MCU Theory: Morbius Was Hidden In Spider-Man: Homecoming

Now that Morbius has been confirmed to exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with connections to the current Spider-Man universe, a new fan theory suggests Morbius was hidden in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Sony’s Marvel Universe, which began in 2018 with Venom, continues its course, and its next film is Morbius, directed by Daniel Espinosa and with Jared Leto as the title character.

Morbius follows Dr. Michael Morbius, a scientist suffering from a rare blood disease and who finds a cure through a dangerous method. While this does help him get better, it comes with even more dangerous after-effects, as he becomes afflicted with a form of vampirism. The first trailer for Morbius confirmed that it’s connected to the MCU and Spider-Man’s universe (which also means that Venom exists within this universe as well, even if it didn’t have any direct connections to it). A Spider-Man graffiti – though it was Tobey Maguire’s version, not Tom Holland’s – and the appearance of Michael Keaton’s Vulture at the end are the two major connections that Morbius has to the MCU so far.

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This has raised many questions on how exactly does this work when it comes to the Sony/Marvel deal, as well as how far Morbius (and Venom 2) can go with its MCU references and how much they can influence this universe. Naturally, these connections have also made way for many fan theories, among those one that says Morbius has already appeared in the MCU, specifically in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Morbius Takes Place In The MCU

There’s a lot of discussion over whether Morbius is really part of the MCU or not, as it’s being made by Sony and Venom didn’t have any connections to Marvel’s current universe. The addition of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man on that particular piece of street art is also making fans wonder if Morbius exists in the MCU – if it was, then Tom Holland’s version would have been used. However, there’s also Michael Keaton’s appearance, which is listed as an “undisclosed role”, yet it’s evident that he’s reprising his Spider-Man: Homecoming role of Adrian Toomes a.k.a. Vulture.

Though all these questions are completely valid and understandable, Morbius indeed takes place in the MCU (why Sony used an image of Maguire’s Spider-Man is unknown, but it might have something to do with their deal with Disney), and while Keaton’s character isn’t acknowledged as Vulture, it’s safe to assume he is given the connections between the characters and Sony’s plans to make a Sinister Six film in the future. Besides, Toomes appears wearing the same prison outfit he was seen with in Spider-Man: Homecoming’s mid-credits scene. Morbius taking place in the MCU offers a couple of interesting options for Spider-Man’s future film(s), and he could even be retconned into Spider-Man: Homecoming, as a new fan theory suggests.

Marvel Can Retcon Morbius Into Spider-Man: Homecoming

The mid-credits scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming saw Toomes coming across with Scorpion in prison, with the latter saying he heard that the former knows Spider-Man’s real identity, which Toomes denies. Some viewers have pointed out (via Comicbook) that in that scene there’s another inmate that looks like Leto’s Morbius. This character can be briefly seen in the background when Scorpion and Toomes begin their conversation and later a bit closer (though more blurry) when Scorpion points at his scars. While this other prisoner does have a similar style to that of Leto, with long hair and a beard, this character is wearing a patch on his right eye, and that detail alone rules him out.

Related: Vulture’s Role In Morbius: Everything We Know

However, there are still ways this could be reworked to add Morbius to the film. Perhaps he got into a fight and had to wear a temporary patch, or simply, this wasn’t Michael Morbius – but he was in that prison at that exact time. One of the biggest questions regarding Vulture’s appearance in the Morbius trailer is how they know each other, as Vulture is wearing his prison clothes and he addresses Morbius by his full name. Maybe Morbius ended up in jail for whatever reason, was released and then went back to get Toomes as he needed his help – or he simply had the luck (good or bad?) of coming across with an old acquaintance from his time in prison.

It wouldn’t be the first time Marvel and Sony take advantage of details like these, as they did so with the little kid in Iron Man 2 and said it was Peter Parker (this, of course, after their deal was set and the new Spider-Man was a reality). Adding Morbius to Spider-Man: Homecoming would not only be useful to his first solo film but also to his future in Sony’s Marvel Universe, as it could be setting up a bigger, more dangerous team.

How The Retcon Can Set Up Morbius’ Future

By retconning Morbius into Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sony and Marvel would be laying the foundations for a Sinister Six film. The MCU has already introduced a couple of Sinister Six members in its two Spider-Man films: Vulture, Mac Gargan/Scorpion, Shocker, and Spider-Man: Far From Home had a minor character named Dimitri who many theorized could be Dimitri Smerdyakov a.k.a. Chameleon. Morbius was also part of the Sinister Six at some point in time, and his encounter with Vulture seems to be a step in that direction.

The Sinister Six have been trapped in pre-production limbo for years, and Sony even had a release date for a film focused on them, with Drew Goddard attached as director. Those plans were scrapped when Sony began working on the new Spider-Man with Marvel Studios, but Amy Pascal said in December 2018 that the project was alive again and Goddard’s script could be used, and the studio hopes he will direct the film as well. Morbius’ appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming would be a good start for the Sinister Six, as it would mean that at least three members of the team already know each other, and two of them have unfinished businesses with Spider-Man. Obviously, a Sinister Six film would mean a bigger future for Morbius (and Vulture, Scorpion, and the rest), and would be the boost that Sony’s Marvel Universe needs.

While the possibility of a Sinister Six film finally happening and a hidden set-up for it being included in Spider-Man: Homecoming are exciting, it might all depend on how well Morbius is received by critics and fans. Venom’s success (with audiences, not so much with critics) was what brought the Sinister Six project back to life, and Morbius’ box office performance might be the one that makes it or breaks it.

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About The Author

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate that wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films, to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!… But also Caps and Leafs), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

“Vänligheten är ett språk som de döva kan höra och de blinda kan se”. That said, you can find her on Instagram and Twitter as @AdrienneTyler (shocking, right?).

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