Jared Leto, who plays the part of The Joker in the DC Universe, has been cast as Morbius the Living Vampire in the Marvel Universe.
Sony, who owns the rights to Spider-Man and his rogue gallery, has started to make movies centering on the supporting characters in the Spider-Man franchise. Their main character is currently on loan to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and from the events of Infinity War, they didn’t take good care of him). Venom, starring Tom Hardy, is the first of these spin-off movies, but apparently won’t be the last. Morbius the Living Vampire is currently in development.
For those not familiar with this character, Morbius is a biochemist who gave himself vampire-like abilities and a thirst for blood after experimenting on himself. (Don’t do drugs, kids.) Initially a villain, his tragic story and characterization eventually switched him into the anti-hero category. This is an interesting choice for Sony, as Morbius isn’t nearly as well known as some of Spider-Man’s other supporting characters. Slated to be directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Child 44, Life) and written by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Lost in Space), it will be interesting to see how this film progresses. Are they hoping to reignite the vampire fan spark that seems to be dying as True Blood and Twilight fade from memory? Will the superhero connection aid in this? Time will tell.
While reactions to this casting are sure to vary, it is pretty sure to be a disappointment to David Dastmalchian. This actor, who has a supporting role in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp, stated during an interview that Morbius is his favorite character and would love to play him someday. Alas, for this movie, it’s not to be… unless something changes drastically. You can check out David’s interview here.
What do you think? With Leto do justice to the role? Are you happy with the new direction Sony is taking? Let us know in the comments below.
