The internet is still buzzing about the recently released first trailer for Morbius and its big reveal. Since it was first announced, there has been a lot of questions surrounding the project, which stars Jared Leto as the titular Marvel character, a scientist who transforms into a vampire. But excitement is at a new high as the trailer seems to show that the movie has strong connections to Spider-Man’s MCU adventures.
The deal between Sony and Marvel is still very confusing and many assumed Sony’s Spider-Man universe would be separate from what Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU. With this new confirmation, it opens up a lot of possibilities for Morbius, some good and some bad. Here are some of the reasons Morbius should connect to the MCU and some reasons it should not.
Should: Sinister Six
The most surprising aspect of the Morbius trailer was the appearance of Michael Keaton. Though not mentioned by name, it seems that he is playing Adrian Toomes aka Vulture who last appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming as the main villain.
After getting over the initial shock of the surprise appearance, many fans began speculating that Keaton’s appearance would help set up a Sinister Six movie. The Sinister Six is a group of Spider-Man’s most fearsome enemies who team-up together. The idea of that concept coming to the big screen is pretty exciting.
Should Not: Repeating Same Mistakes
While the Michael Keaton tease is exciting, many fans will remember that this is not the first time Sony has tried to launch a Sinister Six film. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 largely felt like little more than a set-up for that film and we all know how well that worked out.
Seeing Keaton randomly thrown into this trailer gives us flashbacks of the same mistakes being made again. Sony is so eager to get their own universe going, they are rushing things instead of letting it build naturally. The fact that they felt the need to spoil the Keaton cameo in the first trailer shows their confidence is shaken as well.
Should: The MCU Boost
It’s no secret that Sony has had a difficult time with their live-action Spider-Man movies lately. While Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse was a success, their Andrew Garfield-led Spider-Man series failed and Venom, though a huge box-office success, was dismissed by critics.
However, Sony seems to have taken the phrase “if you can’t beat them, join them” to heart as their partnership with the MCU has helped boost their Spider-Man brand. Now that they have actual ties to those MCU films, fans of that franchise could take more interest in Sony’s films.
Should Not: Short-Term Thinking
It’s remarkable that the deal between Sony and Marvel ever worked out in the first place, but as we saw this summer, it’s not a perfect union. The two studios patched up their differences and agreed to let Spider-Man stay in the MCU reportedly for one more solo film and one team-up film.
If that’s the case, it seems strange that Sony would choose to lean into the MCU connections now. Once this new deal expires in a few years, where will that leave the Sony films? Is it really worth making these connections if they aren’t going to mean anything after a couple of films?
Should: The Partnership Could Continue
Though the deal between the two studios reportedly has an end in sight, that’s not to say that deals cannot change. Sony likely knows how beneficial it is to have Spider-Man as part of the MCU. If Morbius is a big success, they could start rethinking whether or not they really want to cut those ties.
If Sony were to suggest extending their relationship with Marvel, it’s unlikely Marvel would have any issues with keeping Spider-Man in the MCU for as long as possible.
Should Not: Creating Their Own Universe
So many studios and franchises have tried and failed to duplicate the MCU formula, but Sony seems determined to make their universe work. While some of their upcoming projects sound a little questionable, they do have a lot of great material to draw from.
However, if Sony really does want to build their own universe, piggybacking off the MCU is not a great way to start. They need to forge their own path rather than follow whatever path the MCU has decided. Rather than living in the shadow of the MCU they should be thinking about how they can be different.
Should: Established Spider-Man
As much as making their own universe is important, creating a Spider-Man universe with a Spider-Man that fans love would be hard to walk away from. Many fans have pointed out that the Sony universe should use their own Spider-Man separate from Tom Holland’s version, such as Miles Morales.
That is certainly a cool idea, but the popularity that this MCU Spider-Man has is so strong that it could provide a strong backbone for Sony’s entire universe instead of taking a risk and starting from scratch.
Should Not: The Right Fit
Though Sony seems like it has gotten the better deal out of their partnership with Marvel, they have a much harder job making it work to their benefit. The MCU has established what works for their movies and fits their version of Spider-Man into that perfectly. Sony now has to build an entire cinematic universe around that version of the character.
Already, this Sony universe feels like it doesn’t fit the tone of the MCU or Holland’s Spider-Man. It’s very hard to imagine that version of Spider-Man facing off with Jared Leto’s brooding vampire.
Should: Possible Blade Connection
While this new connection offers a lot of interesting opportunities for the Sony franchise, the MCU could do some interesting things with it as well. While it’s unclear what the partnership allows in terms of character crossovers, it’s unlikely Sony would object to some MCU characters popping up.
Morbius does seem like the perfect opportunity to bring in Marvel’s famous vampire hunter, Blade. The character is confirmed to be joining the MCU soon with Mahershala Ali taking over the role. It would be a lot of fun to even get a hint at the character’s eventual appearance.
Should Not: Confuses Things
As exciting as it is to imagine all the potential crossovers, this MCU connection provides a lot of issues for storytelling in the Sony Spider-Man universe. Morbius can apparently reference what happened in the Spider-Man MCU movies, but what about the larger MCU?
Is Morbius set in a world in which Thor and Captain Marvel exist? If so, a vampire might not seem so special anymore. Can they acknowledge that Thanos wiped out half the universe? If Galactus shows up in Avengers 5 and devours Earth, do the Sony films just have to ignore that? This could make for a lot of confusing problems going forward.
