Sony and Marvel’s less then remarkable Morbius is allegedly having its most controversial moment stripped from the cut. 

In the lead up to the films’ release, there was much confusion around its connection to the Venom franchise and the greater MCU. 

In the trailers, we were seeing references to Spider-Man, Venom and the inclusion of Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Vulture, as played by Michael Keaton. 

Nothing has been confirmed, but it has been suggested that many changes and shifts occurred around Vulture and his ties to the other franchise’s. The final result was just a jarring and frustrating post-credit scene. 

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Spoilers Ahoy! 

In a similar fashion to the end of No Way Home, a purple light rips through the sky of New York and a surprisingly unphased Michael Keaton appears, suggesting he has travelled across universes. 

Released from prison, he randomly decides to track down Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius. 

In a conversation that was clearly written in post-production Keaton says:

“I’m not sure how I got here. Has something to do with Spider-Man, I think.”

However, it seems Sony has changed their mind, and has removed references to the character from certain theatres. 

Considering the negative response to the film, it’s not surprising Sony wants to distance the film from the real money-maker: Spidey. 

The sequence itself is confusing, poorly devised and is one of those moments only a cash craving studio exec could create. 

Though Morbius opened to moderate success, the film suffered a drop of 73% at the US box office the following weekend. One of the lowest in superhero film history. 

But the failure of this latest outing is not the nail in the coffin for Sony’s attempt to exploit their small collection of Marvel characters. 

Currently, Kraven the Hunter (another Spider-Man antagonist) is shooting with Aaron Taylor-Johnson. They’ve also announced a Madame Web film starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, as well as El Muerto which will star Bad Bunny. A third Venom film starring Tom Hardy is also in development. 

Fan theorists assume that the films will eventually lead to the formation of The Sinister Six, to take on Spider-Man. 

But if that means Tom Holland is forced into the Sony-verse... No thanks, Sony. No thanks. 

Check out the trailer for Morbius below! 

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