It is finally here. The Morbius trailer has hit the internet and is hitting fandom like a storm. This movie has sailed under the radar a bit, with Sony keeping it mostly under wraps (as well as the drama from the Spidey controversy between Disney and Sony), so this trailer was really a first look at a lot going on. And, while it gives us a lot, it is still very much a teaser. No real plot points were given out besides Michael Morbius’ basic origin. In fact, it doesn’t even clarify whether Morbius will be hero, villain, or anti-hero. But, there was a lot to take in, so let’s break down the trailer.
A Rough Start – The trailer begins with a young Michael Morbius, on crutches, walking to class and being accosted and beaten up by some school bullies. He is saved by Jared Harris’ character (who has yet to be named), who will serve as a lifelong mentor to Michael. We find out he’s suffering from a rare blood disease, but also has a genius intellect, as Harris states that if anyone can cure his illness, it’s Morbius.
A Life Saver – Morbius grows into a Nobel Prize winning doctor, and he believes he was put on Earth to save lives and cure this disease. We see him working in labs on a cure, and even helping treat a young sick girl with a smile on his face. However, he also looks emaciated and on death’s doorstep. It’s clear that he doesn’t have much time left, and is desperate for a cure.
Bats! – In a voiceover, Morbius talks of taking an extreme, and illegal, step to find a cure. He opens a lab drawer to show a pinned bat, meaning that he’s gone to the animal kingdom for a cure. Then, Michale is seen with some shady military type people coming off of a helicopter in some remote location. A strange contraption is setup at a cave entrance, Michael cuts his hand, and then summons a swarm of bats from inside. Everyone flees, except Michael.
At What Cost? – Adria Arjona, who plays Morbius’ fiancee, Martine Bancroft, wanders at what cost this new cure will have. Then we start to see it. Michael is transforming from an emaciated cripple to a built, strong, superhuman. He has massively increased strength, speed bordering on what looks like Nightcrawler-esque teleportation, and the use of echolocation. Oh, and a thirst for human blood. You know, like a vampire. (That’s probably why his comic series was called Morbius: Living Vampire, huh?)
Some Vampire Action – During a sequence showcasing what Morbius can do, we see some great action sequences that look really good. We also get a glimpse at Tyrese Gibson as Simon Stroud, an FBI agent on the case. He’s dealing with the rash of murders by Morbius, who is dealing with his bloodlust. Now, it’s unclear if all of Morbius’ victims are bad guys, good guys, or some kind of mix.
Morbius’ Antagonist – Matt Smith is shown, very briefly, in this clip. While it gives nothing away about his character, we do know he’s playing Loxias Crown, Michael’s best friend-turned-bitter rival/enemy. Loxias supposedly suffers from the same fatal disease as Michael, which presumably will serve as the catalyst for their friendship. And, as Michael deals with the severe ramifications of his ‘cure’, Loxias will want the cure for himself. While there is no character in the comics with that name, there is a short lived pseudo-vampire villain from the comics named ‘Crown’. Smith’s character could be an amalgamation this character and Morbius’ best friend, Emil Nikos, who died in the comics after Morbius’ transformation. Whether Michael is hero or villain, Crown looks to be the villain of the film.
A Face Only A Vampire Could Love – While we only get a single shot of it, Michael Morbius’ full vampiric face looks straight off of the comic page. The Make-Up and FX teams really did great work with the look, and are doing the character justice.
Spidey was here! – There have been rumors lately that Morbius would be part of the MCU. While this may not be exactly true, it will surely be MCU-adjacent, as there are two obvious references to Spider-Man and his solo films. One scene has Morbius walking down an alley, where you see a Spider-Man poster with the word ‘murderer’ spray painted over it. This is a reference to the post credits scene in Far From Home, where Peter Parker is exposed as the Wall Crawler and blamed for ‘hero’ Mysterio’s death. Also, Kevin Feige has talked about how Spidey is the only hero able to jump cinematic universes, so we’ll see how it all ties in eventually. The other reference no one saw coming. Michael Keaton has returned as the Vulture! The final scene of the trailer sees Morbius meeting the villain, still in his white prison jumpsuit. He says, “Michael Morbius. Got tired of doing the whole good guy thing, huh? What’s up, Doc?” This was not only amazing to see, it really blurs the line more about whether or not Morbius will be hero or villain. Also, there were rumors that Keaton would have a scene in Far From Home, but now it would seem he was actually filming for Morbius. Does this mean Morbius will be a part of Sony’s Sinister Six? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
All in all, this teaser trailer really does the job of getting fans excited for a character that is a bit more obscure than most in the Spidey-verse. As more details arrive for the film, ScreenGeek will keep you all up to date.
Are you looking forward to seeing Morbius? Let us know in the comments below!