'Morbius' Director May Have Spoiled A Major Marvel Cameo

Morbius, a movie that's coming out sooner or later, I think, is bringing Spider-Man adjacent characters to the big screen once again. Jared Leto is playing the main character, a scientist-turned-vampire. And Michael Keaton's Vulture, first introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming, will be popping up as well, as the trailers revealed. But it looks like even more Marvel characters might be appearing, too. In a recent interview, Morbius director Daniel Espinosa seems to have given away a pretty big name that will be showing up in the film. Potential spoilers follow!

Sony may have lent Spider-Man to Marvel Studios, but they really want to build their own cinematic universe. They even have a name for it – the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, or SPUMC for short. Venom, which I guess we can consider the first official movie in the SPUMC (man, I love typing out that acronym!) was a huge hit, and the sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage is on the way. And next year, the hot SPUMC action will continue with Morbius, a movie that was once supposed to hit theaters back in 2020.

We already know that Morbius will have a cameo from Michael Keaton playing Adrian Toomes/Vulture, a character we first met in Spider-Man: Homecoming. But it's starting to look like that's not the only cameo we can expect. Speaking with Swedish outlet Moviezine (via Collider), Morbius director Daniel Espinosa spoke a little about making the film, stating:

"It usually feels strange before the day begins, when you look at the schedule and stand on the set yourself. When you walk around there, the recording looks just like a Swedish production...when you look at the schedule and read names like Michael Keaton, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, then it feels cool and very exciting."

As you no doubt noticed, Espinosa added Tom Hardy's name alongside confirmed Morbius actors Jared Leto and Michael Keaton, which sure seems like the filmmaker just gave away a Tom Hardy cameo. Honestly, it's not that surprising. Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom is the biggest player in the SPUMC at the moment, so having him pop-up in Morbius – even briefly – will contribute to Sony's ongoing plans for building their own cinematic universe.

In Morbius, "One of Marvel's most compelling and conflicted characters comes to the big screen as Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero, Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease."

Daniel Espinosa directs the pic, with a script from Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Jared Leto stars in the film alongside Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson (and Michael Keaton and, I guess, Tom Hardy, maybe?).

Morbius arrives in theaters on January 28, 2022.