If you're at all familiar with Michael Morbius, you'll know the Living Vampire has fought on the sides of good and evil over the years. He only tends to fall into that latter category when his bloodlust becomes too much to deal with, but the version played by Jared Leto in Morbius will be a hero.
The trailers haven't really shed much light on which side the classic Spider-Man villain will be on, but in production notes for the movie shared by CBR, we learn more courtesy of director Daniel Espinosa.
"Morbius is searching for goodness - the cure for a disease. He's going to find it, disregarding the cost on himself or on society," the filmmaker explains. "And in his search for goodness, he transforms into something he detests. He has to accept the ugliness he has within him, and that there's something beautiful about it. It will be his strength, what makes him unique."
"Michael Morbius is one of the most altruistic characters of the Marvel Universe," Espinosa continues. "He's one of the few that really believes in good. This good man has a horrible disease, and in his trials to save himself and the people that he cares for, he turns into a monster."
"When Morbius discovers his inner beast, he becomes afraid of it - and because he's afraid, he's also afraid of his powers. He's afraid that they will take over and change him, so he's constantly resisting them. To become the hero, he has to accept his fate: Morbius's journey is to accept that he will still remain the person that he is, but he has to harness these powers."
In many ways, it sounds like we can expect a classic vampire story to play out in Morbius, and that's no bad thing. With Venom becoming a "Lethal Protector" in this world, it makes sense to head down a similar route with the Living Vampire (especially if these anti-heroes end up forming some sort of team). Will Kraven the Hunter also receive a heroic makeover? That could be a little harder to pull off.
A new trailer for Morbius will be released tomorrow, so be on the lookout for it here once it drops.
Morbius is set to be released in theaters on April 1.