First Morbius trailer features a surprising Spider-Man/MCU connection

Here’s something to sink your teeth into: the first Morbius trailer, starring Jared Leto as the titular vampire is here and ready to watch. Not only does is further expand Sony’s comic book universe – which currently includes Tom Hardy’s Venom – but it also includes a surprising connection to the MCU via a reference to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and a shocking appearance from a well-known villain...

Introducing Michael Morbius, a doctor dealing with a condition that leaves him weak and struggling to walk. But there's a cure. There's always a cure. Unfortunate side-effect? It turns him into a living vampire. Stakes and roundabouts, I suppose.

Then a few surprising Easter eggs begin to seep in. First, a piece of graffiti that reads 'Murderer' with a picture of Spider-Man behind it. Is this taking place after Far From Home? If so, how does it tie into the MCU and Sony's own Spider-Man universe? So. Many. Questions. To make matters even more complicated, Michael Keaton's Vulture (last seen in Homecoming) also turns up out of the blue. Is this the beginnings of a Sinister Six movie?

There had been rumblings of a Morbius trailer reveal across the weekend. A leaked shot of Leto’s creature of the night surfaced (via The Wrap), while actor Tyrese Gibson confirmed on Instagram that the Morbius trailer would land on Monday – and so it proved. It’s been a busy day all-round as the Oscars 2020 nominations have also gone live.

What this means for Sony’s future slate of superhero movies and their connection to the MCU is unclear, but it’s certainly an exciting and unexpected development.

Sony currently has movies based around Black Cat, Silver Sable, and even Madame Web in the works, as well as the Andy Serkis-directed Venom 2 set for release in October. All have close ties to Spidey, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the webhead show up in any of those solo projects as well as concurrently appearing as part of Marvel Phase 4 in Spider-Man 3 next year.

For now, though, all eyes (and fangs) are on Morbius – and it could prove to be the sleeper hit of the summer.

Morbius is out in cinemas on July 31.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.