WATCH: Jared Leto’s ‘Morbius’ Trailer Introduces Another Iconic Spider-Man Villain

With the breakout success of 2019’s Venom, Sony is pushing ahead with more standalone anti-hero/villain movies featuring characters from Marvel’s expanded roster. The next up on the release schedule is Morbius, starring Jared  Leto, which tells the origin story of one of Spider-Man’s most notable enemies, the vampiric Morbius.

The plot follows Dr. Michael Morbius, a dangerously ill doctor who is determined to save others suffering his same fate, and in a desperate gamble, combines his blood with that of a vampire bat. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease.

Along Leto, Morbius stars Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, Tyrese Gibson; with Daniel Espinosa (who helmed the Jake Gyllenhaal space-horror, Life) in the director’s chair.

While it’s still a little unclear whether the film fits into Sony’s Venom universe or the existing MCU, Michael Keaton pops up in the trailer. This suggests that he is once again playing the role of Adrian Toomes/Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming), which in turn means that Marvel might be bringing the Sony universe and MCU together.

Morbius hits cinemas on 31 July 2020.