Morbius’ Jared Leto Hints at Sinister Six Spider-Man Connection
Morbius star Jared Leto hints at his character's future and a possible connection to the Sinister Six. Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane for The Amazing Spider-Man #101 in October 1971, Michael Morbius is a man inflected with a rare blood disease. In an attempt to cure himself, he gains vampiric powers, which he has used for both good and evil in the pages of Marvel Comics. The film adaptation of the character is part of Sony's Spider-Man universe following Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage and will be followed by Kraven the Hunter.
Morbius was originally set to open in theaters in July 2020 before Spider-Man: No Way Home but was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sony had it set for release in March 2021 and October 2021 before finally pushing it back to January 2022, which is two years after the film's initial trailer hit the internet. Morbius's trailer teased a connection to the MCU Spider-Man with the appearance of Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes, aka The Vulture, hinting that Morbius had a connection with the MCU. However, the most recent trailer featured connections to both Venom and The Amazing Spider-Man films, making Morbius' place in the wider picture even more confusing than before.
During Sony's presentation at CCXP in Brazil, via Liam Crowley on Twitter, the studio showcased footage of Morbius. Leto hinted that Morbius will have a connection to the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and the multiverse opening. He teased the villains teaming up and embracing their sinister intentions, a possible connection to the Sinister Six.
While not officially confirmed, The Sinister Six are widely believed to be the major villains of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Currently, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Electro, and Lizard are featured, bringing the villain count to five. This has led many to believe there will be one mystery villain to make up the Sinister Six. The after-credit moment of Venom: Let There Be Carnage hinted at Venom being in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but with the multiverse opening it is possible Morbius could be one of the forces coming through at the end. However, given that Morbius will now arrive in theaters after Spider-Man: No Way Home, despite filming before, it might be confusing to general audiences.
Leto could be hinting at Sony's long-term plans beyond just the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. In 2013, shortly before the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony Pictures put into development a Sinister Six movie with Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard at the helm. The film eventually fell through, but with how successful Sony Pictures has been with the Spider-Man property in recent years, Sinister Six could be the studio's endgame. Morbius could eventually crossover with Venom and Kraven the Hunter, forming a team of supervillains in their own feature film to battle against Spider-Man or an even larger threat. With Morbius hitting theaters a month after Spider-Man: No Way Home, Leto's comments may become more clear towards the beginning of 2022.
Source: CCXP (via Liam Crowley)