Certain fans have been waiting a very long time to see Morbius. Now, the Marvel Comics adaptation is finally upon us, that’s the good news. The bad news is that critics have been decidedly unkind to the movie up to this point. To illustrate just how bad it is, it now boasts one of the worst Rotten Tomatoes scores for a comic book film in years.
How Bad is Morbius?
As of this writing, with 104 reviews counted, Morbius has a mere 17 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That is far lower than 2018’s Venom, also produced by Sony, which sits at 30 percent. One of the only Marvel movies to fare worse over the last decade is 2015’s Fantastic Four, which sits at a mere 9 percent. In any case, this is a very bad start for the film, which stars Jared Leto as the so-called Living Vampire.
Here is the synopsis for Morbius.
“One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?”
Following the success of Venom, Sony began developing other spin-off films based on Spider-Man characters. While Spider-Man can appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to a deal with Disney, Sony still owns the rights to the hero. That includes all of his villains. As such, Morbius was put into development. Unfortunately, the movie was delayed for more than two years due to the pandemic. Though coming our sooner wouldn’t have necessarily helped how it fared with critics.
The question is whether or not the reviews will hurt the box office. The film is currently expected to open with between $40 and $50 million, which would be a decent start. Though Venom opened to $80 million in 2018, while last year’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage opened to a massive $90 million.
Daniel Espinosa directed the movie. Espinosa previously directed the sci-fi move Life, as well as Safe House. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless penned the screenplay. The cast also includes Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal and Tyrese Gibson. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and Lucas Foster are on board as producers, with Leto, Louise Rosner and Emma Ludbrook serving as executive producers.
Morbius is in theaters now.
What do you think? Are you still planning to see the movie anyway? Or have the critics steered you away? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
