The next big addition to Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters is Michael Morbius, the first vampire in this connected universe, and as such what does he has to offer and how do his powers compare to Venom and Spider-Man? Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters began in 2018 with Venom, which gave Eddie Brock and the title symbiote a second chance after its not-so-good big-screen debut in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. Venom helped make way for other characters to join this side of the Marvel Universe, and next in line is Michael Morbius.
Simply titled Morbius, the movie will tell the origin story of Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a scientist suffering from a rare blood disease and who finds a treatment through the DNA of bats. Although this seems to cure his disease, it comes with big consequences as he becomes afflicted with a form of vampirism, which in turn sees him develop unusual traits and abilities, along with the mutation of his physical appearance and the degradation of his mental health. Morbius is different from other characters in Sony and Marvel’s cinematic universes, but what are his powers and how do they compare to those of the other two characters from Sony’s universe: Venom and Spider-Man?
Morbius is one of the many movies affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and so the only bits of information there are about the movie and the character are those revealed in the teaser trailer and through fan accounts. In the trailer, Morbius mentions some of his newly acquired abilities, as are increased strength and speed, echolocation, and an “overpowering urge to consume blood”. In the comics, along with these powers, Morbius also possesses night vision, the ability to hypnotize beings of lesser willpower, and accelerated healing, and while he’s sensitive to sunlight, he doesn’t possess the weaknesses and limitations of traditional vampires.
While Morbius’ powers make him a threat, he’s pretty much at the level of Venom as they share similar abilities. Sony’s Venom has superhuman strength, durability, speed, agility, and regenerative healing factor, and can also crawl walls. Morbius might have a similar power to this one, as a now-removed video presumably showed the character leaping from one building to another and sticking on the walls. Venom, however, can also extend its tendrils and tentacles allowing Eddie to knock down enemies and form a shield, something that Morbius definitely can’t do.
Spider-Man also has superhuman strength, speed, durability, and agility, but he also possesses enhanced senses (including the famous spider-sense), regenerative healing factor, and can also crawl walls. Morbius’ powers also put him at the level of Spider-Man, and depending on the setting of the fight, Morbius could have the upper hand thanks to his night vision and echolocation. If Morbius is to fight Venom and Spider-Man at some point (though the former seems more likely than the latter, due to the Sony/Marvel deal), it would be hard to pick a winner as they have similar abilities and powers that can subdue the other, and there are possibly more powers to be revealed in Morbius.
