The second trailer for Tom Hardy's Venom in 2018. Next comes the gothic notes of Morbius, starring an Oscar-winning Jared Leto as Michael Morbius - a genius scientist enduring a rare blood condition, who makes the classic mistake of accidentally turning into a supervillain while searching for a cure. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Morbius s the Sony Spider-Man Universe and, by way of multiverse shenanigans, the MCU also.
Fans would be forgiven for forgetting one Morbius trailer released already. Initial footage optimistically arrived in January 2020 ahead of a planned premiere in July, then the world went wrong and Morbius ed the many movies delayed due to COVID-19. Now rescheduled for January 28, 2022, Morbius is welcomed by a very different superhero landscape, with Marvel and Sony working more fluidly after striking the agreement that kept Tom Holland in the MCU. Venom: Let There Be Carnage exploited that freedom by taking Sony's Spider-Man Universe into exciting and innovative territory, and that ensures anticipation for Morbius is now considerably greater than 2 years ago.
The second Morbius trailer offers a deeper look at a movie that's very obviously had extra time to gestate. Boasting more vampire moments, more Spider-Man teases, and much more Michael Morbius madness, these are all the key takeaways from Sony's new Morbius trailer.
Jared Leto's Morbius Travels To A Mystery Mountain For His New Origin
Morbius' second trailer begins with Jared Leto's Dr. Michael Morbius traveling by helicopter across misty and mountainous terrain, a cargo crate dangling below the aircraft. This perilous journey shows how Morbius will revamp the Marvel character's origin story, throwing in an exotic mystical cave only accessible by air, though it's not clear whether the movie's mountain corresponds to a known Marvel location. In the comic books, Morbius' traditional origin happens when he fuses bat DNA with electroshock therapy.
Morbius' Doctor Line Shows The Movie's Dark Humor
As Morbius exits the helicopter atop a high mountain outcrop, the trailer reveals how gravely his health has deteriorated, and why he's taking such extreme measures to fix this affliction. Jared Leto's character walks unsteadily using a cane, but is refusing to be helped by the men accompanying him, highlighting a stubborn determination to be cured. In a rare display of Morbius' dark humor, Michael responds with, "I am a doctor" when asked if he requires a doctor's help. This line proves Morbius isn't a sullen-faced film with grim, gothic tones from start to finish.
Morbius Flashbacks Show A Tough Childhood (& Emil Nikos' Hand?)
Sony's first Morbius trailer revealed flashbacks of Michael as a child, seemingly attending a Greek school, as per his comic backstory. New footage adds more to Morbius' flashback sequences, showing the youngster walking with twin canes, just as he does in the present day. As well as tugging on the heartstrings with a tragic origin tale, Morbius juxtaposes the wooden canes of the past with black, modern sticks in the present to emphasize how, despite advancements in medical science, Michael Morbius' condition remains unimproved.
Facing the inevitable cruelty of his fellow schoolchildren, Morbius is comforted by a doctor's hand in this shot. Though the figure remains unidentified, the hand likely belongs to Jared Harris' character (seen in full later on), who is expected to play Emil Nikos. In the Marvel comic, Nikos was Morbius' best friend, but on the big screen, they share a mentor-student bond.
Michael Morbius With Adria Arjona's Martine Bancroft
Introducing a first ing character, Morbius' new trailer unveils Martine Bancroft, played by Adria Arjona. Bancroft is both a fellow doctor and Morbius' lover, and she's seen here inspecting his awkwardly pronounced spine. When Jared Leto raises his head, he's also rigged to some kind of telemetry gear monitoring bodily function. Bancroft taking care of Morbius is surely a prelude to Michael deciding drastic measures are necessary, and setting off to the mountain glimpsed previously.
Morbius Has Been Searching For A Cure & Receiving Awards
Morbius' adult life hasn't been spent seeking a cure solely for himself, but also helping others. He gently tends to young Anna in this scene, and notice the chess board sitting over her hospital bed. A shared love of the game could indicate Morbius sees his younger self in Anna which, once again, inspires him to take extreme measures in the name of finding a cure. Further demonstrating Dr. Morbius' charitable nature, the trailer recycles previously-released shots of Michael receiving a Nobel prize for his efforts fighting disease. Morbius looks unsteady and frail during the glamorous ceremony - a possible hint toward him coming over sick while others honor his work.
Bancroft Is In Love With Michael's Kindness
As Michael nurses Anna, Martine Bancroft looks on from behind, love and iration written all over her face. Though Jared Leto's good looks probably don't hurt, this shot reveals Bancroft is most attracted to Michael's kind nature. That perspective will undoubtedly be challenged once he becomes a blood-drinking living vampire.
Morbius "Pushing Boundaries" By Slashing His Hand
Back to the mountain, and it's here Morbius' trailer begins digging into the origin story proper. There's a rectangular, stringed apparatus (most likely what was carried in the helicopter's cargo crate), and Morbius slashes his hand to produce a stream of blood. Speaking over the footage, Morbius' Nobel prize speech refers to "pushing boundaries" and "taking risks," proving how this dangerous mountain excursion is the result of Michael exhausting all conventional avenues of scientific endeavor, and turning toward something a little more... macabre.
In a further sign of Morbius' desperation, he warns the nearby hired assistants, "If you're going to run... do it now." Not quite caring whether the crew are caught in the crossfire demonstrates the shift from Morbius the kindly doctor to Morbius the living vampire is already underway.
A Flock Of Vampire Bats Triggers Morbius' New Transformation
Showing the moment Morbius undergoes his fateful transformation, a flock of vampire bats rush forth from the mystery cave and swarm the ailing doctor, feasting upon his flesh while everyone else runs away in horror. Whereas Marvel's comic origin saw Morbius combine bat DNA and electroshock therapy to achieve his vampiric transformation, it seems Sony's live-action movie requires Jared Leto to be almost eaten alive by a specific type of bat. The blood is clearly intended to lure the creatures out, and perhaps the stringed machine creates a sonic resonance necessary for tempting the bats from the darkness. Alternatively, the wires could provide the electrical stimulus Morbius used to transform in the comic books. Whatever the science might be, this surprisingly dark origin already looks visually impressive.
Morbius Goes Missing For 2 Months
Sony's second Morbius trailer fills some gaps in the movie's timeline. Helpfully narrated by Tyrese Gibson's FBI agent character, Simon Stroud, Morbius goes missing for 2 months following his inexplicable cave experience. He winds up on a container ship headed for New York, meaning the reborn Morbius was probably attempting to get home. This line gives some sense of Morbius' time scale, with the Nobel prize and intensifying illness coming first, then the cave transformation, then a 2-month jump before Jared Leto returns home.
An Unseen Morbius Is Attacked At Sea
Obscured by steam and machinery, Morbius is pursued by armed assailants storming the aforementioned boat. Some might question why gunmen are boarding a regular shipping container, but the answer could lie in Simon's dialogue. According to the agent, the ship "washed up off Long Island," meaning Morbius' boat didn't dock safely. Either the newly-transformed doctor killed everyone on board, or pirates hijacked the ship only to discover a violent vampire who looks suspiciously like the singer from 30 Seconds To Mars.
Also interesting is how Morbius remains hidden - a classic horror trope where not showing the monster makes the beast more frightening. Finally, notice how when blood falls onto the gunman's hand, it forms two near-perfect circles several inches apart... as if dripping from the tips of two sharp fangs.
