With numerous delays, reshuffling of release dates, and much of the internet branding Morbius as the worst Marvel film ever made before its actual release, the film had nothing but an uphill battle. After years of waiting, Morbius finally flew into theaters on April 1, 2022 with largely negative reviews from critics. Currently sitting at a 16% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, it is certainly not the kind of reception any director hopes for. Daniel Espinosa recently sat down with Insider to try to make sense of the backlash and to discuss what the future holds for the Sony Cinematic Universe.

Originally slated to premiere on July 10, 2020, Morbius was set to be a summer blockbuster that could ride the coattail of the surprise hit Venom and tease the multiverse in the lead up to Spider-Man: No Way Home and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Then, the pandemic struck, sending the entire film industry into hibernation. While many films were instead designated to premiere on a streaming service owned by the parent company, Sony has no such streaming service and did not make any deals to have their Marvel films released on another company's platform. This left their films in a state of limbo. In an attempt to bring the audience to theaters during the pandemic with another hit, Venom's sequel was released in October 2021, and Morbius was delayed further.

This was a subject of frustration for director Daniel Espinosa who felt "prolonged processes are very problematic both on an emotional level and in practicality of what you do." The frustration is understandable seeing as his film was set to tease a connection between Sony's film universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Release orders are often shifted by DC and Marvel, but this film was an overarching narrative misstep on Sony's part with many feeling confused by the inclusion of Vulture rather than excited. Perhaps audiences and critics alike would have been more open to the scene when they did not have the further context to base it on. This issue was addressed by Espinosa:

"[Vulture] never existed in the plot of the movie. He never had a part. ... It was really related to showing off the Spider-Verse."

In a separate interview with Cinema Blend, Espinosa chalked up this confusion, as well as that Spider-Man poster from the trailer, to whoever edited the trailer:

"... I didn't put it there, because it's not in the movie, and I didn't put it in the trailer either. ... I would love to be honest and responsible, but I can't, because it's not mine."

However, he did not say that Spider-Man does not exist in this universe. Later in his interview with Insider, Espinosa hinted that he is well aware of who our future Spidey is:

“[The hero] will be revealed soon. Not like years from now. Soon."

This new Spider-Man was not his main focus while making the film. Espinosa wanted to focus on the titular character of Morbius and not on universe building, which is something that has been drilled into the modern-day superhero movie formula:

"After 'Venom' came out, there was a confidence that you can make a Marvel movie that is kind of purified from details of other Marvel movies."

Espinosa is no stranger to criticism of his films. He detailed a drunken encounter on a train that occurred after the release of his first film. A man tapped him on the shoulder and began to explain what he felt was wrong with a scene in the movie. When someone puts a piece of their art in such a public forum, criticism is to be expected. As with most artists, Espinosa sees himself as his harshest critic. While the movie may not have been everything he wanted or had the public reaction that he expected, he is still able to find himself reflecting upon his work and learning for the future:

"Look, I have a lot of self-hatred so I have a lot of criticism of my own work. I'm always trying to focus on being better. But I am also proud of what I do. There are parts in all of my movies that I'm really proud of."

The critical reception of Morbius has certainly been harsh, but it seems to have found somewhat of a home among comic book film audiences with it currently sitting at a 70% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This has been a similar trend with the Venom film franchise. There are already plans to expand Sony's Spider-Man Universe with more films, such as the upcoming Spider-Verse sequel and the Kraven the Hunter solo film. As of the time of writing this article, there are no current plans for a Morbius sequel.

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Source(s): Insider, Cinema Blend, Rotten Tomatoes

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