It’s being reported that J.K. Simmons will be reprising his MCU role as J. Jonah Jameson in Morbius. Apparently, it’ll be another cameo that’s set to have huge implications for both the MCU and the SUMC (Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters) and could lead to more appearances down the road.
In the wake of the recent Disney v Sony Spider-Man drama, we’d heard repeated indications that Sony’s new superhero universe (thus far limited to Venom) will be more intertwined with the MCU than previously planned. Simmons’ Jameson appearing in both would certainly seem to indicate that this is the case and would also bolster rumors that part of the agreement between the two studios was to allow Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to cameo in Venom 2 and go on to appear in a full role in Venom 3. It could also be a strong hint that Marvel are prepared to let the SUMC exist alongside the MCU, although there may not ever be a grand Avengers-style crossover.
SCOOP: JK Simmons reprises his role as J. Jonah Jameson in a small supporting role/cameo in #Morbius starring Jared Leto.
…thus connecting Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man to Sony’s “Spider-Verse” (Morbius, Venom, Carnage, etc)… ? pic.twitter.com/5wYnMfOMs5
— DR Movie News ? (@DRMovieNews1) October 24, 2019
If they can pull it off, then both companies should benefit. Disney would get to expand the MCU to encompass practically every existing Marvel character, while Sony would benefit from the MCU brand as they did in both Spider-Man movies. If it needed to be retconned, much of Venom could take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, too, though characters disbelieving in aliens after the Battle of New York doesn’t fit particularly neatly. But I guess Venom could theoretically take place sometime around the original Iron Man if they’re willing to fudge the timeline a bit.
This could also indicate that Marvel Studios are content to have separate MCU ‘strands’ happening. If the SUMC can be its own mini-universe within the MCU, perhaps this could be a route to having an R-rated Deadpool 3 taking place somewhere in the margins of the franchise. I guess we’re going to have to wait and see, but right now this is very promising news for fans of both the MCU and SUMC.
As for this Morbius cameo for Simmons, it’s yet to be confirmed by either studio, but WGTC’s own sources have said they’ve also heard it’s happening and as soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to let you know.
