Leave it to Saturday Night Live to have some fun with Morbius crashing and burning with critics. While Morbius had a decent opening at the box office when it hit theaters, it did not perform very well with critics at all. The reviews were almost universally negative with 16% of the reviews at Rotten Tomatoes on the positive side. It wasn't quite the reception that Sony, Marvel, and lead star Jared Leto had been hoping for.
On Saturday evening, Lizzo hosted SNL while also serving as the show's musical guest. For the cold open segment, various celebrities were spoofed with the SNL performers imagining what they would be asking for with their Easter wishes. Included among other celebs like Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), Britney Spears (Chloe Fineman), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Cecily Strong), Jared Leto (Kyle Mooney) appears to beg critics not to review Morbius. You can watch the skit below.
"Hey, it's me, Jesus Christ. Just kidding, I'm Jared Leto," the spoofed Leto says. "You know, my Easter message this year is simple: positivity. So, if you go to see my new movie Morbius, please don't review it. If you're the kind of person who reviews movies, Morbius just isn't for you. Anyway, I'll see you on the big screen, and the two little screens behind your eyelids when you go to sleep."
Morbius Was Pummeled With Negative Reviews, But Filmgoers Still Enjoyed It
While Morbius getting hammered by critics makes it easy for Saturday Night Live to poke fun at the film, its release could also serve as an example of why the critics can't always be trusted. Compared to the 16% rotten rating at Rotten Tomatoes, its audience score is far better at 71%. That's still not quite perfect, but nevertheless, a staggering difference compared to its critical score. Morbius director Daniel Espinosa has also gone on record as saying he's proud of the film as he is with all of his movies, despite the critical reception.
"It’s a strange thing to make something that is so public," Espinosa said, per Insider. "I have a lot of self-hatred so I have a lot of criticism of my own work. I’m always trying to focus on being better. But I am also proud of what I do. There are parts in all of my movies that I’m really proud of.”
Morbius was directed by Espinosa using a screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Along with Jared Leto, the film stars Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. It is a part of Sony's Marvel Universe, joining Tom Hardy's Venom films along with the upcoming movie Kraven the Hunter with Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Saturday Night Live will return on May 6 to NBC with guest host Benedict Cumberbatch, which coincides with the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Arcade Fire will be joining him as the musical guest. You can stream past episodes of SNL on Peacock.