Was Morbius Hiding in Plain Sight in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’?
The Morbius trailer has comic book movie fans excited for the July 2020 release of the film. With Jared Leto taking on the lead role, the movie looks like it will weave a genuinely immersive story with action-packed scenes. The story of Michael Morbius actually offers the perfect framework for an intense moviegoing experience, but there is some confusion about the film and where the character fits into the grand scheme of things. With the relationship between Disney and Sony still a bit complicated, it’s hard to decipher which characters will fit into the MCU and which will remain in Sony’s pocket. While it seemed like Morbius would be staying with Sony, some fans think he might actually find his way into the MCU. In fact, some believe he already did.
Where does Morbius fit into the MCU timeline?
While Morbius is not officially connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the inclusion of Adrian Toomes in Morbius does create a bridge between the two cinematic universes. As everyone knows, Toomes plays a pretty significant role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the flick, Toomes is the father of Peter Parker’s date, Liz. He also is the villain who actually knows Spider-Man’s true identity.
At the end of the film, Toomes is safely locked away in prison. During the credits, Toomes is seen talking to an inmate about Spider-Man. While he denies knowing Spider-Man’s true identity, everyone knows he actually knows who he is. When Morbius picks up, Toomes meets up with Morbius. The two have long been acquainted with one another, but Toomes’ clothing proves that Morbius takes place after Spider-Man: Homecoming. The prison garb he is wearing in Morbius is the same prison jumpsuit he is wearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
While it is assumed that the bridge between the two films was created solely to allow Spider-Man to exist in both cinematic universes, some fans insist that there might be more to the story. In fact, Screenrant notes that there is a working theory that Morbius can be seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Is Morbius in Spider-Man: Homecoming?
Neither Marvel nor Sony have suggested that Morbius, as a character, lives in both universes, but there is potential for the addition of Morbius into the MCU. In fact, some fans think it has already happened. During the prison scene in which Toomes is talking to another inmate, there is an additional inmate who can be seen in the background. The image is a little bit blurry, but upon closer inspection, the background character does bear a resemblance to Morbius, at least as Leto plays him in the upcoming Sony movie.
Comicbook suggests that the character might actually be Morbius, but there are a few characteristics that make it unlikely. In the scene, the figure is pretty blurry. He is never named, and, frankly, no one really pays much attention to him. That makes perfect sense, the scene is all about Toomes and Scorpion’s conversation. The character, however, appears to be wearing an eye patch, which Morbius never dons, at least not during any scene in the Morbius trailer. It’s possible the background figure isn’t anyone of note, but Marvel could always work Morbius into its timeline at a later date, as long as they reach an appropriate deal with Sony.
