Let's talk about those bonkers Morbius credit scenes — and what they mean for Marvel's multiverse
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Warning: This post contains spoilers about Morbius.
After a long wait, March 2022 has finally brought us one of this year's most-anticipated films about a wealthy genius who loves dark places and has a strange affinity for bats. What? No, not Robert Pattinson's The Batman — we're talking 'bout Morbius, baby!
Sony and Marvel's flick about everyone's favorite Living Vampire has finally hit theaters, starring Jared Leto as a brilliant doctor diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. While searching for a cure, he inadvertently turns himself into a vampiric creature blessed with super-strength and echolocation — as well as an unquenchable thirst for blood. (Hey, it happens.)
As is the case with any superhero movie released in the last decade, Morbius can't just end when the credits roll; it has to feature at least one end-credits scene, teasing what might come next. Here, EW breaks down the end credits of Morbius — and how they might connect to the rest of the Marvel multiverse.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Jared Leto in 'Morbius'
Okay, so what is this end-credits scene?
There are actually two! The first one comes early in the credits, and we see a giant glowing crack materialize in the sky, similar to the one from the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. In that movie, cracks appear in the multiverse, allowing villains and heroes from other universes to bleed through, but in the end, Doctor Strange casts a spell to send everyone back where they belong.
Apparently, Doctor Strange's spell may have had some unintended side effects: We see Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes — last seen in prison in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming — suddenly appear in an empty jail cell. He seems remarkably chill about waking up in a new universe, and since he hasn't actually committed any crimes here, he's immediately released.
The second end-credits scene follows Morbius himself as he drives to an abandoned field in the middle of the night. There, he meets Keaton's Vulture, who's somehow tracked down his familiar wings. Vulture explains that he's "not sure how I got here" but it "has something to do with Spider-Man, I think."
He suggests that he and Morbius get some guys together to "team up" and "do some good," to which Morbius replies, "Intriguing."
Sony Pictures Michael Keaton in 'Morbius.'
Wait, I thought Michael Keaton was in this movie. He doesn't show up until the credits?
That is correct! Despite the fact that Keaton appeared in the first teaser trailer for Morbius — released all the way back in January 2020 — he is not actually in the main movie. The Keaton scene from the trailer, where he's standing next to flashing police lights and says, "What's up, doc?" isn't anywhere in the final cut.
How did he get his Vulture wings in this new universe?
Good question! We learn in Homecoming that Toomes built his suit out of alien wreckage from the Battle of New York in 2012's Avengers. That battle never happened in this universe, so… no idea where he got it! The suit itself looks slightly different in Morbius; it's unclear whether this is an entirely new get-up or whether Toomes has just made some modifications.
Why does Adrian Toomes think Spider-Man is responsible? Doesn't he just think that Spider-Man is that annoying kid who dated his daughter and put him in jail?
I don't know. Maybe he's just taking a cue from J. Jonah Jameson and automatically blaming his problems on Spider-Man.
So if Michael Keaton is in the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, what's he doing here, hanging out with Jared Leto?
Another good question! The short answer is that Marvel comic book rights are ridiculously complicated. Years ago, Sony acquired the rights to make movies about Spider-Man and the characters from his comics. Sony later struck a deal with Disney — which owns the rights to other Marvel characters like Iron Man and Captain America — and the two studios agreed to share custody of Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker. Sony would produce solo Spider-Man films with Holland, while he could also pop up in Disney-produced films like Captain America: Civil War or Avengers: Infinity War. There was a brief brouhaha in 2019 where it looked like the deal was coming to an end, but Sony and Disney eventually agreed to continue collaborating. Holland's films are all set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe — that's where Keaton's Adrian Toomes comes from.
Meanwhile, Sony has also been building its own separate universe, based on other Marvel characters. This is where Morbius takes place, along with Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Somehow, through interdimensional shenanigans, Keaton's Vulture has crossed over from one universe to the next.
Does Morbius connect to any other Marvel movies?
Yes! At one point during Morbius, a cop mentions an incident in San Francisco — presumably referring to the events of Venom. Tom Hardy stars in Venom and its sequel as loser journalist Eddie Brock, who has a wise-cracking alien symbiote living inside his head.
Morbius also has many mentions of the iconic Marvel newspaper The Daily Bugle, famously headed by the aforementioned J. Jonah Jameson. Throughout the film, we see flashes of Daily Bugle headlines that mention a "Chameleon" and a "Rhino" — two infamous villains from the Spider-Man comics.
Interestingly, in the Morbius teaser trailer, there's also a shot of Leto walking past some graffiti of Spider-Man, with the word "MURDERER" scrawled across it. That shot — or any other mention of Spider-Man — doesn't appear in the final film.
Sony Jared Leto in 'Morbius'
So we've got Morbius, Venom, and Vulture… Are they setting up some sort of Sinister Six situation?
Potentially! Sony is also developing a movie about Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the notorious big-game hunter. It sure sounds like they're amassing villains to fill out the Six. In the comics, the infamous supervillain group has had different lineups over the years, but Morbius, Venom, Vulture, and Kraven have all been involved at one time or another.
Uh, didn't they just do a villain team-up movie with Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Yes, they did.
What's up with Michael Keaton and multiverses?
Another good question! The actor is also appearing in The Flash, which deals with similar territory and will feature different versions of Batman; Keaton is reprising his role as the World's Greatest Detective from the Tim Burton movies.
Multiverses: They're very hot right now! Maybe next we'll get a Beetlejuice multiverse, where Keaton gets to hang out with Alex Brightman from the Broadway show.
So Adrian Toomes learned that Spider-Man was actually Peter Parker in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Since Doctor Strange cast a spell to make everyone forget Peter Parker in No Way Home, does Adrian still know Spider-Man's secret identity? Or was he safe from that spell because he is now in this other universe?
I don't know, dude. This whole thing is very silly.
Huh. Interesting. Well, is Matt Smith any good in this movie?
He's so good! He dances and wears cool suits and is having a great time. He's the best part of Morbius.
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