After multiple release postponements, Sony finally dispatched Morbius into the theatres worldwide on April 1. However, both critics and audiences are leaving no stone unturned in slaughtering the Jared Leto starrer. Despite the leading man’s promising performance, the third entry in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is facing heavy criticism for its bland storyline, poor CGI, Daniel Espinosa’s terrible direction, and restrained efforts from the rest of the cast. It currently stands at a 15% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If we consider all these things, we can conclude that Morbius may decide the fate of SSU. Will it become the prime reason for the franchise’s doom? Let’s find out!
Sony kicked off its Spidey universe with Venom in 2018. The company needed a strong start for its superhero franchise like MCU got with Iron Man (2008). But it didn’t get one. Thank God for Tom Hardy’s charm for saving the movie at the global box office. Then we witnessed Venom’s sequel three years later. Yes, it turned out to be way better than the first one. Still, it was far from being called perfect. Even Andy Serkis’ direction, the film’s focused narrative, and more delighted tone than the previous instalment couldn’t impress the majority of Marvel fans.
Now, Morbius is running in theatres. Its poor critical reception will affect its figures despite having a small budget of $75 million. And it has already become one of the lowest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes. Josh Trank’s ugly reboot of Fantastic Four (2015) still holds the number one position with a 9% rating.
Various reports have revealed that Sony is hell-bent on making a Sinister Six movie as soon as possible. And Morbius’ mid-credits scene shows Adrian Toomes (Vulture) meeting the Living Vampire and asking him to work together. All these things hint at a future Sinister Six instalment. But Sony cannot just force this project down to the throats of the fans. The executives there have to be more careful and thoughtful about future SSU entries. They must not think that these superhero projects are just money-printing machines for them. Furthermore, they need to get good filmmakers who know how to handle things properly.
Also, Sony has to worry about its upcoming Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web projects. Because if these films go down, then they may take down the entire SSU with them.
Jared Leto’s Morbius is currently running in theatres.