No, Morbius is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, whatever the actors say

From Doctor Strange to Guardians of the Galaxy and well beyond, most every movie about Marvel characters nowadays is a part of Disney’s gigantic, all-powerful Marvel Cinematic Universe. But that’s not always true. While Marvel has the screen rights to most Marvel characters, it doesn’t have the rights to the Spider-Man universe; those rest with Sony, who is making its own Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (SPUMC) — that’s where Tom Hardy’s Venom is set, plus the upcoming Morbius, about the titular Spider-Man villain. (The two companies share custody of Spider-Man himself, played by Tom Holland, according to a complicated agreement.)

It can all be a bit confusing, and not just for fans. Morbius star Tyrese Gibson (Simon Stroud) is also a bit stymied. During an interview with ComicBook.com, the actor said that “a lot of people are gonna be shocked” at what the vampire picture has in store for fans. When asked if the movie is set within the expansive continuity of the MCU, Gibson’s answer was pretty straightforward: “Yes.”

Before we all get too excited and start coming up with theories about how this could happen and what it means for the future, Sony stepped in and smothered the whole thing. According to Gamespot, the studio reached out and confirmed that the actor’s comments are not valid. Instead, the movie will be set in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, along with other upcoming pictures including Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Kraven the Hunter.

Gibson enjoyed working with Jared Leto on Morbius

The Living Vampire himself, Dr. Michael Morbius, is played by Oscar-winner Jared Leto. In the comics, he’s a pretty big villain of Spider-Man. Gibson takes on the role of FBI agent Simon Stroud.  “Doing this movie opposite Jared Leto, man, was nerve-wracking, exciting [and] inspiring. He’s really, really interesting this guy to work with.”

As for working with director Daniel Espinosa, the experience was tough but gratifying. “[Director] Daniel Espinosa kept me nervous the whole time as well because he’s a real alpha – very aggressive filmmaker and he’s very honest,” Gibson said. “He’ll tell you sometimes… things that you don’t want to hear, about how to step your game up as an actor.”

Apart from denying that the movie is part of the MCU, Sony clarified the release date: Morbius remains on track to premiere on January 28, 2022.

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