Spoiler Warning: Morbius
Morbius the Living Vampire, was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane in 1971. Originally introduced as a character in the Spider-Man comics, the character later grew into establishing his own range of comics. Albeit somewhat less popular than Spider-Man and fellow MCU character Venom, Morbius has managed to remain a recognizable name over the years with appearances in video games and Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
The Morbius movie was initially scheduled to be released in July 2020. However, the release date was repeatedly postponed throughout 2020 and 2021. *The film finally premiered on April 1, 2022, almost two and a half years after its first movie trailer release. In introducing the character of Morbius to fans, Sony Pictures clearly intends to create an interconnected universe for the Marvel characters.
*Now that Morbius has been released, we know the answers to some of the questions this article touches on, such as Michael Morbius' origin story and Michael Keaton's role in the movie. There was a significant amount of material that was different from the comics than what we were given on screen. The film became significantly tortured by fans until Sony put it back into theaters because the company couldn't understand the meme. Overall a strange occurrence in cinema, but nonetheless, another addition to Marvel films.
Updated 7/16/22 by Ted Bajer: If you’re looking for more information about Morbius, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article with post-release movie information.
Who - Or What - Is Morbius?
Living with a debilitating blood condition from a young age, Michael Morbius was raised by his mother in Greece. Kept mostly in isolation, Morbius had only one friend, Emil. The duo goes on to become famous scientists and biochemists in their mission to find a cure for Morbius' condition.
An experiment they conducted as a last chance effort to cure Morbius through electroshock and vampire bat DNA turns Morbius into a pseudo-vampire. Morbius then kills his friend Emil and becomes the Living Vampire. Walking the middle line between vampire and human, he has to drink blood to survive and has powers such as flying, super strength, night vision, and the ability to hypnotize. But unlike a conventional vampire, Morbius can be exposed to a certain degree of sun and is not vulnerable to stakes through the heart or religious artifacts.
Establishing the character as a villain or hero is somewhat complicated. Michael Morbius was first introduced to his audience as Spider-Man's enemy in Marvel Comics. Depicted as a bloodthirsty vampire, he became the prime villain for Peter Parker to fight. However, Morbius wasn't purely a vampiric villain driven by the urge to kill. Draining his victims wasn't his defining trait. And this is where matters get complicated. The Living Vampire also did his share of good while saving innocents. Morbius had his own enemies in these heroic adventures, such as Dracula and his daughter, Lilith.
He also had a sympathetic side, where he loathed what he had become and the destruction caused by his hands. He continuously attempted to fight the darkness within him, helping good guys such as Doctor Strange and Blade in their missions to combat evil.
*Some notable things were changed in the film. Morbius wasn't raised by his mother but by an adoptive father who was the doctor and primary caretaker at what seemed to be some type of special care home. His friend Emil was replaced by Matt Smith's Milo, whose real name was Lucien for some reason. Instead of both of them becoming famous scientists, only Morbius exhibits talent.
*While Morbius goes off to succeed, Milo stays at the care home. It is implied that Milo's character pursues a life of gambling and leisure. While Morbius does eventually kill his friend, it is only at the end of the movie after a long conversation on the benefits of being a vampire.
The Anti-Hero
The characteristics of Michael Morbius lead one to conclude that he is neither hero nor villain but an anti-hero. In his constant battle against his vampiric tendencies, Morbius has redeemed himself from the label of a Spider-Man villain. His mountain of remorse and guilt upon harming innocents, even leading him to suicidal thoughts, has firmly taken him out of the villain category.
However, he still can't be categorized as a pure hero because his bloodlust drives him to drink human blood, even though in satisfying his hunger, he only drains the blood of bad guys who deserve it and does not harm innocents.
Thus, Morbius walks a tightrope between bad and good -- bad in that he needs human blood to survive and good in that he attempts as much as he can to harm only those who deserve it and save the innocent. As such, the most appropriate label for the Living Vampire is that of an anti-hero, a character who has villainous characteristics but feels intense remorse and attempts to right his wrongs.
How the Film Portrays Morbius?
The official synopsis reads:
One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?
Sony Pictures' film is an origin story, fleshing out his character and offering substance to the previously side-lined character. Keeping in line with the comics, Morbius explores the dimensions of good and evil and hero and villain in establishing the character.
Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto stars as Dr. Michael Morbius. This was another dip into superhero acting for Leto, who played The Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad. Other cast members in the movie include Adria Arjona, Tyrese Gibson, Jared Harris, Matt Smith, and Al Madrigal. Michael Keaton reprises his role of Adrian Toomes (AKA The Vulture), bringing a Spider-Man connection to the movie.
*However, Mr. Adrian Toomes unfortunately only shows up in the mid and post-credits scenes, mentioning to Morbius that they should team up in the future. What Sony is going for here is the beginning of the Sinister Six, a league of villains that are directly anti-Spider-Man. The upcoming Kraven the Hunter movie will add another member from the Sinister Six into Sony's repertoire, but whether or not they'll get their evil team remains to be seen. They'll have to make a better movie first.