Morbius trailer reveals its connections to Venom and Spider-Man

The latest trailer for Morbius has officially arrived. The upcoming Jared Leto-led comic book film was initially set to hit theaters in July 2020, but its release was repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the film is on track to finally hit theaters this coming January.

However, while Morbius’ release date is only a few months away, there’s still quite a bit of mystery surrounding the film. Specifically, it’s still unclear which existing superhero cinematic universe Morbius is set in — especially after its first trailer featured multiple references to Marvel’s Tom Holland-led Spider-Man films.

Fortunately, the second trailer for Morbius helps clear away at least some of the confusion that has long surrounded the film.

Of Vampires & Symbiotes — Clocking in at just over three minutes long, the latest Morbius trailer is primarily focused on setting up its titular, vampiric character, his powers, and the internal struggle he feels about being a hero or a villain. That said, the trailer is also chock full of Easter eggs and small details that Spider-Man and Venom fans will no doubt catch.

That includes a brief appearance from Michael Keaton, who may or may not be reprising his role as Adrian Toomes from Spider-Man: Homecoming in it, as well as a brief shot of the same newspaper version of The Daily Bugle that’s seen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. However, the teaser’s biggest reveal comes at the very end, when Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius jokingly tells a would-be attacker, “I am Venom.”

In other words, Morbius takes place in the same universe as both 2018’s Venom and this year’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which in turn opens the door for it to one day cross over with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man films.

Morbius Meets Venom — As anyone who has seen Venom: Let There Be Carnage will already know, the line separating Sony’s growing superhero universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been blurred in an exciting and fundamental way this year.

That’s because Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s post-credits scene sees Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock, as well as his symbiote companion, mysteriously ending up in the same universe as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, with no explanation given as to how it happens — or what it means for the future of Marvel and Sony’s respective Spider-Man films. Unfortunately, we may have to wait quite a bit to discover the ramifications of Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s post-credits scene as well.

That said, the fact that we know Morbius takes place in the same universe as Venom: Let There Be Carnage means that Jared Leto’s vampire anti-hero could, at some point, also end up in the same reality as Holland’s Peter Parker. With that in mind, it’s worth noting that the Morbius trailer’s Easter eggs aren’t restricted to its Venom references.

In addition to Michael Keaton’s brief appearance, the teaser also, once again, shows Leto’s Morbius walking past some Spider-Man graffiti, which shows a version of the well-known friendly neighborhood web-slinger with the word “murderer” spray-painted over him. Given how 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home ended, the graffiti continues to raise questions about what Morbius’ connections to the MCU may or may not ultimately be.

The Inverse Analysis — At this point, it’s looking increasingly likely that — should the film be a success for Sony — Jared Leto’s Morbius will one day cross over with Tom Hardy’s Venom and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.

At least, the Morbius trailer makes it explicitly clear just how aware Sony wants audiences to be of the film’s place within its growing, shared superhero cinematic universe. After all, Morbius is coming from — as the film’s trailer proudly boasts — the same studio behind both Spider-Man: Far From Home and Venom.

Morbius hits theaters on January 28, 2022.