Morbius featurette: Jared Leto answers the question, “Who is Morbius?”

Sony is able to make movies based on any Marvel characters that originally appeared in the pages of Spider-Man comics, which is how we get the Venom films and the upcoming release Morbius, which is set to reach theatres on January 28, 2022. Morbius made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 back in 1971 – but Sony is apparently aware that he’s not a well known character among the general audience, as they have just released a featurette in which star Jared Leto answers the question, “Who is Morbius?” You can find out the answer to that question in the video embedded above, which also promises we’ll be seeing a new trailer for Morbius tomorrow.

The film has the following synopsis:

One of Marvel’s most compelling and conflicted characters comes to the big screen as Oscar winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?

The Morbius character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane. Leto is joined in the cast by Jared Harris as Morbius’ mentor, Tyrese Gibson as “an FBI agent trying to hunt down the living vampire”, Adria Arjona as Morbius’ fiancee Martine Bancroft, and Matt Smith as the villainous Loxias Crown.

Despite not being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself, Morbius will be connected to the recent Spider-Man movies through nods to the events of Spider-Man: Far from Home and an appearance by Michael Keaton as his Spider-Man: Homecoming character Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. The Vulture.

Morbius was directed by Daniel Espinosa from a screenplay written by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama, and produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Lucas Foster. 

The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, some frightening images, and brief strong language. We were originally supposed to see this movie in July of 2020, but it was delayed a year and a half due to the pandemic.