Morbius director Daniel Espinosa seemingly accidentally spoils that the Jared Leto-led film will feature a cameo from Venom star Tom Hardy. The 2022 film is part of the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, which first launched with the Hardy-led box office hit in 2018 and will center around characters connected to Spider-Man comics, of which the studio holds the rights to. Other projects currently in development for the franchise include the Aaron Taylor-Johnson-starring Kraven the Hunter, a Madame Web film, an Olivia Wilde developed-and-directed project believed to be centered on Spider-Woman and a Jackpot film from Arrowverse alum Marc Guggenheim.
Morbius will explore the origin of the titular scientist suffering from a rare blood disease who develops a dangerous cure that afflicts him with a form of vampirism. Alongside Leto, the cast for the film will include Doctor Who alum Matt Smith, Fast & Furious vet Tyrese Gibson, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal and Michael Keaton. The film was originally planned as the second installment in the SPUMC, though multiple release delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would see it scheduled to hit theaters after Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Espinosa recently spoke with MovieZine (Via The Direct) to discuss his work on the upcoming installment in the SPUMC. In reflecting on how the set of Morbius may have resembled something shooting in his home country, the filmmaker noted a few actors directed on set that created a sense of excitement for Espinosa, including Hardy. See what Espinosa said below:
"When you walk around there, the recording looks just like a Swedish production, but then when you look at the schedule and read names like Michael Keaton, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, then it feels cool and very exciting."
Given Morbius is set in the SPUMC, it may not come as much of a surprise that Hardy would appear in the film, but Espinosa's seeming confirmation is still an intriguing bit of news for the film. With Gibson having recently stated its connections to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was quickly denied by the studio, and the first trailer having shown Keaton seemingly reprising his role of Adrian Toomes from the Disney franchise's Spider-Man: Homecoming, there has been a lot of speculation from fans regarding where exactly the film will fit with both series. Additionally, given Morbius is supposed to be set in New York City and the first trailer featured a glimpse of a Spider-Man photo with "murderer" written over it, Hardy appearing in the film does pose interesting questions about what the story holds for Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
With production having occurred on the Hardy-led sequel just after Marvel and Sony's new deal to share the webslinger, there is certainly room for more than just Eddie Brock or Venom to appear in Morbius. It would certainly explain the Spider-Man glimpses as likely tying into the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home and the upcoming multiverse shenanigans of Spider-Man: No Way Home and finally put Tom Holland's young hero on a path to face off against both the alien symbiote and Leto's vampiric character. Only time will tell when Venom: Let There Be Carnage arrives in September and Morbius in January.
Source: MovieZine (Via The Direct)
