Is Morbius part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Spider-Man's world is about to get bloodthirsty as Sony Pictures' Morbius arrives at cinemas months after the successful release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film focuses on one of the web-slinger's lesser-known villains, Dr Michael Morbius, a biochemist who attains a form of vampirism following attempts to cure himself of a rare blood disease.

Exploring the horror genre which Marvel fans will see in the upcoming Marvel Studios release, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where does Morbius fit within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? We explore the strange madness behind Morbius' MCU connections and the future of other Spider-Man villains.

Does Morbius exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The straightforward answer is that it's complicated, but technically, it isn't included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film's events run adjacent to the MCU timeline, which doesn't help clear the confusion regarding its connections to the entirety of the MCU.

Morbius is a Marvel Comics character; however, due to Sony Pictures currently owning the right to multiple Spider-Man properties, its existence in the MCU isn't canon yet. However, the film is a part of Sony's shared Spider-Man Universe, which already includes the Venom films, with more projects to follow.

We know that Morbius is connected to films in Sony's shared Spider-Man Universe, which currently only features Venom. The character is referenced twice during the film's trailer where an FBI agent remarks, saying, "We haven't had anything this good since that thing in San Francisco".

TOMORROW, #Venom returns for #Carnage. Don't miss #Venom: Let There Be Carnage exclusively in movie theaters with the new song "Last One Standing" by @SkylarGrey, @Polo_Capalot, @MozzyThaMotive and @Eminem. pic.twitter.com/HynXTjX9Yf

— #Venom: Let There Be Carnage (@VenomMovie) September 29, 2021

This little reference speaks of the events from the two Venom films, set in the Californian city of San Francisco. The following reference comes towards the end of the trailer, where Morbius tells a terrifying man that he is Venom before jokingly retracting the comment.

How may Morbius be connected to the MCU?

The closest Morbius is to the MCU is due to the appearance of another Spider-Man villain, Adrian Toomes, in the film. The latter should be worth noting as the last time audiences saw this character was as he arrived at a prison following the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming.

But while audiences are baffled by the character popping up in Morbius, a possible explanation can be found within the MCU. Events of Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Doctor Strange using a spell to help Peter Parker's web-slinger identity remain a secret, which ultimately backfired.

This saw heroes and threats from other universes, including Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman and Lizard, appearing in the MCU's timeline. As events progressed in the film, Doctor Strange used another spell to send the heroes and threats back to their universes at the conclusion.

With these events in mind, Toomes' appearance in Morbius is possibly the result of Strange's first spell. If the Morbius film plays out as we speculate, Toomes may have been sent back to the MCU timeline on the second spell.

This does mean that Morbius is indirectly connected to the MCU through this loophole; however, it's only telling what we'll see onscreen. Regardless, some have speculated that Toomes may be a variant, which could take away any remaining connections Morbius may have to the MCU timeline.

Time for some magic! #SpiderManWatchPartypic.twitter.com/PsBCjXNl3Q

— Spider-Man: No Way Home (@SpiderManMovie) March 25, 2022

Another possible connection is looking at a character within Sony's Spider-Man Universe that appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home –Eddie Brock/Venom. Many recall Venom: Let There Be Carnage's post-credits scene that saw the character brought into the MCU and sent back with Strange's spells, but he did leave something behind. 

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With all this weird multiverse, time-travelling experience, if Morbius doesn't explain how Toomes ended up in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, sorcerer-assisted or not, any connections it may have to the MCU are hanging by a thread.

Likewise, we're probably even more confused as we may go back to the Marvel drawing board, but we must wait until Morbius releases globally on 1st April 2022.

What do you make of Morbius' possible ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? You can also check out our dedicated section for the latest news and updates on all things Marvel.

Featured image courtesy of Sony Pictures & Marvel Studios.