“Morbius” starring Jared Leto has been delayed by three months, according to the makers of the Spider-Man spinoff.
Sony Pictures said on Monday that the film’s release will be pushed back by three months.
Variety reports the film will debut on April 1, instead of January 28, as part of Sony’s Spider-Man franchise (and not to be confused with Disney’s Marvel Movie Universe).
The premiere of ‘Morbius’ has been postponed before. Covid-19 pushed the film’s release date to July 10, 2020.
During the throes of the pandemic, ‘Morbius’ is scheduled to open a variety of times: on July 31, 2020, on March 19, 2021, then October 8, 2021, and finally on January 21, 2022, before shifting again to the January 28 date.
‘Morbius’ will now compete against ‘Easter Sunday’, a comedy starring Jimmy O. Yang and Tiffany Haddish, and the thriller starring Chris Pine.
It makes sense that Sony would try to give ‘Morbius’ a longer runway at a time when public health conditions are just becoming more complicated. Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and Venom: Let There Be Carnage just scored massive box office successes for Sony, so it makes sense to give ‘Morbius’ a longer run.
There is also a standalone spinoff planned based on Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter, so there is a lot on the line.
In a deal signed before Marvel rose to prominence in moviemaking and Walt Disney acquired it, Spider-Man, his antagonists, and allies are licensed to Sony by Marvel.
Michael Morbius, played by Jared Leto in the film, is an antihero attempting a desperate gamble to treat a rare blood disorder, which further confronts the darkness within him.
Matthew Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson star in the thriller directed by Daniel Espinosa.
(With inputs from IANS)