The announcement of a new addition to Spider-Man’s long list of movie foes has viewers clamoring for more information about Morbius, also known as the Living Vampire.
The latest iteration of Spider-Man, portrayed by Tom Holland, has faced off against the Vulture, Shocker⏤albeit briefly⏤and Mysterio. Since the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, fans have been advocating for a range of beloved comic book villains to make their official big screen debut. Among the lesser-known of these was Morbius, a somewhat unconventional villain that first stood off against the wall crawler in the early 1970s. Ever since the first trailer for a standalone Morbius film a la Sony’s Venom was released back in early 2020, people have been flooding the web with questions about Sony’s vampiric newcomer.
One of the most pressing questions on viewers’ minds has been in regards to the supervillain’s power portfolio. A brief cut in the film’s second trailer, which was released on Nov. 2, hinted at one of these powers after Morbius was seen briefly leaping into flight ahead of a speeding subway train.
Can Morbius Fly?
Upon seeing the footage, a number of viewers had the same question: can Morbius really fly?
In the context of the trailer, Morbius is pictured cycling through a few hints of his new powers. The whites of his eyes encroach over the iris, his perception of movement appears to shift, and his ears change to appear far more bat-like, hinting at enhanced hearing and perhaps echolocation. Moments later, he throws himself in front of a speeding train before launching into flight.
The clip seemingly indicates that the subway could be partially responsible for Morbius’ ability to fly. It confused some viewers, who couldn’t tell if Morbius would be capable of flying without an assist.
Morbius is entirely capable of unassisted flight, but only when he’s recently consumed blood. His transformation via a combination of vampire bat DNA and electroshock therapy hollowed out his bones, making the character far lighter and capable of flight. Without recently drinking blood, however, his ability to fly is largely nullified. His pseudo-vampiric condition requires Morbius to regularly ingest blood in order to survive, an act that also enhances several of his symptoms⏤like aversion to sunlight⏤but also enhances his powers, like flight. Following a good meal, Morbius is capable of sustained flight along with accelerated healing, super speed, and super strength.
