psychedelic tracers and the soot creatures from “My Neighbor Totoro”—cluttering up the screen, it’s those damn bats. Earlier action sequences aren’t much better, to be clear. But it’s almost impossible to follow the film’s climactic battle, thanks to a colony of vampire bats that swoop in at the last minute to help Morbius clean up the bloodthirsty mess he’s made. Espinosa seems to know that it’s difficult to make out what’s happening, pausing for a midair slow-motion shot in nearly every action sequence. The problem there is, lingering on these moments reveals how obviously phony they are.

But the film’s over-reliance on digital effects isn’t terribly surprising in a modern superhero movie. Neither is Smith’s sympathetic-to-a-point villain. Nor, for that matter, is Leto’s bland hero, whose most distinctive aspect is the demanding physical transformation the actor underwent for the role. No, the only really surprising—and, therefore, the most disappointing—thing about “Morbius” is the fact that it’s an honest-to-goodness horror film. But only for a few seconds.

Midway through the film, a nurse walks alone down the creepy, abandoned hallway of a hospital late at night, triggering a series of motion-activated sensors as she goes. Suddenly, a light flashes further down the hall, drawing the eye to the point where it disappears into the horizon. A shape! The nurse spots the intruder and runs, bulbs flashing as she goes. She stops to catch her breath, and a monstrous hand pops up from the bottom of the screen. She screams. The camera pulls back, lingering as each isolated puddle of illumination blinks out until only the woman’s prone body—and the shadowy form hunched over her—can be seen. Finally, that light goes out as well, bathing the screen in darkness.

Enjoy the gasp as it escapes from your throat, dear viewer. Because you’re not going to get another one, at least not from this movie. Better luck next time with the actual undead, we suppose.

"Morbius" is available only in theaters on April 1.

Katie Rife is a freelance writer and critic based in Chicago with a speciality in genre cinema. She worked as the News Editor of The A.V. Club from 2014-2019, and as Senior Editor of that site from 2019-2022. She currently writes about film for outlets like Vulture, Rolling Stone, Indiewire, Polygon , and RogerEbert.com.

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Morbius (2022)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, some frightening images, and brief strong language.

104 minutes

Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius

Matt Smith as Milo / Lucien

Adria Arjona as Martine Bancroft

Jared Harris as Dr. Nicholas

Al Madrigal as Agent Alberto Rodriguez

Tyrese Gibson as Agent Simon Stroud

Charlie Shotwell as Young Michael

Daniel Espinosa

Writer (Marvel comics)

Writer (screen story).

Matt Sazama
Burk Sharpless

Cinematographer

Oliver Wood
Pietro Scalia
Jon Ekstrand

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‘Morbius’ Review: The Other Bat, Man

Jared Leto bares his teeth as a neo-vampire who walks by day and tries to keep his monstrous thirst at bay in the latest Marvel adaptation.

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By Manohla Dargis

My, what sharp teeth he has — and what lovely skin, too. One of the revelations of “Morbius” — the latest movie to take a marginal Marvel character out of mothballs for his blockbuster close-up — is that regular blood smoothies do wonders for the skin. To judge by the chiseled planes of Morbius’s arms and torso, pounding shots of the slurpy stuff also builds muscles much faster than mainlining anabolic steroids can.

Still, the bigger surprise about “Morbius” is that it doesn’t suck, at least as a movie. Against the odds and despite the insufferable persona that its star Jared Leto has cultivated, it provides all you want from a diversion about a brilliant scientist with bottomless financial resources (as well as a hot but smart assistant) who, after refusing his Nobel for his genius scientific invention, secretly develops a serum that turn him into a batlike creature with razor nails, great powers and a hunger for human blood. It also runs under two hours, i.e., a full hour less than that recent slugfest “ The Batman .” I mean, what’s not to like?

As usual, it opens with some temporal scrambling in the present-day Costa Rica, where the adult Morbius (Leto) swoops in on a helicopter, a darkly romantic vision with a curtain of jet-black hair, billowing clothes and hired guns. There, he embarks on a close encounter with vampire bats, as one does when swimming with dolphins has become too pedestrian. Slicing open his palm, he draws first blood and is inundated by a cloud of bats. After a leisurely flashback to his sad childhood, Morbius is back in his New York lab, experimenting and knitting brows alongside a colleague, Monica (Adria Arjona).

Like “The Batman,” “Morbius” is a classic American tale of personal trauma, existential agony, regenerative violence … and bats. Once again, the trauma reaches to childhood, though in this case it involves the young Michael Morbius being treated in a Greek children’s hospital for a rare blood disease. (Why Greece? I have no idea.) There he had a sympathetic doctor (Jared Harris) and befriends a boy he calls Milo, who has the same disease. Milo grows up to become a louche moneybags played by Matt Smith, who’s best known for playing Prince Philip in “The Crown,” a bit of casting history that gives his role here amusing tang.

The movie’s first half is better shaped than its second, and there are narrative lacunae here and there that suggest some late-breaking editing busywork. Even so, as a neo-vampiric tale of dread and desire, the entire thing more or less makes sense on its own improbable terms. The characters are similarly coherent, not just sketches that are designated to be filled out in successive franchise chapters. This modulation also extends to the visuals, despite the overall Goth gloom; here, lights are actually turned on and sometimes the sun even shines, if only to explain that Morbius isn’t your granny’s Dracula.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead. Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead. Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead.

Daniel Espinosa
Matt Sazama
Burk Sharpless
Adria Arjona
2.2K User reviews
267 Critic reviews
35 Metascore
3 wins & 4 nominations

Top cast 98

Dr. Michael Morbius

Martine Bancroft

Dr. Emil Nicholas

Agent Simon Stroud

Agent Rodriguez

Adrian Toomes

(as Joe Ferrera)

Young Michael

Ringleader Bully
Gang Member

Finance Bro (Pub)

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Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia Jared Leto committed to capturing Michael Morbius' limping state and used crutches even off-camera. This proved to be troublesome for the crew, at times, when the actor reportedly took 45-minute treks to the bathroom. Pushing him in a wheelchair was a loophole solution around these delays.
Goofs A doctor (but probably not a Hollywood screenwriter) would know that the palm of one's hand is a very stupid area to cut one's skin for blood; many tendons and muscles run there and are obviously very important for daily activities of life.

Dr. Michael Morbius : How far are we allowed to fix something that's broken?

Mentor : Until the remedy is worse than the disease.

Crazy credits A first post credit scene introduces a Vulture from another Universe.
Connections Featured in Geeks + Gamers: Jared Leto Much Better Fit For Morbius Than Joker Morbius Trailer Review (2020)
Soundtracks Festive Overture, Op. 96 Written by Dmitri Shostakovich (as Dmitrij Shostakovich) Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Courtesy of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Ltd.

User reviews 2.2K

Apr 2, 2022
How long is Morbius? Powered by Alexa
Is this movie part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Will the movie be available as 4DX?
With Morbius having connection to Spiderman, will this movie also have connections to Blade?
April 1, 2022 (United States)
United States
Northern Quarter, Manchester, England, UK
Columbia Pictures
Marvel Entertainment
Avi Arad Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$75,000,000 (estimated)
$73,865,530
$39,005,895
Apr 3, 2022
$167,460,961

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 44 minutes
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Digital

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‘Morbius’ May Be The Single Most Anemic Marvel Movie Ever Made

By David Fear

In the future, every Marvel comics character will have their own movie for 15 minutes. Right now, the spinning intellectual property wheel has stopped on Dr. Michael Morbius — prize-winning scientist, terminally ill patient, Type O connoisseur. Initially introduced as a Spider-Man villain in the early Seventies, the man known as “the living vampire” helped cash in on the horror-crossover craze and eventually earned his own solo stories in titles like Adventures Into Fear, where he promised to only feast on those who crossed society’s lines. His dislikes included webslingers, werewolves, vampire hunters named after sharp objects (looking at you, Blade) and clothes that were not one-piece jumpsuits with plunging necklines and very large collars. His likes included Ghost Rider, the blood of the guilty, piña coladas, and long walks on the beach.

Even when he teamed up with other spooky antiheroes/superheroes — your Man-Things, your Manphibians — Morbius wasn’t exactly the most compelling player in Marvel’s deep bench of monsters. He felt like a fanged footnote at best. But hey, Sony owns the rights to a stable of Spidey-adjacent characters, and that includes the good plasma-craving doctor. Plus, movie audiences and stockholders hunger for anything even slightly superheroic, so guess who’s got his own movie now? Initially, Jared Leto ‘s inaugural turn as the lauded biochemist who tries to cure his own rare blood disease with bat DNA and then, whoops, becomes a scientifically superhuman vampire, was supposed to hit theaters in July of 2020; a certain pandemic caused it to be delayed to March 2021. Then the movie’s release seemed to be continually punted down the road, and it was hard not to wonder if maybe, just maybe, this game of multiplex-schedule musical chairs wasn’t solely Covid-related. Having now endured this addition to the cinematic Spider-Canon … let’s put it this way: A wise man once said that you should never confuse shit with cioccolato. We’re not sure everyone involved with the making of Morbius listened to that bit of advice.

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When we meet Dr. Morbius, he’s not in good shape; the illness that’s plagued him since his childhood in Greece has left him frail and unable to walk without the help of canes. But that doesn’t stop him from flying down to Costa Rica and gathering up every single bat he can find in the name of research. He’s brilliant, you see, and extremely driven — the gent turned down the Nobel Prize because the lifesaving fake blood he invented wasn’t up to up his standards ! — and also, he thinks the dozens of winged mammals he keeps in a terrarium in his office hold the key to a cure. This “Bat-man,” if you will, creates a serum that, because it’s highly unethical and completely illegal, he must test on himself while sailing in international waters. His fellow scientist-slash-romantic-interest, Dr. Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona), is thankfully along for the ride. The result leaves a ship full of corpses and her alive but unconscious.

But it also makes Morbius feel better than ever! And gives him superhuman strength! And the ability to glide on the wind, just like his furry little friends! Whereas once Leto sported a Peter Murphy-esque pallor, he’s now jacked and looks like a superhot rock star — call him Thirty Seconds to Morbius! The downside is that Morbius craves blood, and he has tendency to get a little monstrous when he indulges. The fake blood he invented all those years ago helps keep him stable, but only for about six hours. The real stuff lasts longer, but after witnessing the carnage he left on that boat, the doctor has vowed “not to drink the red.” Unfortunately, his childhood friend Milo (Matt Smith), who suffers from the same disease as Morbius does, has no such compunction about tapping jugulars after he sneakily downs the serum as well. It’s a pure good vamp/bad vamp showdown from here on out.

You can tell that the creators want to keep one foot firmly planted in Sony’s ongoing Spider-Verse — there’s a reference to “that thing in San Francisco” for you Venom lovers, and given that he’s listed on the film’s IMDb page, no one’s hiding Michael “Remember when he played the Vulture?” Keaton’s involvement — while dipping a toe or two into some horror-flick territory. Director Daniel Espinosa ( Safe House ) seems more comfortable with the second part, leaning heavily into the creepy elements as much as he can; you can sense him having fun as he stages a sequence involving a nurse, a predator, and a hallway with motion-activated lights. Yet when things require elements like the coordination of action, or narrative momentum, or helping establish a sense of character past “bad dude” or “damsel in distress,” he comes off as a little lost in the corporate fog of Superhero I.P. 101. Once Morbius becomes a vampire, his preternatural powers are rendered via colorful, almost mist-like trails that streak and dissipate as he moves. It’s a good way to visually distinguish his character at first. Once you have two vampires fighting in subway stations and rooftops with these traits, however, the action sequences start to resemble someone vomiting onto a Jackson Pollock painting.

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Morbius Review

31 Mar 2022

Superheroes are getting moodier. The idea of ‘dark’ comic-book adaptations isn’t exactly new, but lately they’ve stepped up a gear, with Matt Reeves ’ extraordinarily emo The Batman , and Marvel’s venture into the murky morals of Moon Knight . Sony’s latest MCU-adjacent Spidey-villain spin-off attempts to jump on this tone-shifting bandwagon, focusing on their most bloodthirsty of anti-heroes: a living vampire.

Unlike the hapless Eddie Brock, the other anti-hero of a franchise once unfortunately named the Sony Pictures Universe Of Marvel Characters (or ‘SPUMC’), Dr Michael Morbius is actively looking for his superpower. A medical savant, Nobel Prize rejector, artificial blood creator and terminal blood-disorder patient, he uses the super-important anticoagulants in the blood of vampire bats (don’t think too deeply about the science stuff; Morbius ’ script certainly doesn’t) to develop a cure, which transforms his emaciated, fragile body into a powerful, muscular one. Just one problem — he now needs human blood to survive.

Morbius’ core concept is strong – unfortunately, it’s not properly supported by any other element of the film.

It’s saying something when your most grounded performance in years is as a superhuman vampire, but that is strangely true of Jared Leto , here finding a quiet sincerity that’s far less showy than the distracting accents ( House Of Gucci ) and messianic tendencies ( WeCrashed ) of more recent roles. The main trio of him, Matt Smith (Morbius’ pal Milo) and Adria Arjona (playing fellow doctor Martine Bancroft) are woefully under-developed; outside of their relationship to Morbius, Milo and Martine’s character-development is non-existent. He is forced into the mould of cartoonish villain (the kind of which Smith can do in his sleep, but still proves unsatisfying); she ends up nothing more than a disposable love-interest.

Visually, Morbius does some interesting things with its titular hero’s powers. His superspeed is signified by a trailing haze around him, which doesn’t entirely work, but the use of slow-mo to pick moments out of the hectic set-pieces is effective — an extended fight and flight through a subway station being a particular standout. Seeing his echo-location powers ricochet off walls, ripple across New York City and pump through the air as he tracks a heartbeat is also cool. It’s just a shame we didn’t see him get to grips with it all — instead, his abilities are explained through an exposition dump, and seemingly mastered instantly. All of this falters in a nosedive of a final act, during which any sense of climactic action is masked completely by incessant swarms of bats, poorly rendered breaking glass and blurry, crumbling buildings.

Morbius ’ core concept is strong — two friends close enough to be brothers, bonded by their shared suffering, who’ll do anything to spend one day feeling truly alive rather than at death’s door. Unfortunately, it’s not properly supported by any other element of the film, with messy action, wafer-thin characters and an even slighter plot letting down what could have been a lean, dark, interesting instalment in the SPUMC. And don’t even get us started on those unforgivable post-credit stings.

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Somehow, Morbius Is Fun

Morbius has no reason to exist as an actual movie, but maybe that’s why it worked for me. This origin story for a second-tier Spider-Man villain is largely Sony’s way of capitalizing on its rights to the Spidey universe in order to maintain a partnership with Marvel and keep up with Disney. It has relatively little to prove, and not much to advance brand-wise; the Spider-verse will happily live on whether this movie does or not. Really, Morbius exists primarily to deliver its end-credits scenes, which you can read about here and which feel like they belong in a completely different movie. But the film itself, the one that plays until those end-credits start to roll, is surprisingly fun, a picture that can just kind of be whatever the heck it wants.

And it wants, unsurprisingly, to be a mad-scientist movie, with all the tragic melodrama that comes along with it. Freed from the shackles of elaborate world-building or jokey, family-friendly tentpole-dom, this is a tight, brisk little over-the-top thriller, with plenty of atmosphere, effective jump scares, and a couple of genuinely moving performances at its heart. As Michael Morbius, a brilliant doctor looking to cure a rare disease that prevents his body from creating new blood, Jared Leto seems well-suited to the part, with those sad, intense eyes, that gaunt visage, and that slightly aloof presence. You buy him as a sick man, you buy him as a possessed man, and you buy him as the buff (but still sad) vampire he becomes after fusing human blood with a bunch of bats he stole from a mountain in Costa Rica.

The character’s sense of purpose defines him: Michael wants to save the world, and himself, but also his best friend. An early scene, set 25 years ago in Greece, shows him as a lonely 10-year-old patient at a private hospital, meeting fellow child patient Lucien, whom he dubs Milo, a name Michael apparently gives to every kid who comes through the hospital and dies. But Michael, already showing signs of genius, gets sent off to a special school in New York before he can lose New Milo to their horrid common ailment. “I’m gonna find a cure for us, so we can be cranky old men together,” he writes to his friend before leaving, setting up the bond between the two, as well as the painful turn it will eventually take.

The whole film is built around this relationship, which is promising, especially since Milo grows up to be played by Matt Smith, one of those actors who seems incapable of giving an uninteresting performance. Adult Milo has little of young Milo’s emotional fragility; he’s a charismatic, devil-may-care hedonist, consistent with someone who’s lived life knowing they’re not long for this world. (The two pals like to evoke the dedication of the Spartan warriors at Thermopylae when talking about their friendship, but Milo seems to be, spiritually at least, a full-on Athenian.) Smith, whose angular features already make him look like a walking noir pastiche, plays off Leto nicely: He leans in where Leto hesitates, and he leers where Leto demurs. Smith’s eyes aren’t haunted like Leto’s; they’re hungry. The second you see the two men in the same room together, you know they’ll eventually wind up facing off. But they also seem meant for each other, since opposites attract and repel in equal measure.

Mad-scientist movies always give us protagonists who grow to belatedly regret what they have created and/or become. In Morbius’s case, he first freaks out over the fact that his experiments have turned him into, you know, a bloodsucking monster, though he soon devises a way of keeping the transformations in check. But guess who else gets their hands on Morbius’s experimental vampire potion? (You don’t need to guess; there are only like four other people in the movie.) Milo isn’t perturbed by his transformation. He’s delighted. He even dances a little jig after slaughtering a couple of cops on the subway.

Morbius was directed by Daniel Espinosa, a Swedish journeyman who has made what I consider to be some of the most dreadful mainstream movies of our time, so my expectations going into this thing were probably lower than anybody else’s. But somehow, Espinosa manages to bring an engaging, dreamy sense of style to this film’s bleak, nocturnal world. The action scenes seem to be shot more for beauty than coherence, a trade-off I’m happy with. Once transformed, Morbius leaps, sprints, and even flies through the city trailing ribbons of color and light. Is this to convey the batlike radar his brain can now access, or to hint at his wispy, impermanent state of being, or just to make him look a bit more like those cool Death Eaters in the Harry Potter movies? I have no idea, but it looks tremendous.

Morbius was supposed to be released a couple of years ago, and it has reportedly been tampered with while sitting on the shelf, which has probably added to a preconception (among both critics and audiences, I suspect) that the film is doomed, an aesthetic and financial write-off. But see if you can watch it with an open mind. In a world where the cultural terraforming of our cinema by comic-book movies is mostly complete, it actually feels like a welcome little stray, a movie that pays lip service to its corporate aims while delivering something sad, suspenseful, and unexpectedly heartfelt.

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Everything We Know

Everything we know about morbius, with a new trailer finally released, we break down everything from its comic book origins to the talent involved to potential multiverse implications and even "some kind of bat radar.".

TAGGED AS: comics , Film , films , marvel comics , movie , movies , Sony Pictures , spider-verse , Superheroes

The superhero movie machine is still playing catch-up. As evidence: Morbius , the next chapter of Sony’s Marvel sub-universe, is still awaiting its moment in the movie theater spotlight. It even had an October release date at one point, but moved once again to 2022 – a full two years after it released its first teaser.

Beyond its distribution problems, though, the film is interesting as the first true attempt on Sony’s part to spin its nascent Spider-Verse, which it now calls “Sony’s Spider-Man Universe,” into a true multi-film franchise. Is Morbius the Living Vampire a strong enough character to pick up the baton left by Venom? Let’s take a look at everything we know about Morbius to see if the film will continue the momentum of Sony’s Marvel mechanism.

The Living Vampire

(Photo by ©Sony Pictures)

Created by Roy Thomas and Gill Kane in 1971, Michael Morbius was meant to be a new villain for for Spider-Man, but soon evolved into a tragic anti-hero. Suffering from a rare blood disorder, the brilliant doctor theorized a way to reverse the course of his condition and underwent an experimental treatment. The process certainly saved his life, but it also made him something between human and vampire, with an appearance to match.

It also gifted him many of the enhanced abilities associated with the mythical creatures with few of their drawbacks, beyond a taste for human blood. In the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man and other Spider-books, he would continue to work on a way to remove the side effects while he battled it out with (and occasionally helped) Spidey. The character appeared throughout the Marvel Universe – and starred in Adventure Into Fear in the mid-’70s – before finally getting his own solo title in 1992.

From the teaser released nearly two years ago – and the trailer that dropped on November 2 (see above) – it appears the character will try to use a more direct form of vampirism to cure his disease, and he’ll suffer from the same ill effects. In the new trailer, Morbius explicitly mentions enhanced strength, speed, and “some form of bat radar” as some of the powers granted to him, and we watch him discover he can fly. It remains to be seen, though, if he will use his abilities to be an ally of good, a villain in the grander scheme, or someone like Eddie Brock ( Tom Hardy ) – a reluctant member of a growing band of anti-heroes. The 2021 trailer heavily implies Morbius will wrestle with that very question, as it claims the film will blur the line between hero and villain.

Where In The Multiverse Will It Take Place?

The setting of the film is a far more interesting question than one might expect. The older teaser made it clear the film exists in a world where Spider-Man not only exists but is wanted for murder, and the Vulture ( Micheal Keaton ) is looking to befriend the title character. Since the images of Spider-Man in the teaser resembled the character’s design in the PlayStation 4 Spider-Man game or the Raimi Era costumes, it was easy to assume Morbius’s adventure took place in its own, discrete world apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the one seen in Venom . That said, a reference to “that thing in San Francisco” and Morbius claiming to be Venom in the 2021 trailer pretty much tie the two film worlds together.

But is it possible that this is, in some strange way, the MCU? Originally meant for release well before Spider-Man: No Way Home , Morbius will now come after it, so the original intention may end up massaged in light of the altered schedule. Indeed, there were reports of reshoots occurring as late as February of this year. Also, the Venom: Let There Be Carnage stinger scene clearly positions Eddie and Venom in the MCU. All that taken into consideration, it is possible the film takes place in the MCU – a move which would have been unthinkable in 2019 – or, at least, in the Sony Spider-Man Universe resulting from the events of No Way Home .

Of course, it could still take place in its own universe, with Morbius moving to the same plane of existence as Eddie and Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ) during the closing credits. Based on a shot of the Daily Bugle analyzed by eagle-eyed denizens of the internet, it does indeed appear to take place in its own reality. And, as it happens, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said it is possible for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe characters to “cross cinematic universes” and play in the MCU, so you never know when the Living Vampire might show up. If only Marvel were planning a film about a vampire hunter…

The Stars Of Morbius

Jared Leto stars as Michael Morbius. The actor was said to be drawn to the moral implications of an anti-hero with a bodily requirement to drink blood, but it remains to be seen exactly how that will translate to the screen. Just look what he did with the Joker back in 2017’s Suicide Squad or the mysterious replicant manufacturer Niander Wallace in Blade Runner 2049 . Dedicating himself to characters to an almost absurd degree, Leto seeks out these big genre projects; perhaps Morbius is the fit he’s been looking for all this time.

Matt Smith makes his Marvel-ish debut in Morbius as Loxias Crown – aka The Hunger – a man who suffers from the same condition as Morbius and, presumably, is very interested in the result of the doctor’s self-inflicted human trial. The character, created by Howard Mackie in the 1990s, was a Hydra agent intending to experiment on the Living Vampire. Instead, Morbius fed on him and left him with similar abilities, which he used to create a vampiric horde in the New York sewers. We’re going to assume Crown is getting elevated to archvillain status in the film as his superhuman abilities offer a mirror to Morbius; a common trait in Marvel movie villains.

Other cast members include Adria Arjona as Martine Bancroft, Morbius’s fiancée; Jared Harris as the doctor’s mentor; Al Madrigal as the FBI agent tasked with locating and minding the Living Vampire; Michael Keaton as The Vulture; and Tyrese Gibson as Simon Stroud, a CIA agent who eventually joins the NYPD under mysterious circumstances (well, in the comics anyway). According to Gibson, the character is more of a tech-infused superhero, and considering Stroud’s comic book tendency to hunt creatures like Morbius, it isn’t impossible for him to be heroic; we just imagine Morbius will have a different point of view on the matter.

The People Behind Morbius

(Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Behind the camera, Swedish filmmaker Daniel Espinosa serves as director. His previous films include Easy Money (with Joel Kinnaman), Safe House (with Ryan Reynolds) and 2017’s Life . The script comes courtesy of Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless , the duo behind such films as The Last Witch Hunter and Gods of Egypt . They also served as showrunners on Netflix’s Lost in Space remake and are part of the development team behind Sony’s Madame Web film, also based on a Marvel Comics character.

Other talent includes director of photography Oliver Wood ( Face/Off , The Bourne Ultimatum ), production designer Stefania Cella ( Moon Knight ), composer Jon Ekstrand – a longtime Espinosa collaborator – and producers Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Lucas Foster.

A Release Date Years In The Making

(Photo by Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Barring any further changes to the schedule, Morbius will finally bow on January 28, 2022 – two years after the release of that first trailer. It will still serve the purpose it was meant to when it was originally planned for a July 2020 release: build on Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and establish another deadly foe for the webslinger. From what we can tell, Morbius will need to go on a journey before he can really take a seat in the rogues’ gallery or, perhaps, join a cinematic Sinister Six. And should Spider-Man really transfer to the Sony universe in the wake of No Way Hom e , Morbius will present just one of the threats waiting for him.

Morbius releases in theaters on January 28, 2022.

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Morbius Reviews

In the age of multiverses and reality alterations, simplicity has never looked so bright.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 23, 2024

It's a horrific mish-mash of other films that ends with two CGI monsters punching each other into walls while screaming about “ultimate power”.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 4, 2024

The best part of “Morbius” were the opening and closing credits. It had a James Turrell color aesthetic with a dash of Nicholas Winding Refn’s “The Neon Demon” (2016).

Full Review | Jun 9, 2024

After multiple delays, Morbius, the “highly anticipated” new entry into Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, arrives with some of the worst world-building we have seen in a long time.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 24, 2024

Morbius is a thin piece that lacks any reason to entice comic book fans, genre fans, or action fans.

Full Review | Sep 17, 2023

I can't even comprehend how they thought this was worth putting out. Worst of all, it connects itself to an actual good Spider-Man villain.

Full Review | Aug 9, 2023

A terribly dull movie that takes you back to the worst CBM’s in the 2000s. Jared Leto brings dedication, Matt Smith brings charm & is having the time of his life…. But god the script, the editing, the pacing was all terribly brought together

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

It’s not that Morbius is bad, but that it is so bad that it’s almost unwatchable. Matt Smith is a waste of great talent in a role that sees him go from practically paralyzed to supervillain in a matter of seconds.

From the predictability and zero creativity of the main plot to the heavy reliance on uninteresting, unnecessary exposition, Daniel Espinosa finds his most significant problem in the blatant lack of care in the treatment of the characters.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Jul 25, 2023

It comes as no surprise that the extremely delayed Moribus is not the finest superhero movie ever released. The film lacks depth and intrigue. It’s a slow-moving exploration of a character that barely makes the case for its existence.

Rumours circulating about Morbius made me apprehensive about attending the press screening, to begin with. But I went into it hoping for better. Unfortunately, the movie ended up being even worse than the rumours led me to believe.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/10 | Jul 20, 2023

In the end, there’s a reason why Gen Z decided that the funniest thing they could say about it was that it was good, with their almost supernatural grasp of irony they can see that of all the things this movie is, good is not even remotely one of them.

Full Review | Jul 16, 2023

Sony Pictures has proved one thing: Morbius succeeds as a vampire film as it drains life from itself.

Full Review | Feb 23, 2023

Honestly, this is probably almost as good a Morbius film as you're going to get where it has a PG-13 rating and no Spider-Man involvement. Changing either of those things would have made it better.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 5, 2023

Morbius is neither as dire as you have heard nor is it incredibly good. It’s mid-tier Marvel, not particularly inspired but not the worst thing I’ve ever sat through. If anything, it kind of reminds me of the Underworld series.

Full Review | Dec 28, 2022

It’s a throwback in form, but not in personality. There’s nothing weird or dated about this movie; it’s just filling a superhero quota.

Full Review | Oct 21, 2022

The movie is only bland and unpersuasive, and would have disappeared without a trace if not for the jolly internet memes that snarkily celebrated it, as though it were a lovably inept thing to be cherished, not chastised, for its flaws.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Aug 24, 2022

Leto is certainly up for the role, and I can see where he could have done something special with a better script and more focused direction.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 16, 2022

The enjoyment of the film is certainly lessened by the film's darkness, and I don't mean its tonality.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 9, 2022

Even if you take the poor quality and bland performance from Leto out of consideration - Morbius barely feels like a movie.

Full Review | Jul 9, 2022

'Morbius' review: Jared Leto's vampire Marvel movie is a toothless bore

In the unrelenting flood of superhero stories hitting film and television, you might well feel overwhelmed by the Spider-Men , Eternals , The Batman , and Moon Knight of it all. Well, I've got some good news for you: Morbius is totally skippable.

In an attempt to stand out, Sony's latest MCU-adjacent Spider-Man spinoff pitches plenty at audiences to see what sticks. Yet amid a barrage of stars, monster-on-monster violence, and science-gone-awry melodrama, what stands out most is everything that Morbius is not.

Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Morbius follows Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a world-renowned doctor in search of a cure to the rare blood disease that afflicts him and his childhood friend Milo (Matt Smith). In aggressive exposition scenes, the good doctor will explain over and over how their DNA is missing a puzzle piece, but that missing bit might be found in vampire bats. Like so many Spidey cohorts before him, Morbius plays test subject to his dangerous experimental science. Behold! He achieves a glow-up that turns him from scrawny, peaked, and limping to brawny, bronzed, and parkouring. But at what cost? Yup. He's a vampire now.

Morbius is not a vampire horror movie

Known canonically as "the living vampire," Morbius struggles with his new yearning for human blood, which initially pitches him into a murderous rampage. However, screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless treat vampire lore as little more than set dressing. So, there's an almost comical matter-of-factness to Morbius and his science pal/love interest Martine (Adria Arjona) discovering he's gone from sickly man to creature of myth. It's as if they're bored with the idea as soon as they learn about it.

Besides ignoring the fun that might be had with exploring the tropes of vampire horror, Morbius also fails to be remotely scary. This is in part because its titular bloodsucker is dedicated to not being a bad guy, so there's no chilling moral grey area to play in. Further vexing the issue, the PG-13 rating (which is generally demanded for studio superhero movies to make their money back from the widest audience range possible) means that like The Batman , the supposed hard-hitting violence is ludicrously light on blood. "Artificial blood" dyed bright blue, offscreen violence, and lots of biting scenes shrouded in shadow keep scenes squeaky clean and woefully un-scary.

Morbius is not a satisfying cat-and-mouse crime thriller

Two FBI agents standing on a misty street.

That initial killing spree leaves a pile of bodies and a lot of questions. On the case is a pair of FBI agents, one stern (Tyrese Gibson), one snarky (a blessedly bemusing Al Madrigal). However, their chasing down clues is far from the center of the film, so it becomes just another element half-heartedly explored.

Madrigal brings spark to his wise-cracking cop character. But there's no actual suspense born from this investigation, in part because the audience is given no reason to think the blood-craving vampire couldn't just break out. After all, it seems every time he's in a pinch, Morbius uncovers a new power that can save his day — like the abrupt realization he can fly away!

Morbius is not really a superhero movie

It's not even a super-anti-hero movie like Venom or Venom: Let There Be Carnage . Yes, Morbius is based on a Marvel Comics character. So, it's technically a superhero movie. And it does include fight scenes, an evil antagonist, and a protagonist who is helped yet haunted by his superpowers.

However, defying the standards the DCEU and the MCU have forged in this genre, there's little in the way of heroics or derring-do here. He's not directly trying to rescue anyone or setting out to topple some massive malevolent force. Mostly Morbius is just cleaning up his own mess, trying to prevent the vampirism he released from making the world worse. But even this goal is abruptly abandoned to make way for the one superhero movie trope this movie hits hard: setup for a sequel.

Morbius is barely a Marvel movie

With a palm raised, Jared Leto looks spooky.

Don't be fooled by the trailers that make mention of Venom, flash Spider-Man street art in the background, and tease Michael Keaton's return as The Vulture. Eddie Brock and his symbiote bestie are mentioned only as "that thing that happened in San Francisco," and as an inexplicable joke, where Morbius identifies himself as "Venom." That's it.

As for Adrian "The Vulture" Toomes, he's not a part of the plot, despite what the trailers would have you believe. Slight spoilers: Toomes only appears in a pair of sequences that pop up awkwardly in the credits to tease a could-be sequel. As thrilling as it is to see Keaton's Vulture back in action, fans of the Sony Spidey-verse movies deserve better than the return of Leto's bland bloodsucker, who can't even brood with conviction.

Morbius is catastrophically unfun

A white man in a tie and blazer walks along a subway platform.

Ruthless pacing rushes audiences across decades, around the globe, and through tiresome info-dumps about pseudo-science, bat behavior, and backstories. It's as if Espinosa doesn't trust we'll actually find this story interesting, so he allows no moments to breathe. Or perhaps, the speedy pacing is to make up for the lack of verve of the cast, many of whom speak in a tired tone as if they'd been dragged out of bed right before shooting — or maybe the hope is that if the plot moves fast enough, you won't have time to notice how achingly predictable every beat is, and how two-dimensional every character is. In a film that bounds from Costa Rica to Greece to New York City to "International Waters," this whole world only has six characters of consequence, and most of them could be summed up with a short phrase like "brainy love interest," "roguish bestie," and "father figure doomed to die because this is a superhero movie in only the most tedious ways."

Be it House of Gucci, WeCrashed , or Suicide Squad 's Joker, Leto isn't much for subtlety. Similarly, Matt Smith has brought plenty of character to Doctor Who , The Crown , and Last Night in Soho . Yet here, both deliver dull imitations of their past performances. When his face isn't papered over by CGI-vampire features, Leto's expression is pretty but blank, as if he's in an ad for men's cologne. Playing more of a wild man, Smith gets to have a bit more fun, throwing his body into a frenzy of dance and occasional menace. Yet, in a realm where vampires are real and where we know Eddie Brock has leapt into a lobster tank, this all feels frustratingly timid, from the flat performances to the predictable plot points, the bloodlessness, and the shameful lack of style.

Grim greys and sickly greens paint settings that include unremarkable warehouses, laboratories, and hallways. The costumes are functional and forgettable, rarely fashionable or fun. Even the creature designs are unimpressive, feeling like a computer-generated ripoff of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer prosthetics. They're not bad, but neither are they fresh or frightening. No amount of slow-motion battle scenes can make up for that.

In the end, Morbius is trying to do much, much more than the Marvel/Sony movies that have come before ( which is saying something ). But lacking in style, spirit, scares, and suspense, this would-be thriller is a toothless and tedious chore.

Morbius is now in theaters.

Topics Film Marvel

Kristy Puchko is the Film Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter, who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers, and had her work published on RogerEbert.com, Vanity Fair, and The Guardian. A member of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA as well as a Top Critic on Rotten Tomatoes, Kristy's primary focus is movies. However, she's also been known to gush over television, podcasts, and board games. You can follow her on Twitter.

Sam Reid glowers as Lestat de Lioncourt in "Interview with the Vampire."

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Morbius review: Sony's high-gloss vampire superhero film isn't really a full movie, but it's fun

Jared Leto is a new kind of bat, man.

Branding aside, Batman has never really done bat things . He may have the swag and the color scheme, but there's no real communion, if you will, with the small winged mammals that gave him his name. Not so Marvel's Morbius, the dark hero who finally gets his due in the titular film hitting theaters this Friday. The fact that it's really only half a movie — much like Dune , its entire plot is essentially the preamble to a larger story — only partly diminishes the lizard-brain fun of watching Jared Leto zip around for 100-plus minutes like a you-know-what out of hell, sucking the blood from hired thugs and finance bros and then feeling really bad about it.

He's a killer with a conscience, you see: Dr. Stephen Morbius, a world-renowned scientist so gifted and so principled that he can casually turn down a Nobel Prize. His sole aim in life is to cure the disease he was born with, some kind of rare disorder that leaves him in a permanently weakened state. He's not alone in his misfortune; there's a childhood friend who shares his illness, Milo ( Matt Smith ), and the kindly man who cares for them, Nicholas (Jared Harris), both established in early flashbacks. In the present day, there's also Martine (Adria Arjona), the fellow researcher who is, by the laws of Hollywood, both improbably hot and remarkably amenable to sudden startling alterations in Stephen's DNA.

It turns out that a scouting trip to a well-stocked cave in the wilds of Costa Rica has borne fruit for the good doctor; after a little tinkering in the lab, a syringe of precious bat-liquid gives him the life he's never had. With each infusion his withered legs grow strong, and his concave chest turns to Men's Health marble. He can run, leap, fly! He also can't stop draining humans like they're Capri Suns, feeding on the pints of hemoglobin that instinct tells him he needs to survive.

Naturally, this behavior attracts the attention of law enforcement, largely in the form of two nonplussed FBI agents ( Tyrese Gibson and Al Madrigal) who try their mortal best to keep him contained. But handcuffs and stern lectures are hardly a match for Morbius; it's only Milo — the friend who burns for a cure as badly as he does, only without a moral compass — who presents any real threat. Smith, a former Dr. Who, excels at the poor-little-rich-boy villainy of his character, a tragic aristocrat whose eyes gleam with mania. His Milo has been waiting for this moment for a long time. (Leto too, fresh off a Razzie for his molto Italiano turn in House of Gucci , hits the right notes of fear and longing in a surprisingly restrained performance, though his aggressively ageless beauty at 50 suggests its own kind of blood bargain.)

Swedish-Chilean director Daniel Espinosa ( Life ) gives it all a dark sheen, and shoots the pair's inevitable confrontations less like traditional comic-book clashes than something from The Matrix . The air around them moves like liquid ribbons, and even in peak CGI, their fights looks like something between jet propulsion and underwater ballet. Logic and plot flow are generally treated like civilian casualties, but the movie, with its canny mix of whiz-bang violence, goth atmosphere, and high camp, feels pleasingly pulpy and urgent up until its last minutes, when the narrative doesn't so much wind down as run smack into the final title card.

This being adjacent to the MCU, of course, it's not really over; there's one telling post-credits scene, and then another, featuring a famed alumnus some will undoubtedly have already predicted, and others will soon have spoiled for them by the internet. Whatever elaborate offshoots and cross-pollinations those last moments promise, though, this particular bat man's future is most likely in fans' hands. Because there's still one superpower Morbius doesn't have: the license to green-light a sequel. Grade: B

'Morbius' Review: Jared Leto's Toothless Marvel Vampire Flick Is Now on Netflix

Here are the streaming details for the Spider-Man spinoff starring Jared Leto, Matt Smith and Jared Harris.

Jared Leto isn't the worst thing about Marvel's morbin' Morbius.

After years of delays, comic book adaptation Morbius opened in theaters in April -- but this is as straight-to-video as they come. Jared Leto stars as a sulking, skulking vampire in a bloodless and boring comic book adaptation riding the coattails of the Marvel movie powerhouse (especially in a desperate multiverse-crossing post-credits scene ).

Morbius is streaming now on Netflix , or you can get it on digital, Ultra HD, Blu-ray or DVD.

Leto plays Michael Morbius, a brilliant scientist debilitated by a rare blood disease. Dressing like someone who's read a few too many Anne Rice novels, he's convinced he can cure himself and fellow sufferer Milo (Matt Smith) by splicing their DNA with that of vampire bats. Next thing you know, Morbius is reborn as a man-bunned superhuman with a craving for the red stuff, set on a collision course with his equally thirsty best friend. Which is an acceptably juicy setup for a shlocky vampire flick, but there's very little in Morbius to get the heart pumping, as the obligatory origin story dribbles away any interesting ideas and deflates like a leaking plasma drip.

Morbius isn't terrible. It's just really, really dull. Originally created in the 1970s, the vampiric Michael Morbius is the latest character from Marvel's Spider-Man comics to appear in his own movie, but without Spider-Man. Tom Holland's friendly neighborhood webslinger is off breaking box office records in Spider-Man: No Way Home , a joint effort between Sony and Marvel Studios, but for rights reasons, Sony has to go it alone for Morbius and Venom. The contrast is stark (no pun intended, Marvel fans). Venom at least is big dumb fun , thanks to Tom Hardy's sweaty, committed performance and the lurid looniness of his character's split personality. Morbius doesn't have any of that outrageous B-movie charm, or any thrilling horror or action. And there seems to be almost no interest in creating engaging characters.

Morbius fared particularly badly on release, as it dropped around the same time as Marvel's Moon Knight on Disney Plus and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters. Starring Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight managed to be funny and scary at the same time, anchored by a hugely watchable lead performance and blending contrasting tones with style and verve. And Doctor Strange 2 did a much better job of combining comic book fun with horror movie scares. Even a chucklesome meme campaign (which inspired Sony to re-release the film) couldn't convince anyone it was Morbin' time.

I'm not saying Marvel is the height of cinematic artistry. But in comparison to the genuine imagination shown by Marvel's better movies and TV shows, Morbius seems churned out by Sony's rights department. There are enough glimpses of visual style or references to classic vampire movies to make you think the filmmakers had good intentions, but at some point the film seems to have been chewed up by an algorithm. For example, one of the film's many storytelling copouts is that Morbius has also invented synthetic blood and so is able to get by without feasting on humans. This fake blood is a handy metaphor for the film's relationship to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: It just isn't the real thing.

The vampire is an enduring and compelling monster for many chilling reasons, but Morbius can't even scare up any decent horror. You can see studio fingerprints all over the storytelling decision to make all the minor characters really obnoxious, so audiences don't mind when they get bitten to bits. Characters like Rude Mercenary, Aggressively Possessive Bar Boyfriend and Rude Street Vendor basically deserve to be killed, y'know?

Matt Smith deserves better than Morbius.

After the false start to his Hollywood career that was Terminator: Genisys , Doctor Who and The Crown star Matt Smith pops up in another wannabe franchise blockbuster. Morbius follows on from his wildly charismatic turn in One Night in Soho , and came ahead of a major role in Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon , so will surely be remembered as a blip in an otherwise pretty good couple of years. He is at least the best thing in Morbius, largely because he seems like the only person having any fun.

Once the bloodsucking shenanigans kick off, Smith really goes for it as a troubled young man who lets superpowers go to his head, even slipping in some of his signature dance moves (and making a joke about indie band The Stone Roses). The trouble is, Milo barely exists. When a character in a story undergoes a transformation, you need to know who they were before in order for the transformation to engage your emotions (or even make sense). So who was Milo before the fangs? The film doesn't care. There's an early implication he might be a bit on the criminal side, but it's simply never mentioned again.

Meanwhile, after cartoonish turns as the Joker in Suicide Squad and a Gucci in House of Gucci, you might go into Jared Leto's take on a comic book vampire expecting an enjoyable car crash at the very least. But he's pretty restrained, and isn't actually that bad. Leto even manages to wring some anguish from Morbius' guilt and regret. The problem is, he's supposed to be the main character and he doesn't do anything. Without any clear goal driving the story, Morbius fades into the background as the film goes on. And apart from Smith hamming it up, no one else takes his place.

'Morbius' Isn't Streaming Now, but It Will Be on Netflix (Eventually)
'Morbius' Post-Credits Scenes and Marvel Connections Explained

The film doesn't care about any of the characters, wasting Jared Harris as a mentor figure and Adria Arjona as a fellow scientist/love interest. Nothing they do really matters, and you know exactly what's going to happen to them. You might expect some drama or excitement as the cops close in, but the only thing the two pursuing Feds ever do is turn up at crime scenes after the blood's been drained and chat about stuff we already know. So the entire middle section deflates as the various stock characters skulk around not doing very much of anything, and the next thing you know, a dimly lit and uninspired CG fight scene turns out to be the end.

Oh, and if you can be bothered to stick around, the bottom is well and truly scraped by a barely coherent post-credits scene that reeks of desperation.

There's a good movie to be made about a goth vampire in a world of comic book superpowers. Sadly, unmemorable Morbius isn't it.

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Morbius review: "A Marvel movie that will inspire utter indifference"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Morbius may be a living vampire, but this supervillain origin story is dead on arrival. A rote, lifeless and cynical attempt to expand Sony’s Spidey-Verse

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Morbius, the latest entry in ‘ Sony ’s Spider-Man Universe’ – AKA the shared superhero world formerly known as ‘SPUMC’ – further pushes this particular corner of the comics-verse down the ostensibly darker road established by its sole stablemate, Venom . That Tom Hardy-starrer was a surprise hit, anchored by an enjoyably unhinged double act between Hardy and himself, but with this dull, derivative Jared Leto-fronted franchise non-starter, the SSU has SPUMC’d any lingering goodwill up the wall.

Leto stars as Dr. Michael Morbius – a brilliant scientist suffering from a rare blood disease who inexplicably hits on vampirism as the solution to his ills. Powered up with super speed, strength, and nifty echolocation hearing, Morbius must consume human hemoglobin or risk the monster within getting out – a monster Morbius’ childhood friend Milo (Matt Smith) has no compunction unleashing on an unsuspecting public.

Sticking rigidly to Venom’s anti-hero origin story formula, Morbius is a shameless exercise in comic book universe expansion. It’s slickly shot by director Daniel Espinosa (Life), who wastes little time getting to the action, and deploys every trick in the VFX filmmaker’s toolkit in an attempt to dazzle (copious slow motion, wispy particle effects, corkscrew camerawork), but a frustrating over-reliance on sub-par digital doubles means much of the film’s big ticket action feels underpowered, possessing the soporific qualities of a lava lamp.

Leto is traditionally a supremely committed performer (some might say overly committed), but here he has the look of a man constantly thinking about his next manicure. It doesn’t help that the character is never adequately sketched, agonizing over a single patient one moment, brushing off eight gruesome murders the next. It’s a role crying out for a one of a kind, off-kilter performance to bring the material alive, something Matt Smith seems to recognise, but even his comically wicked dancing vamp can’t raise the film’s BPM as it flatlines.

Frankly, Morbius is a film that will inspire utter indifference – competent enough not to be a complete waste of time, but nowhere near entertaining enough to recommend to anyone but the most dedicated superhero cinema completists. After 14 years of Marvel Studios perfecting and elevating this particular brand of crowd-pleasing, interconnected comic book blockbuster to its own artform, Morbius can’t help but feel like a film that’s slavishly following the same recipe, but getting all the ingredients wrong.

Morbius is in UK cinemas now and arrives in US theaters on April 1. For more, check out our huge guide to Marvel Phase 4 and all the new superhero movies to get excited for.

Genre

Action

I'm the Deputy Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the features section of every issue where you can read exclusive, in-depth interviews and see first-look images from the biggest films. I was previously the News Editor at sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie bible SFX. You'll find my name on news, reviews, and features covering every type of movie, from the latest French arthouse release to the biggest Hollywood blockbuster. My work has also featured in Official PlayStation Magazine and Edge.

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Fighting and biting in by-the-numbers superhero movie.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Movie struggles with whether the serum is a gift o

Michael Morbius is arguably the hero, or perhaps a

All diverse representation is in supporting cast,

Biting, slashing with claws. Some blood shown, inc

Kissing. Shirtless males.

A few uses of "s--t," plus "hell," "crappy."

Main character uses a Casio digital watch. Coca-Co

Background social drinking (cocktails). Shots cons

Positive Messages

Movie struggles with whether the serum is a gift or a curse: It provides great power but also requires a high price. Eventually both hero and villain partake, with no real consequences either way. In the end, everything thorny that the movie brings up is merely ignored or smoothed over.

Positive Role Models

Michael Morbius is arguably the hero, or perhaps an anti-hero, but the fact that he kills a bunch of people is largely overlooked. Ultimately, it appears that he plans to keep on going, presumably drinking real blood to survive.

Diverse Representations

All diverse representation is in supporting cast, as movie focuses on two White men. Black and Latino police officers, a Latina doctor who assists Morbius, a helpful nurse who's a woman of color (no specifics of her background are given), and a young Black girl who's one of Morbius' patients (though she's put into a coma and forgotten about for the rest of the movie).

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Biting, slashing with claws. Some blood shown, including spatters. Gurgling noises. Characters die, dead bodies. Guns and shooting. Bullies kick a child. Child hits bully in the head with crutch. A woman is shoved; she hits her head and is knocked unconscious. Jump scare.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Main character uses a Casio digital watch. Coca-Cola sign in background.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Background social drinking (cocktails). Shots consumed in a bar. Hypodermic needles used to inject formula.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Morbius is a comic book movie based on a Marvel Comics character who first appeared as a Spider-Man villain. It takes place in the same universe as Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage , and, like those films, is rather flat and uninspired. Violence can be intense and includes monsters biting, slashing with claws, and fighting. Characters are killed, blood is shown, and there's gun use. Bullying kids try to beat up a young boy: They kick him, and he hits one of them in the head with his crutch. A woman who's shoved hits her head and is knocked unconscious. Language includes a few uses of "s--t." People kiss, and shirtless males are seen. Social/background drinking is shown: Adults sip martinis and drink shots in a bar. Characters also use hypodermic needles to inject a secret formula. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parents say (17)
Kids say (46)

Based on 17 parent reviews

Better than what critics are saying

It's morbin' time, what's the story.

In MORBIUS, Dr. Michael Morbius ( Jared Leto ) suffers from a rare blood disease and has spent his life looking for a cure. In the meantime, he's invented artificial blood that's saved countless lives. For a new experiment, he incorporates vampire bat blood. When he tests it on himself, the result is superhuman strength, speed, and other powers -- but also an unquenchable thirst for blood. The artificial blood slows the cravings, but it won't work forever. Meanwhile, Michael's childhood friend Milo ( Matt Smith ), who has the same disease, wants to take the cure despite Michael's warnings. Then a spate of killings sweeps the city: The victims are all drained of blood, and Michael is blamed. Can he set things right?

Is It Any Good?

Humorless and as flat and as uninspired as the Venom movies were, this by-the-numbers comic book action movie seems to be operating entirely on autopilot, ticking off plot boxes as it goes. Even the actors seem to be sleeping through their lines in Morbius -- not that there's anything worth hearing, anyway. What might have been deep discussions about life and death, good and evil, or power and weakness are kept strictly on the surface and solved without much bother or meaning. Moral implications are simply ignored. Action scenes are complicated by the strange decision to show vapor trails following the characters as they leap or are thrown across buildings, alleys, and subways.

The choice makes everything look smeary, like a cover-up for potentially underwhelming effects. (Occasionally the movie pauses for a nifty Matrix -like slo-mo shot, which helps clarify things.) While Leto and Smith have the lion's share of Morbius ' chunky-sounding dialogue, and while they try to keep hysterics to a minimum, it all comes off sounding more like reading than speaking. The rest of the cast has so little to do that they're barely worth mentioning. And a "surprise" that comes at the end is hardly that, given that the actor in question has been featured in trailers and in the film's credits. Its promise of more "Morbius" to come is less of a promise and more of a warning.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Morbius ' violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

Is Morbius a monster? A villain? A hero? An anti-hero? Why?

Would you risk taking Morbius' formula in exchange for superpowers? What are the upsides? What are the downsides?

How does Morbius compare to other movie vampires? Is this a horror movie in any way? Is it scary ? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

In theaters : April 1, 2022
On DVD or streaming : June 14, 2022
Cast : Jared Leto , Adria Arjona , Jared Harris , Tyrese Gibson
Director : Daniel Espinosa
Inclusion Information : Latino directors, Female actors, Latino actors, Black actors
Studio : Columbia Pictures
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : STEM , Superheroes , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
Run time : 108 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence, some frightening images, and brief strong language
Last updated : July 5, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Marvel’s Morbius Movie Review

Payton Jens , [email protected] | April 13, 2022

Emilee Davis graphic

“Morbius” tells the story of Dr. Michael Morbius played by Jared Leto, who injects bat DNA inside him to cure himself of a rare blood disease. The disease does not allow him to use his legs. He does not have much time left in his life before he dies because of it. To avoid his death and prolonged disability, injecting the cure turns him into a man-eating vampire-like thing that ingests human blood to stay alive and mentally sane.

The film’s theme of man versus self conflict is surreal and hits hard. Seeing Morbius struggle in his day-to-day life from being a disabled child to adulthood is heartbreaking. He moves out of his foreign hometown in Greece and becomes a doctor in America to do all but find a cure. The man justifies his means to find the said cure in any way possible to stay alive, even if it involves illegal actions such as injecting the cure on a boat in the middle of an ocean. People in Morbius’ society may find it immoral to take illegal action to inject a cure, but as a viewer, it is understandable why he took the risks to get rid of his struggles with the disease.

Even when he turns into a vampire, he continues to follow his morals to stay alive. At first, he has no control over his desire to kill other people for human blood, but he battles with himself to gain self-control to avoid temptations. He drinks artificial human blood out of plastic bags in the hospital he works at to avoid becoming a savage that will tear through peoples’ bodies. Morbius’ unceasing conflict with his physical body, be it a rare blood disease or a necessity for human blood, and his own morals to not kill innocent lives, is what I find most satisfying about the film.

There were many issues throughout the film. The story was easy to follow and predict. The plot had less implied foreshadowing and was more of a cliché superhero movie.

Close childhood best friend, known as Milo or Loxias Crown (Matt Smith), becomes the antagonist as another vampire. Predictable. The fatherly figure, Emil Nikos (Jared Harris), took care of orphaned Milo and Morbius only to be killed by his own son, the antagonist. Predictable. Morbius’ love of his life, Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona), is first thought to be killed but then is revealed to have become a vampire through a questionable romantic kiss involving blood. Predictable.

The film was easy to follow along with if paid attention to. However, it also presented itself as a film that tried to contain horror but could not with a PG-13 rating. The film was more of a “The Batman” wannabe if anything. It tried to have seriousness, but the comedy and lack of surprise felt off when telling a dark superhero story involving vampires.

While characters did have their own morals and personalities, there were also holes in their characterization. It felt out of place for Milo, with morals of his own, to kill people and then be chill about it with no cognitive repercussions about what he did, unlike Morbius’ humane morals to avoid killing innocent lives. When Morbius kills Milo to end his murder spree, he still does not see the error of his ways for being a mass murderer. It felt wrong because there had to have been at least some humane recognition Milo had when it came to killing others.

Morbius was able to detect that murdering innocent lives was not right, but Milo went right along with murder with no care about others. It was also contradictory when Morbius told Nikos he would kill himself after his fight with Milo to avoid any more people dying. With no explanation as a post-credit scene, the film ends with him driving his vehicle to the middle of nowhere where he meets the Vulture. The characterization of inconsistencies in this film was prominent but did not make sense in terms of the overarching story.

The film, overall, consists of aspects that were enjoyable, yet other parts were bland in terms of an original compelling story. It is not exceedingly compelling and impactful film but an ordinary one. The film was entertaining to watch, nevertheless.

Rated: 7/10

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'As Nice as I Remembered': Ke Huy Quan & Hugh Jackman Reunite 24 Years After First X-Men Movie

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This article contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine .

Loki star Ke Huy Quan gave fans a dose of nostalgia, recalling his first meeting Hugh Jackman on the the set of X-Men . The two crossed paths recently, teasing how their characters would have met in a Deadpool & Wolverine scene.

The Time Variance Authority had everything to do with Logan and Wade Wilson's misadventures in Deadpool & Wolverine , which launched the duo to hop across timelines home to legacy characters from the Fox Marvel films. When the first trailer teased the TVA's involvement, fans half-expected the film would feature key characters from Loki , especially Owen Wilson's Mobius or Ke Huy Quan's Ouroboros (Wunmi Mosaku did reprise her role in a cameo, as Hunter B-15). However, Deadpool & Wolverine revealed only a few scenes with the TVA, dashing hopes that Tom Hiddleston's Loki would appear. Quan offered fans the next-best thing by posting an Instagram photo of his surprise reunion with Hugh Jackman; they first met in 2000, during production for the first X-Men film.

Loki Star Names the Real-Life Moment He Wishes He Could Revisit

Loki star Ke Huy Quan recounts a low point in his life he wants to revisit just to tell his younger self that everything’s going to be all right.

Quan shared a selfie photo with Jackman, captioned by his feedback on Deadpool & Wolverine . "Saw DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE . It was AWESOME," he wrote. "Ran into Hugh Jackman recently. The last time I saw him was 24 yrs ago on the set of X-Men when he first trained as Wolverine . He is just as nice as I remembered. Huge congratulations to [Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds] and the entire Deadpool team on a record opening. Bravo." Their surprise reunion played into the nostalgia of Deadpool & Wolverine 's mid-credits scene, which played behind-the-scenes footage of the Fox X-Men films.

Ke Huy Quan Coached Hugh Jackman's Stunts In The First X-Men Film

Quan has gained a cult following of fans following his performances as Data ( The Goonies ) and Short Round ( Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ). The actor continued to work as onscreen talent in international productions until 1999, when he sought to use his Cinematic Arts degree to focus on roles behind the scenes. He mentored under director and action choreographer Corey Yuen on the set of X-Men , where Quan was tasked to choreograph a fight scene between Wolverine and his doppelganger (a shape-shifted Mystique). A BTS footage showed him coaching Jackman's stunt doubles , both dressed in black X-Men jumpsuits.

How Deadpool & Wolverine Connects to Loki

Deadpool & Wolverine has connections to many past Marvel films and shows, but its ties to the Loki series on DIsney+ are perhaps its most important.

Quan received critical acclaim for his performance in 2022's Everything Everywhere All at Once , which also earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His recent credits confirmed he's capable of a range of roles, including a TVA operative to a hard-hitting pangolin in Kung Fu Panda 4 . Quan is slated to co-star in Netflix's The Electric State , directed by The Russo Brothers .

Quan will also play the lead role in With Love , an action flick scheduled to release on Feb. 7, 2025.

Source: Instagram

Deadpool & Wolverine

Wolverine joins the "merc with a mouth" in the third installment of the Deadpool film franchise.

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Behind Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers’ Mega ‘Avengers’ Paydays

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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: (L-R) Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios, Joe Russo, Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Russo speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

After a bruising year, Marvel is returning to the very things that worked in the past. That means reuniting with franchise crown jewel Robert Downey Jr. as well as the Russo brothers, who directed the two most successful movies for the studio with “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

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Marvel’s ‘deadpool & wolverine’: what the critics are saying.

Shawn Levy's R-rated film, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, hits theaters July 26.

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Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in Shawn Levy's 'Deadpool & Wolverine.'

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26, but the review embargo for the film broke on Tuesday, and the early reaction from critics has been largely positive.

The third Deadpool movie, and first to be included in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular characters and is directed by Shawn Levy. The cast also includes The Crown ‘s Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova and Succession ‘s Matthew Macfadyen as TVA (Time Variance Authority) agent Mr. Paradox.

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Lindsay lohan, jamie lee curtis reveal manny jacinto will play lohan’s onscreen husband in ‘freakier friday’, ryan reynolds-blake lively box office apocalypse: ‘it ends with us’ beats ‘deadpool & wolverine’ on friday, justin baldoni on why ‘it ends with us’ needed to be adapted: it “could actually make a real difference”, why ‘drowning dry’ director laurynas bareisa told actors not to land jokes and has hope for cinema as a “place of freedom”, bérénice bejo on playing a rebel in ‘mexico 86,’ the “right to have secrets,” and democracy under siege, nine inch nails to score disney’s ‘tron: ares’.

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Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are looking for answers at the end of time.

By Kevin Slane

Welcome to Boston.com’s weekly streaming guide . Each week, we recommend five must-watch movies and TV shows available on streaming platforms like Netflix , Hulu , Amazon Prime , Disney+ , HBO Max , Peacock , Paramount+ , and more.

Many recommendations are for new shows, while others are for under-the-radar releases you might have missed or classics that are about to depart a streaming service at the end of the month.

Have a new favorite movie or show you think we should know about? Let us know in the comments, or email [email protected] . Looking for even more great streaming options ? Check out previous editions of our must-watch list here .

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in "Deadpool & Wolverine."

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ hits all the right notes to a very annoying song

“good will hunting”.

Next week marks the release of Matt Damon and Casey Affleck’s “The Instigators,” a delightful heist comedy set and shot in Boston. It’s been more than 25 years since the childhood buddies teamed up for a Boston-set film, so before you enjoy “The Instigators,” fire up “Good Will Hunting” and marvel at the baby-faced boys from Cambridge. Casey Affleck is the real star of “The Instigators,” and while he doesn’t get as much material in Gus Van Sant’s drama, he makes his handful of lines count.

How to watch: “Good Will Hunting” is streaming on Max .

“Midnight Run”

In an interview with Boston.com that will publish early next week to coincide with “The Instigators,” Matt Damon and Casey Affleck name-checked the 1988 action-comedy “Midnight Run” as one of their primary inspirations. Starring Robert De Niro as a streetwise bounty hunter and the late Charles Grodin (“Beethoven”) as a mob accountant who skipped bail, “Midnight Run” is a sneakily well-constructed film, with each line of dialogue and scene fitting together perfectly. Damon calls the film a “Swiss watch.” I call it a must-watch.

How to watch: “Midnight Run” is streaming on Prime Video .

The 2024 Olympics

This may seem like cheating, but really, what else are you going to watch more over the next two weeks than the Summer Olympics? There are more than 50 Olympic athletes with New England ties competing in every discipline from archery to swimming, with primetime coverage kicking off Friday night with a re-airing of the afternoon’s opening ceremony. NBC has really pushed Peacock as the sole place to watch every single competition live, while the NBC Olympics app and its suite of terrestrial networks (NBC, USA, CNBC) will handle the lion’s share of tape-delayed contests edited for user-friendliness.

How to watch: The 2024 Olympics are streaming on Peacock .

“Loki”

You don’t actually need to watch any previous Marvel movies or shows to understand what’s happening in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the newest entry in the MCU. As I noted in my review of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” viewers are expected to know more about Disney’s acquisition of Fox and its associated IP — including Deadpool, Wolverine, and their fellow X-Men — than any Marvel property. That said, if you were to play catch-up, the show to watch beforehand is “Loki,” which plays a prominent role in a film not overly concerned with plot.

In the show, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his pal Mobius (Owen Wilson) are hopping across timelines in coordination with the Time Variance Authority, a bureaucratic entity tasked with preventing multiversal meltdown. In “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a rogue TVA agent played by Matthew Macfayden (“Succession”) is attempting to speed up the process of killing Deadpool’s universe after it loses its “anchor entity” — Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Got all of that? Me neither, but “Loki” is easily the best of Disney+’s Marvel shows, so give it a watch anyway.

How to watch: “Loki” is streaming on Disney+ .

“Veep”

On Friday, “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci penned a thoughtful essay in the New York Times articulating the reasons why he’s not pleased that the real-life events of American politics have mirrored the plot of his HBO comedy — and is equally unhappy that people keep asking him about it. With apologies to the sharpest satirist currently working in television, the first thing I did after Joe Biden announced he would not be seeking reelection was fire up “Veep” to watch what happens when Vice President Selina Meyer (the incomparable Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is told that the president she serves under isn’t seeking a second term. Here’s hoping Kamala Harris doesn’t have a Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) in her life.

How to watch: “Veep” is streaming on Max .

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“AMC has been predicting for quite some time that moviegoing would return to lofty levels this summer,” said CEO Adam Aron.

Regal, the nation’s no. 2 chain, said the film repped its highest R-rated, 3-day opening weekend ever, and the highest 4DX weekend for Regal of all time.

The third-largest U.S. chain, Cinemark, saw record breaking box office and concessions as well. Ticket sales beat out every other film opening from May through August in the exhibitor’s history. It also was the biggest opening weekend ever for Cinemark XD, the company’s private-label premium large format, and an all-time high weekend for D-BOX motion seats. “We remain highly optimistic about the future of theatrical exhibition,” said CEO Sean Gamble.

Hollywood actors and writers strikes last year delayed production significantly, leaving a dearth of product into 2024. AMC swung to a loss for the second quarter as revenue fell. The tentpole market ramped up in June with Inside Out 2, followed by Despicable Me 4 and Twisters this month, then Deadpool & Wolverine.

The weekend, and the cadence, highlights opportunity for the sector with a more consistent film slate for the second half of 2024 and 2025, said B. Riley Securities analyst Eric Wold, reiterating a “buy” rating on Cinemark, Imax, Marcus and in-theater advertising firm National Cinemedia . He said D&W’ s strong run should help allay concerns about “moviegoer burnout” with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Alicia Reese of Webush Securities says Imax remains on the firm’s Best Ideas List as it gains market share, expands its filmed-for-Imax partnerships and diversifies with more alternative content like original docs and live events, including a live broadcast of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The big screen company b eat Wall Street estimates by a wide margin in its June quarter.

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She has an “outperform” recommendation on Cinemark, saying it preserved cash during this box office slowdown and that it’s committed to shoring up its balance sheet, maintaining its leverage ratio, investing in its circuit, evaluating M&A opportunities and reinstating its dividend.

There’s still some wait-and-see wariness on volatile AMC, where there’s been good news beyond this past weekend’s box office. The company recently agreed with lenders to refinance a big chunk of its debt. This morning, it announced a new concert film , Usher: Rendezvous in Paris for September release.

AMC pre-reported earnings last week and will release its final numbers Friday. Cinemark releases its quarterly numbers that day as well.

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Wall Streeters and companies alike are noting anticipated upcoming films this year including It Ends with Us and Borderlands on August 9, Alien: Romulus on August 16, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on September 6, The Wild Robot on September 27, Joker: Folie à Deux on October 4, Venom: The Last Dance on October 25, Gladiator II and Wicked on November 22, Moana 2 on November 27, Kraven the Hunter on December 13, Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on December 20.

AMC share have popped about 11% from last Thursday’s open, changing hands in afternoon trading at about $5.21.

Regal, part of Cineworld of the U.K., isn’t publicly traded.

Cinemark has gained 1.29% today to about $22.85, not that far from its 52-week high.

Imax is up 2.6% today at $20.40 – also very close to its high over the past 52 weeks.

Marcus is up about 1% today at $12.59.

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Everything Announced at the Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con 2024 Panel

Marvel studios took over hall h with avengers-level reveals..

That’s a wrap on the Marvel Studios’ SDCC 2024 panel! It was a jam-packed, hour-long presentation that gave us more insight into things like The Fantastic Four while revealing major news about the next two Avengers movies.

While past SDCC Marvel panels have introduced massive stars into the MCU, this year’s presentation came with the announcement that Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., is coming back to play Doctor Doom. Other highlights include first-look footage for future MCU movies like Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World. It was a lot to cover, but we managed to nab every major reveal and share it here. You can see everything Marvel Studios had to announce at SDCC 2024 below.

Captain America: Brave New World footage reveals plan to rebuild The Avengers and Giancarlo Esposito’s MCU role

Giancarlo Esposito plays Sidewinder in the MCU. Image credit Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.

After opening with a Deadpool & Wolverine dance number , we got to see a first-look footage of next year’s Captain America movie, Brave New World. It highlights major players like Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross a.k.a. Red Hulk, who is looking to Sam Wilson to help him rebuild The Avengers. We also learned more about how the MCU plans to introduce Adamantium, one of Marvel's most precious materials.

Additionally, the cast of the film revealed that Giancarlo Esposito will be playing King of the Serpent Society, Seth Voelker a.k.a. Sidewinder . Captain America: Brave New World comes to theaters February 14, 2025.

Harrison Ford is Thaddeus Ross. #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld #SDCC pic.twitter.com/vRBCkUDLlu — Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024

Marvel reveals first Thunderbolts* footage ahead of 2025 premiere

Thunderbolts gets first footage at SDCC 2024.

Thunderbolts* is smashing its way into the MCU with a rag-tag team that includes Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), and more. Some early footage of the film shows Yelena facing off against Ghost and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) while dealing with some personal demons. Whether or not Alexei ( David Harbour ) can help her remains to be seen. Thunderbolts* premieres May 5, 2025.

The Fantastic Four gets an updated title and retro-future ‘60s setting confirmation

Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps begins production on Tuesday. Only in theaters July 25, 2025. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/iPAlXlajnr — Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024

The Fantastic Four, now officially titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, might be the biggest MCU movie of the last few years. It's all set to introduce Marvel's most flexible family, and during SDCC, we learned that it will be set in a retro-future version of the ‘60s. Marvel also showed off some early footage , revealing Mr. Fantastic leading an old-school science program and The Thing taking part in a dating show, ahead of its production start date this Tuesday. See Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, and Vanessa Kirby star as the Fantastic Four when it premieres July 25, 2025.

"I think we’re all collectively gunna bring an essence that is a family rather than thinking about what we individually are gonna bring," Quinn said of the film. "It’s a team sport."

Robert Downey Jr. is the MCU’s Doctor Doom

“New mask, same task.” Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p — Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024

WHAT?! Robert Downey Jr., the man who kickstarted the MCU and hung up his Iron Man suit in 2019, will play one of Marvel’s most infamous villains: Doctor Doom . The Marvel legend shared a few words about the casting announcement: “New mask, same task. What can I tell ya? I like playing complicated characters.” It's unclear how many films Victor Von Doom will appear in, but we know that he's at least set to play a part in Avengers 5.

Joe and Anthony Russo are directing Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars

Marvel Studios changes up its Avengers plans with Victor Von Doom.

Robert Downey Jr. isn’t the only MCU veteran putting back on the cape. Captain America: Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo are teaming back up with Marvel to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars . Details on the latter are light, but Marvel says we can expect it out in May 2027. Doomsday, meanwhile, seems to be the new title for the movie that was previously known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It’s a movie that’s also shrouded in mystery, but we at least know that it’ll bring back Downey Jr. in a big way. Expect it out in May 2026.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Where to Watch

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COMMENTS

Morbius movie review & film summary (2022)
Nor, for that matter, is Leto's bland hero, whose most distinctive aspect is the demanding physical transformation the actor underwent for the role. No, the only really surprising—and, therefore, the most disappointing—thing about "Morbius" is the fact that it's an honest-to-goodness horror film. But only for a few seconds.
Morbius
Rated 1.5/5 Stars • 12/03/22. Morbius truly has to be one of the films released in 2022 so far. Jared Leto did a job playing Morbius and the action was in the film. The film has storytelling and ...
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And while most of it is as predictably familiar as expected, it does something unusual for a movie like this: It entertains you, rather than bludgeons you into submission. Morbius. Rated PG-13 for ...
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Following the blockbuster success of Venom and its sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters continues with Morbius, based on the popular comic book character. Jared Leto stars as the titular character, a scientist who becomes a "living vampire" with superhuman abilities. Similar to the first two installments of the Spider-Man-adjacent franchise ...
Morbius Review
An origin story that lacks fangs and bite. Morbius hits theaters on April 1, 2022. Sony's Spider-Man Universe has its first expansion out of Venom territory with Morbius, the Jared Leto-led ...
Morbius (2022)
Morbius: Directed by Daniel Espinosa. With Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris. Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead.
'Morbius' Review: Jared Leto Stars as Marvel's "Living Vampire"
Jared Leto in 'Morbius': Film Review. Matt Smith and Adria Arjona also star in Marvel's origin story of the conflicted antihero, a doctor who gets cozy with vampire bats to treat his rare ...
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March 30, 2022. Jared Leto, left, in Morbius.'. Sony Pictures. In the future, every Marvel comics character will have their own movie for 15 minutes. Right now, the spinning intellectual property ...
Morbius Review
31 Mar 2022. Original Title: Morbius. Superheroes are getting moodier. The idea of 'dark' comic-book adaptations isn't exactly new, but lately they've stepped up a gear, with Matt Reeves ...
Morbius
2022. PG-13. Sony Pictures Releasing Argentina. 1 h 44 m. Summary Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed.
Morbius (film)
Morbius is a 2022 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, and Matt Tolmach Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.It is the third film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU). Directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by the writing team of Matt Sazama and ...
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After a few more credits roll, we are given Morbius' second and final mid-credits scene. Michael Morbius, in human form, is driving along a coast. The terrain and geography would suggest he's ...
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Movie Review: Starring Jared Leto, Morbius provides an origin story for a Spider-Man villain, but it never quite feels like a comic book movie. Rather, it's a mad scientist movie with loads of ...
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The superhero movie machine is still playing catch-up. As evidence: Morbius, the next chapter of Sony's Marvel sub-universe, is still awaiting its moment in the movie theater spotlight.It even had an October release date at one point, but moved once again to 2022 - a full two years after it released its first teaser.
'Morbius' is better than 'Venom,' but the villain origin ...
As Marvel movies go, "Morbius" is more a sip than a gulp, a relatively small-boned Jekyll-and-Hyde tale that moves another Spider-Man villain into the spotlight. Significantly better than ...
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A terribly dull movie that takes you back to the worst CBM's in the 2000s. Jared Leto brings dedication, Matt Smith brings charm & is having the time of his life…. But god the script, the ...
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Marvel's Spider-Man spinoff "Morbius" stars Jared Leto as a "living vampire", who must battle his blood lust and a fearsome foe. Matt Smith, Michael Keaton, and Adria Arjona co-star.
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Sept. 7, 2022 11:34 a.m. PT. 5 min read. Jared Leto isn't the worst thing about Marvel's morbin' Morbius. Sony. After years of delays, comic book adaptation Morbius opened in theaters in April ...
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Morbius, the latest entry in ' Sony 's Spider-Man Universe' - AKA the shared superhero world formerly known as 'SPUMC' - further pushes this particular corner of the comics-verse ...
Morbius Movie Review
Parents need to know that Morbius is a comic book movie based on a Marvel Comics character who first appeared as a Spider-Man villain. It takes place in the same universe as Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and, like those films, is rather flat and uninspired.Violence can be intense and includes monsters biting, slashing with claws, and fighting.
Morbius
Watch the new trailer for Morbius, the upcoming movie which stars Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and ...
Marvel's Morbius Movie Review
The film, overall, consists of aspects that were enjoyable, yet other parts were bland in terms of an original compelling story. It is not exceedingly compelling and impactful film but an ordinary one. The film was entertaining to watch, nevertheless. "Morbius" tells the story of Dr. Michael Morbius played by Jared Leto, who injects bat DNA ...
Marvel Reveals First Look at the MCU's Fantastic Four Costumes
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is about to be entirely different as it enters the year with its content The Fantastic Four: First Steps, 2025.With the hype that it's gaining, Marvel Studios releases the first peek of the team's costumes, giving fans a glimpse of what Marvel's First Family will look like in their MCU debut. The unveil came during D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event ...
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Quan shared a selfie photo with Jackman, captioned by his feedback on Deadpool & Wolverine. "Saw DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE.It was AWESOME," he wrote. "Ran into Hugh Jackman recently. The last time I saw him was 24 yrs ago on the set of X-Men when he first trained as Wolverine.He is just as nice as I remembered.
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Marvel is paying $80 million for the Russos to direct two 'Avengers' movies and 'significantly more' for Robert Downey Jr. to tackle Doctor Doom.
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Details on the latter are light, but Marvel says we can expect it out in May 2027. Doomsday, meanwhile, seems to be the new title for the movie that was previously known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

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