Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is not as expansive as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even the DC Extended Universe. And, unlike both aforementioned film universes, Sony hasn’t produced a critical darling or even something remotely close to it. 2018’s Venom holds an approval rating of 30% based on 359 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and its 2021 sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, didn’t fare any better at all. However, both have been huge commercial hits, with the Venom sequel pulling in half a million despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns at the time. So, thinking that the Jared Leto-led film, Morbius, will enjoy a hint of critical success is a good example of wishful thinking.
— Brandon Matthews (@RCDiscussion) March 20, 2022 To no one’s surprise, Morbius is getting “bad” reviews from critics who have attended early screenings of the film. Specifically, one source claims that Morbius is a “boring” and “uncalculated” film with a “good moment here and there.” As we’ve already mentioned, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has never really made fans of critics, so these opinions from early screenings of Morbius aren’t exactly unexpected. What’s important here is how audiences perceive Morbius. Hopefully, despite what all the critics are saying, Morbius does well enough among audiences to help set the stage for upcoming films in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter. For what it’s worth, Morbius looks like a perfect slice of escapism that should offer an alternative to the two-hour comic book slogs that we’ve been getting lately. In the meantime, those who are looking forward to seeing Morbius in theaters can check out the latest vignette. A scene from the latest Morbius trailer teases a possible cameo from Tom Hardy’s Venom after a police officer mentions that the current situation is similar to “that thing in San Francisco.” If Venom and Vulture are two out of Morbius’ three presumed cameos, a third one could include an appearance of a Spider-Man. The only question now then, is which Spider-Man will swing by for a second or two in Morbius. Speaking of comic book adaptations, Morbius won’t have a lot to compete against once it premieres on April 1. By that time, the hype surrounding The Batman will have all but died down after already making $500 million at the global box office. Meanwhile, the MCU’s next film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, won’t be around until May 6, with Moon Knight premiering exclusively on Disney+ on March 30. With a rather modest $75 million budget and little in the way of marketing, Sony will probably consider Morbius a success even if it “only” pulls off $150 million once its theatrical ends.
