Jared Leto Teases 'Spider-Man' Spinoff Morbius Research

As Morbius creeps into production, the star of Sony's next "Spider-Man Universe" film is diving into the research behind his role. Jared Leto shared an image on his Snapchat earlier today showing an issue of Morbius: The Living Vampire that showcases the living vampire himself.

In the shot, Leto can be seen holding the "Special Collectors' Item" polybagged version of Morbius: The Living Vampire #1, a tie-in to Marvel's Rise of the Midnight Sons crossover story arc of the early 1990s.

Leto asks fans whether or not he should crack open the "collectors' item" he has or find an already open one to read. The comics released in this crossover each included a poster when unfolded, connected with each other to form a bigger image.

If the Oscar-winning star was worried about destroying the value of the comic, he need not worry. Several copies of the same issue have recently sold on eBay as low as one dollar. A near-mint copy of the same issue, graded as a 9.6 by CGC, sold for $38 — and that's about as good as it gets.

Currently estimated to wrap production in May, Morbius will be the second entry into a new shared universe based on Marvel characters. While all sorts of projects had previously been announced, so far just Morbius and a sequel to Venom have been confirmed to be in development.

Though it'll be a part of a universe, Morbius producer Matt Tolmach said they're hoping these movies each carry their own look and feel instead of being forced into a singular tone.

"I don't think there's a rule written somewhere in stone that all of them have to be one thing," Tolmach shared. "I think we've all talked about, 'Well, if one of these presents itself in a way…' Look, we have all seen, as you've said, the R-rated versions of these movies now working. So, that's out there. You can succeed to a staggering degree."

Are you looking forward to Morbius making his silver screen debut? How do you think Leto will do in the role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Though it hasn't been officially announced, Morbius will likely be released on July 10th, 2020 leaving Sony's other date next open for the release of Venom 2 on October 2nd, 2020.