Matt Smith Interview: Morbius | Screen Rant
After last year's Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Sony's Marvel universe continues to expand with Morbius. The film stars Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, who transforms into a vampire as he attempts to find a cure for his illness. Among the supporting cast is former Doctor Who lead Matt Smith, who plays Milo.
Screen Rant spoke with Smith about why this was the right comic book movie role for him, the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff prequel House of the Dragon, and much more.
Screen Rant: You don't have to say what roles, but how many comic books roles do you think you've turned down over the years? And why was this one the right one to take?
Matt Smith: Well, I don't know how many. Not that many, to be honest. People, they're not that keen to employ me.
I've always been obsessed with vampire films, frankly, and the mythical power of them. The idea that this was a superhero monster movie, I was really interested in. Great director, really fabulous cast attached to it, and I was interested in the idea of being able to fly and kill people. All that sort of stuff.
Do you have to go to any kind of vampire school?
Matt Smith: [I watched] great vampire movies, like The Lost Boys, Interview with a Vampire and stuff like that. But I'd love a vampire school. That'd be fun, wouldn't it? Learn how to be a vampire; live at night. Fabulous.
This is such a unique take on this character. How do you even dive into the research? How do you go on into creating your own thing?
Matt Smith: The truth is, I wasn't aware of the great big history of the character in many respects. Because the script I was presented with doesn't really delve into the past of him - or indeed the future. And isn't someone else playing him? It's all a bit confusing to me, to be honest with you.
I took as my Bible just the actual script, is the honest truth of it. And it was all a bit odd whether it was Loxias [Crown] or not. I'm still not quite sure, to be honest.
I was actually wondering what insight you had on that, because I wasn't quite sure either.
Matt Smith: Yeah, well, none right now.
The Sony Marvel Universe is not the only franchise you're joining. You're also doing House of the Dragon. I thought I was done with Game of Thrones, and then Matt Smith pulls me right back in. What is it like being in that universe?
Matt Smith: Well, there's a lot of blonde wigs.
Do blondes have more fun?
Matt Smith: Apparently not, actually. They just go to war a lot and fight and ride around on dragons. I don't know. But who knows? Who knows? I've not seen anything yet.
It's obviously a big challenge for all of us that have taken it on. There's such a huge fandom that surrounds it, and rightly. It left a footprint in many ways, and it will be hard to repeat that.
Let's hope it evolves into something different.
Have you seen Morbius in the animated Spider-Man, where he has the suckers in his hands?
Matt Smith: Which animated Spider-Man are we talking about?
It was an animated series in the 90s. I guess they didn't want him to suck people's blood, so they put suckers in his hands.
Matt Smith: That's quite cool.
It's 20 times more terrifying.
Matt Smith: But it's like anything. It's a simple way... It's actually a brilliant way to be a villain, isn't it?