Morbius Gets Pushed Again As The Venomverse Vampire Moves To April

Sony Pictures has to be flying high right now. With all the success from "Spider-Man: No Way Home," they're probably ecstatic to get more movies from the Sony Spider-Man Universe out into theaters. And they have the next one already lined up thanks to "Morbius" starring Jared Leto.

However, due to rising cases of COVID-19 thanks to the Omicron variant, the studio has decided to move the release date for the Living Vampire's live-action feature debut. And though it may sound like a joke, there's certainly no fooling around here.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Morbius" will move from January 28 to April 1. Daniel Espinosa's upcoming Marvel tale has been pushed back a number of times already. Most recently, it was scheduled to drop in October 2021 before settling in to that early 2022 slot. But because of this Omicron surge, the studio is likely moving the film in the hopes that more people will see it in theaters.

At this point, Sony and Marvel should just release the movie digitally. Forgo the theatrical window, pivot to an exclusive paid VOD release for a 30 to 45 days, then send it to Netflix as promised. Sure, Marvel movies tend to make a lot of money at the box office. Even the ones that aren't as well received or highly anticipated like "Eternals" rake in the big bucks. But only so many people will risk going to a theater for Spider-Man adjacent film. And if there's no moviegoers left to go to the movies to see the next Sony film because of Covid, then that's definitely not going to do the studio any good. If keeping people safe and healthy isn't their top priority, studios have to understand that fact, right?

Anyway, in addition to Leto, "Morbius" stars Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Tyrese Gibson, and Jared Harris. It will also feature a cameo from the legendary Michael Keaton as he reprises his "Spider-Man: Homecoming" role of Adrian Toomes AKA The Vulture, which further teases a connection between Leto's titular antihero, Tom Hardy's Venom, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can see the trailer here, followed by the film's official synopsis.

One of Marvel's most compelling and conflicted characters comes to the big screen as Oscar winner 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, a darkness inside him is unleashed and transforms this healer into a hunter.