The living vampire Morbius is set to make his big screen live-action debut on April 1st, with Jared Leto in the lead role. The movie seems to take its visual and styling cues from 2018's Venom, but with a much darker and more sinister storyline. Beginner Marvel fans are undoubtedly excited by the prospect, but it would be wise to brush up on some previous material, beforehand.
That being said, there are many Marvel movies within the MCU, and outside of that particular universe, which can serve as warm-ups for Morbius. Many of them possess the same thematic elements, with characters haunted by the darkness lurking within them. Some are lighthearted, and others are much darker and more serious.
Iron Man (2008)
Stream On Disney+
There's really no better launching point for first-time MCU moviegoers besides Iron Man. Not only did it kick off an entire pop culture and cinematic phenomenon, but it set the template for the films that would follow while cementing the MCU character traits of one Tony Stark.
The first Iron Man film is a self-contained story about a flamboyant and arrogant playboy weapons manufacturer who suffers a crisis of conscience and decides to pursue a more noble goal. In so doing, he learns how to banish his own worst qualities, while becoming a hero that he never thought he could be. In many ways, the character of Morbius follows suit - a good man forced to overcome the darkest parts of himself in order to win the day.
Thor (2011)
Stream On Disney+
2011's Thor dealt with the premise of a superhero who ended up getting too big for his britches and taken down a notch as a result. His banishment to Earth was designed to test his resolve, and guarantee that he was worthy enough to wield the power bestowed upon him by his father.
Not all negative traits are evil, but some are just as destructive, and vanity is one of them. Morbius is a character who could easily slip into the warm bath of his own powerful abilities, regardless of how deadly they might be. The trailer seems to suggest that he'll be tempted in that very manner, which is why Thor is such a great film for first-timers to watch, just to get acquainted with the premise.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Stream On Disney+
As far as origin stories go, Doctor Strange boasts one of the most inventive and interesting, even if his path to super-wizard was wrought with some known mistakes in MCU films. Doctor Strange also deals with the occult, or at least a pseudo-scientific approach to the concept of sorcery and magic, which is the territory Morbius seems to be treading.
Doctor Strange doesn't dive into full-fledged horror territory in the same way that Morbius seems to flirt with, but the upcoming sequel appears to be taking a different approach. Watching Doctor Strange before Morbius is a great starting point, especially since there's no telling what character may up in what MCU film from here on out.
Black Panther (2018)
Stream On Disney+
This particular MCU film put the spotlight on a nation state viewed through two different lenses; one good, and one evil. The battle for the fate of the country was waged between two champions vying for a seat of power, with two distinctly different intentions for its future.
The character of Killmonger represents a man enveloped by hatred, while his rival T'Challa represents the voice of reason who refuses to get caught in that vicious cycle. The character of Morbius will no doubt suffer his own internal conflict, born of both good and evil, with both sides locked in a struggle for supremacy.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
Stream On Disney+
The second film in the Avengers roster dealt with the idea of good intentions gone horribly awry. It all starts when Tony Stark and Bruce Banner inadvertently give birth to a malevolent and highly intelligent AI system that was designed to protect the world from universal threats. In so doing, they built Ultron, one of the MCU's best villains.
Their creation takes on a life of its own and attempts to save the human race by obliterating it completely. Morbius follows the idea of a well-intentioned man trying to save lives, who ends up gaining powers that allow him to kill with extreme ease. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and both films appear to be tackling the same idea.
Ghost Rider (2007)
Stream On TNT, TBS, & TruTV
A year before the MCU got its official kickoff with Iron Man, another Marvel film was making waves. Ghost Rider starred Nicholas Cage in the titular role as a daredevil stuntman who gains hellish powers, which he ends up using to battle a cabal of villains.
Morbius is one of the more sinister Marvel films to come out in recent years, evoking gothic horror imagery with a contemporary spin, much like Ghost Rider did. In contrast to other anti-heroes like Venom or the Hulk, Ghost Rider wielded the power of evil, which makes that film a good starting point to grasp the character of Morbius.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Rent On Apple TV
Certain Marvel films explore characters forced to deal with the monsters inside of them, and The Incredible Hulk is one of the closest. It's only natural that first-timers should give it a shot, just to see how heroes are forced to contend with the darker aspects of their characters.
It's also a nice foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at a time when the storylines were much tighter, focused, and didn't have to contend with universe-ending epics. It's a character piece, just like Morbius, and The Hulk is also loaded with a lot of excellent quotes.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Stream On Starz
There are a few connections between Morbius and the first MCU Spider-Man film, not the least of which is the latter's bridge into that universe. With Venom now officially a part of that same cinematic universe (to what degree remains to be seen), it only makes sense that first-time viewers should give it a watch.
There's also Michael Keaton's presence in both films. The actor portrayed the villainous Adrian Toomes (The Vulture) in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and appears to be reprising that same role in Morbius. Therefore, it's good for fans to know who's who, before stepping foot in Morbius' world.
Blade (1998)
Stream On HBO Max
Long before the concept of a Marvel Cinematic Universe was born, heroes like Blade were making a splash on the silver screen. This classic first film in the Blade trilogy saw Wesley Snipes dispatching hordes of demonic vampires with a wide variety of inventive and brutal weapons, to the beat of underground techno hits from the time period.
It still holds up today, thanks to rapid-fire martial arts battles, intense shootouts, and plenty of scary vampire imagery. It's highly probable that Morbius will end up squaring off against a future MCU rendition of Blade in short order, which is why it's important for fledgling Marvel fans to go back and watch this horror-action hit.
Venom (2018)
Stream On Starz
Of all the Marvel movies in circulation, Venom might be the one that could be considered closest to Morbius in terms of atmosphere and approach. Both films appear to share the same kinetic visual style, with a darker tone. Venom is also loaded with tons of behind-the-scenes facts that many longtime fans might find interesting.
Both are also based on very violent Marvel characters, yet their respective films bear PG-13 ratings. Venom tried to push the envelope as much as possible within the confines of such a rating, and it appears like Morbius will do the same. This goes double for Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which confirmed that both Marvel universes are set to collide.