FILM · 2022 · USA
Morbius
75 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (75)
- #001
Jared Leto committed himself to capturing Michael Morbius's limp and used a cane even off camera. When it was reported that the actor took 45-minute walks to the bathroom, this proved troublesome for the crew. Pushing him in a wheelchair was a gap that could have solved these delays.
- #002
The New York scenes were shot in the Northern Quarter of Manchester in the United Kingdom. All the city lights, signs and license plates were changed to match those found in New York.
- #003
J. K. Simmons first shot scenes for this film as J. Jonah Jameson. In the time between the film's original shoot and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), the producers realized that Morbius does not actually exist in the same universe as Simmons's version of J. Jonah Jameson. As a result, Simmons's scenes were cut from the film.
- #004
In the metro scene, several advertisements/posters bearing the names "Thomas & Kane" can be seen in the background, a reference to Morbius's creators Roy Thomas and Gil Kane.
- #005
Shortly after Michael returns, when he goes to the hospital and reads the chart, the internal phone says the name Michael Corvin. This is the name of another vampire character in the Underworld film series. When Corvin first appeared, he was in the final stages of becoming a surgeon.
- #006
In the original cut, Carnage appeared as one of Morbius's prisoners (before the film was re-edited and placed eight films ahead of where it was originally going to be).
- #007
Matt Smith apparently deliberately channeled Kiefer Sutherland's performance as David in The Lost Boys (1987) in some scenes of the film. He joked that this was because the main characters of both films are named Michael.
- #008
Morbius debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (October 1971), the first Spider-Man issue not written by Stan Lee (who was busy writing a screenplay for a science fiction film that was never produced). The character was created after the Comics Code Authority lifted its ban on vampires in comics in February 1971, which also allowed Marvel to launch its Tomb of Dracula series in April 1972.
- #009
The trailer shows Spider-Man's graffiti reading "Murderer." However, this shot does not appear in the film, and the director confirmed that it was added by the studio without his involvement, suggesting the shot was added to support the popularity of the Spider-Man series. The trailer also includes a scene of Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes saying to Morbius: "Hey Dr. Mike, you and I should stay in touch." This shot also does not appear in the finished film, and given that Keaton is only a brief post-credits cameo, his role in the film may originally have been larger. Other scenes or quotes mentioned in the trailer but not found in the film include: Detective Stroud (Tyrese Gibson) stating that Morbius was missing for two months and then found on a container ship that came ashore off Long Island; Morbius and Dr. Nicholas (Jared Harris) talking on a bench in a park; and Det. Stroud and Rodriguez (Al Madrigal) possibly arriving at the same park.
- #010
Morbius had a brief cameo in the deleted alternate ending of Blade (1998), played by director Stephen Norrington, as a teaser for his planned appearance as the main villain in Blade II (2002). However, he was not included in the sequel because Marvel had sold the character's rights to Artisan Entertainment to make a standalone Morbius film that ultimately was never made.
- #011
Jared Leto claimed that Michael Morbius's personality was close enough to his own that he did not find it necessary to use his famous method approach while playing the character. Despite how much fun he had, he found the role quite challenging because it was less character-driven than his previous performances.
- #012
Even Michael Keaton, by his own admission, felt that his role as the Vulture in the film's post-credits scenes made no sense in hindsight, and stated that the film's team could not even give him a logical explanation for why he was there.
- #013
In an interview, Matt Smith explained that he was not really aware of how Milo connected to Hunger's larger legacy and comic book origins, because his character's backstory was a bit confusing to him since it was not clarified in the script he was given for the film. Many reports from when the film was first announced also claimed that Smith's character was named Loxias Crown, and very shortly before the film's premiere it was revealed that his name was actually Milo (though his birth name is Lucien Crown, which is somewhat similar). This led some to believe that the name had been changed during one of the film's many reshoot periods. However, it is equally possible that this was always the plan and that the reports assumed the film would keep the character's original name from the comics.
- #014
In a news report following the confrontation between Morbius and Lucien that leads them to a metro station, it is stated that the metro was closed due to a bat infestation. This is a reference to Morbius's connection with bats. Early in the film he talks about how they greeted him rather than attacking him, but this is the first sign that he can summon them to himself, as he later does in the final battle against Lucien. The bats followed him through the metro, so the metro was infested.
- #015
One of the most important locations in the film is Horizon Labs, where Morbius cares for children with the same blood disorder he has and also conducts his research to cure it. However, Horizon Labs has been a major part of the "Spider-Man" comics over the past decade; Peter Parker worked there during Dan Slott's run on the character. It is a place where talented scientists can work on cutting-edge technology and ideas without having to present them to a board of directors. Horizon Labs first appeared in issue #648 of "Amazing Spider-Man" and is run by Max Modell, one of Peter's personal heroes in the scientific community. Morbius also works for Horizon in the comics, and he is the one who created a serum to save everyone in New York when the events of "Spider-Island" turned everyone into giant arthropods. However, he is not the only villain to grace the lab's corridors. Otto Octavius, also known as Doctor Octopus, also works at the company after transferring his consciousness into Peter's brain in issue #700 of "Amazing Spider-Man," using Horizon as a way to develop new technology for his own heroic career. For readers who are not comedians, don't worry, Otto eventually returned Peter's body to the hero's consciousness.
- #016
Jared Leto was said to be playing another vampire role, as Lestat in Josh Boone's failed Vampire Chronicles remake.
- #017
Michael Keaton reprising his role as the Vulture in a cameo caught many people off guard, especially given that Sony initially advertised its own universe as unconnected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- #018
Milo is mainly based on the villain Hunger, whose name is Loxias Crown. Although everyone refers to him as Milo, his real name here is the more normal-sounding Lucien.
- #019
Jared Leto said he chose to avoid prosthetic makeup for his character's monstrous transformation. "We were going to use prosthetics at first, but I really fought for CG! Obviously this is the future and it was exciting to work with these incredible people at the cutting edge of technology. I thought it would give us a lot more freedom," he said. Having played Paolo Gucci in House of Gucci (2021), Leto was no stranger to prosthetics and compared the two processes. "Yes, it's exciting! You know, a mask is interesting for an actor because it hides but can also reveal a part of who you are," he said. "Wearing prosthetics can be fascinating. It can affect the way you move and express yourself. Conversely, CG also has its limitations and benefits."
- #020
The second trailer features "People Are Strange," a song previously used in the vampire film The Lost Boys (1987).
- #021
The film's director, Daniel Espinosa, directed the sci-fi/horror film Life (2017), which has been called a predecessor to Venom (2018).
- #022
F. Gary Gray and Antoine Fuqua turned down the directing offer. Asked why, Fuqua replied: "I grew up with comic books as a kid. Years ago, a long time ago, they talked to me about Black Panther. For some reason they came up and talked to me at Sony about Morbius. I don't know, I have a 13-year-old son, so I'm watching more of it again and it's exciting to do this. I would love to create a new one, but something closer to that, I'm excited about."
- #023
By buying a copy of The Daily Bugle, Milo reveals to the audience that this film takes place in a New York protected by Spider-Man, even though the director cut all scenes shot with J. Jonah Jameson, played by J. K. Simmons. The newspaper's front page also revealed the presence of The Rhino and The Black Cat in the Sony Universe.
- #024
In almost all of the film's promotional material, it was emphasized that the film was produced by the same studio as Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019) and Venom (2018). After the release and great success of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Morbius's promotional material began to emphasize its connection to that film rather than its predecessor, but they continued to quote the first Venom rather than the sequel.
- #025
In the final battle between Milo and Morbius, Milo says their new condition is a gift, not a curse. That is what the Green Goblin said in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
- #026
Morbius promises Martine he will not go "full Dracula." This is clearly another reference to Bram Stoker's classic vampire story. Dracula first appeared in Suspense #7 in the 1950s as part of an anthology comic, but has since become a major villain for Blade and the Avengers. Aside from having also fought the World's Mightiest Heroes over the years, he has an origin very similar to the typical story. Recently, Dracula established his own vampire kingdom in the ruins of Chernobyl.
- #027
At 1:02, while reading the Daily Bugle early in the film alongside the Rhino and Black Cat, Martine mentions that the Chameleon has also recently escaped from prison.
- #028
The film was scheduled to be released in the United States on July 31, 2020. However, when the coronavirus pandemic began to affect the film industry, including cinema attendance, the film's release date was moved to March 19, 2021, January 11, 2022, and finally January 28, 2022. Sony Pictures then began moving the premiere dates of its 2020 films to 2021, including another set in the Marvel Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters: Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), from its October 2, 2020 premiere date to June 25, 2021. Another Marvel film connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), will be released in the United States from July 16, 2021 to November 5, 2021, and again to December 17, 2021.
- #029
Matt Smith (Lucien/Milo) is the fourth actor to appear in a comic book adaptation by playing an incarnation of Doctor Who (Smith was the Eleventh Doctor): * Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor) - Malekith in Thor: The Dark World (2013) * David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) - Purple Man in Jessica Jones (2015) * Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor) - The Thinker in The Suicide Squad (2021) All four took on villainous comic book roles.
- #030
This is Jared Leto's second comic book role after playing the Joker in Suicide Squad (2016) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).
- #031
When the film was released digitally, a Twitch channel broadcast the entire film on a loop before being taken down.
- #032
The director confirmed that Spider-Man (or at least a Spider-Totem equivalent) still exists within the SSU, even though he never shot the scene featuring the Spider-Man mural.
- #033
Pokémon was used as an influence on the depiction of Morbius's powers, particularly highlighting the series' use of light and color to depict the attacks and abilities of the creatures in the title.
- #034
Lucien mentions that he hired bodyguards because he angered a Russian man while playing cards. They are the Kravinoffs, a family that enjoys playing a good underground card game with other wealthy members of society. Kraven the Hunter is a member of the Kravinoff family.
- #035
In an interview, Tyrese Gibson stated that the film is actually part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and was immediately contradicted by Sony, which said it had no idea why he said that. The film's trailer, released more than a year earlier, gained nothing from prominently featuring Michael Keaton, apparently as the MCU character Adrian Toomes. Keaton confirmed that he is Toomes, while expressing that he himself was confused about how or whether it would connect. The final film confirms that it takes place in the SSU, with Keaton's Vulture somehow transferred from the MCU to the SSU after Doctor Strange's second spell.
- #036
The human hand actually has 27 bones (three in each finger except the thumb, which has two, five metacarpals - long bones - in the middle of the hand, and eight small bones near the wrist).
- #037
The four notes of Dies irae echo in the score the first time Morbius drinks from a bag of red blood and realizes that Milo has become a vampire and a killer. They play again when Stroud and Rodriguez raid Martine's apartment.
- #038
Matt Smith's character Milo wears clothes in the style of those worn by Stanley Ipkiss, played by Jim Carrey in The Mask (1994), and they are distinctly different from those of the other characters in this film. The name "Milo" is also the name of Jim Carrey's dog in The Mask. Throughout Morbius there are also dance moves and striking poses reminiscent of Stanley Ipkiss wearing the green mask.
- #039
Although Morbius is known to the hero in the comics, he is the third main villain alongside Venom and Carnage, who have not met Spider-Man.
- #040
In this film, both Jared Leto and Michael Keaton play characters from both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Leto appeared as the Joker in Suicide Squad (2016) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), and Keaton played Batman in Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992) and finally The Flash (2023). Other actors who have done this include J. K. Simmons, Tom Hardy and Ben Affleck.
- #041
Milo taunts Morbius in the train tunnel with "Michael," similar to what Kiefer Sutherland did in The Lost Boys (1987).
- #042
It was the last film of cinematographer Oliver Wood before his death on 13 February 2023 at the age of 80.
- #043
A comedian from the popular YouTube channel Funhaus (and a Morbius superfan), James Willems, originally had a scene in the film as "Quirky Male." However, this scene was cut from the final film for unknown reasons.
- #044
The focus on Milo's feet as Michael leaves his prison cell closely resembles Keyser Söze's reveal in The Usual Suspects (1995).
- #045
In the second post-credits teaser, The Vulture finds Morbius and mentions that he has formed a group to take down Spider-Man. This is probably a nod to a future Sinister Six film set outside the MCU, since it would likely remove Adrian Toomes from the MCU dimension.
- #046
Both Jared Leto and Matt Smith have starred in adaptations of American Psycho (2000): Leto played Paul Allen in the 2000 film, while Smith played Patrick Bateman in the original 2013 London production of the musical.
- #047
Matt Smith (Lucien/Milo) had previously played Doctor Who (2005). Another version of the Doctor appeared in The Brain of Morbius: Part One (1976).
- #048
Morbius is seen hanging by his legs twice, as bats do.
- #049
Michael Morbius is supposed to be in his mid-30s. Jared Leto was in his late 40s when he played him.
- #050
Tyrese Gibson fell for a fake quote claiming that Martin Scorsese changed the film's perception of comic book movies and that it was real cinema that even he could not surpass.
- #051
Matt Smith and Jared Harris appeared together in the first season of The Crown (2016). Matt Smith played Prince Philip, and Jared Harris played King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, played by Claire Foy.
- #052
In The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), a file relating to Michael Morbius was briefly seen on Harry Osborn's computer.
- #053
It is somewhat ironic that Matt Smith appears as Milo in the film facing Jared Leto's Morbius, considering that Smith is thought to have been on the list of actors considered for the DCEU's Joker role, which Leto himself took on in Suicide Squad (2016) before playing Morbius. Also, although Smith is the main villain, he appears in only a single shot in the trailer.
- #054
The Greek island shown 25 years earlier is Corfu, home to the Old Fortress and additional buildings. Perhaps the island was never bombed by the Germans during the Second World War, and the palaces and buildings remained intact.
- #055
Adria Arjona drew inspiration from politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- #056
When Dr. Nicholas asks Milo (Matt Smith) how his pain is on a scale of 1 to 10, Milo replies: "Eleven." Smith also played the lead character, the Eleventh incarnation of the Doctor, in Doctor Who (2005).
- #057
Jared Leto was considered to play Doctor Strange in Doctor Strange (2016), and Matt Smith was considered to play Riot in Venom (2018) and Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019).
- #058
In an early scene, Morbius renames Lucien and claims that all the children in the ward are named Milo. The Slavic root mil- means "dear" or "beloved," while the Latin "miles" means soldier. Perhaps Morbius calls each of his ward-mates Milo because he hopes they too will stay there and become "dear" to him like Lucien; the "soldier" meaning foreshadows curing their illnesses and how they will fight each other.
- #059
Morbius destroys the neon sign of the Wyman Hotel. There is a Wyman Hotel in Colorado, but not in New York. The name was chosen as a hidden reference to a Marvel writer named Wyman.
- #060
After the film's release, the largely ironic fandom that emerged calls itself "Morbheads."
- #061
Morbius shows many similarities to Spider-Man (a Marvel Comics hero with recombinant DNA taken from an animal) and Batman (a DC Comics hero with a strong connection to bats).
- #062
Although the film was not very successful in theaters, it inspired many internet memes. Sony tried to capitalize on this with a limited rerelease in the United States on 1,000 screens. This went even worse, grossing $280 per screen.
- #063
Venom (2018) earned more in its opening weekend than this film earned during its entire theatrical run.
- #064
Filming was completed at the end of July 2019. Reshoots were done in Los Angeles the following February.
- #065
It was featured on the comedy podcast 'How Did This Get Made?'.
- #066
Jared Leto became the fourth Oscar winner to play a Spider-Man villain: * Martin Landau as The Scorpion - Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994) * Jamie Foxx as Electro - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) * Mahershala Ali as The Prowler - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
- #067
Ari Aster turned down the offer to direct.
- #068
Abraham Popoola, who plays the head counterfeiter Ryan, will go on to play S.W.O.R.D. agent Dag in The Marvels (2023) and Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone in Spider-Noir (2026).
- #069
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless's script was first written in 2017.
- #070
Adria Arjona stars in this film alongside Matt Smith, the 11th incarnation of The Doctor in Doctor Who (2005). She had previously starred alongside David Tennant, the 10th incarnation of the Doctor, in the Amazon Prime series Good Omens (2019).
- #071
The Spider-Man mural in the film's trailer was added by the studio without Daniel Espinosa's involvement.
- #072
Benicio Del Toro, Eric Bana, Zachary Quinto and Michael Sheen were suggested by fans to play Morbius.
- #073
Director Jon Watts stated he was interested in including Morbius in Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), but the character ultimately was not featured.
- #074
When Nostalji Eleştirmeni reviewed Morbius, he argued that the delays served to inflate the film and present it as "the next Top Gun: Maverick," while both films saw premiere date changes; Morbius was first released in American theaters on April 1, 2022, whereas Top Gun: Maverick (2022) would not arrive until more than a month later, on May 27, 2022.
- #075
Dr. Nichas (Jared Harris) is Lucien Crown's (Matt Smith) primary caretaker. Both actors appeared prominently in the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown (2016).
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