Ever since the first Morbius trailer came out — way, way back in Jan. 2020 — Marvel fans have been trying to pinpoint which universe the movie is set in. Easter eggs hidden in the marketing have featured references to Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Men, leading to various fan theories that it’s set in the MCU, the Amazing Spider-Man canon, or the Raimiverse.
So what’s with all this confusion? Going by comments made by director Daniel Espinosa, it seems like the reason for the conflicting evidence and muddled world-building is because even Sony haven’t made their minds up about where it takes place.
IGN asked Espinosa if Morbius is set in Garfield’s universe, as a Daily Bugle front page glimpsed in the promos mentions Rhino (from Amazing Spider-Man 2). The filmmaker wouldn’t be drawn if there’s any truth to this idea, however, joking — we hope — that the studio would have him shot if he said anything either way.
“There are people at Sony that will have me shot [for saying anything] because then I will force them to commit to something,” he explained. “I have my thoughts and opinions and they are in the movie, and that’s what I’m pushing for.”
Espinosa’s line that his confirming any fan theory would force Sony to “commit to something” is pretty illuminating, as it indicates that execs can’t make up their minds exactly where their Sonyverse fits into the grander scheme of the Marvel multiverse. Michael Keaton cameos as his MCU character Vulture in the flick, but we know it’s not set in the MCU as Dr. Morbius’ “I am Venom” joke places it in the same world as Tom Hardy’s symbiote.
For a long while, we assumed we’d get some answers when the movie finally released, but — without getting into spoilers — the film’s contents only confuses matters further, especially its bizarre post-credits scenes. You can try and work out the puzzle for yourself by catching Morbius in theaters from today, April 1.
Published: Apr 1, 2022 10:10 am