Morbius (4 Stars)

Netflix Thursday #12

I missed "Morbius" in the cinema while I was in hospital earlier this year. Today I finally managed to see it on Netflix. I'll buy it on Blu-ray when the price drops.

Morbius was never one of my favourite Marvel characters. He was introduced in the early 1970's when Marvel was attempting to return to its roots by publishing more horror stories. At this time comics were written about Dracula, the Mummy and the Frankenstein monster. Morbius was an attempt to write about a vampire who was an integral part of the Marvel Universe (although that phrase wasn't common at the time). It's no coincidence that he was introduced in October 1971, the month when Stan Lee stopped writing. Marvel was heading in a different direction.

Over the years Morbius has come and gone in the comics. After his first appearance in Spider-Man #101 and #102, he had a guest appearance in Marvel Team-Up, a series frequently used for showcasing lesser known heroes. It wasn't until February 1974 that he was given a solo series in Adventure Into Fear, but it was cancelled after only 12 issues.

I was pleasantly surprised that the film doesn't have the comedy elements of other recent Marvel films. But something is missing. I sat and enjoyed the film, but I wouldn't say that it excited me. Jared Leto is doubtlessly a good actor, but I couldn't relate to his character. His romance with Martine Bancroft was important in the comics, but it's hardly more than a crush in the film. If the story had shown more of a romantic tragedy, it would have been better.

The film was a moderate box office success, though nowhere as successful as expected. Will there be a sequel? Probably not. It's more likely that Morbius will return in other Marvel films. The mid-credits scene suggests a tie-in with the MCU via a multiversal rift. Sigh... I'm getting sick of hearing about the multiverse.

Success Rate:  + 0.2

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