Jared Leto has signed on to star as Morbius the Living Vampire in Sony’s next Spider-Man universe film.
Dr. Michael Morbius is a scientist who, in an attempt to cure himself from a rare blood disease, becomes a vampire-like creature with a taste for blood and super-strength. The character has historical significance in the history of Marvel, as he made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man No. 101, which was the first issue not written by Stan Lee. That issue was written by Roy Thomas and featured the art of Gil Kane.
Leto has already made his mark in the comic book cinematic universe, having previously portrayed the Joker in DC’s The Suicide Squad. We recently reported that Leto’s Joker will be getting his own stand-alone film. It has yet to be determined if Morbius will be a part of Sony’s new Spider-man franchise, or if Tom Holland will be featured in the film as Spidy. With Venom coming out soon, it’s feasible that Sony is ramping up for a Sinister Six-like film down the line.
The Morbius film will be directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Life) and will be written by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Netflix’s Lost in Space). There is no word on a release date yet.