What universe is Morbius in? Jared Leto’s living vampire clearly exists in the Spider-Man Sony-Verse — but one curious Morbius Easter egg that’s causing confusion is how the movie alludes to Morbius existing in the same universe as the X-Men. This can be found near the beginning of Morbius, when Jared Harris’s Dr. Emil Nicholas mentions a “school for gifted children” in New York to a young Michael Morbius. Marvel aficionados likely understood the reference to be a nod to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngers, where the X-Men were founded. Notably, various Marvel characters have been previously spread out through multiple studios over the years, but they have recently started to connect with the MCU’s introduction of the Multiverse – and Disney/Marvel Studios’ acquisition of X-Men and Spider-Man film rights.
This is the reason for peculiarities such as Michael Keaton’s Vulture Morbius credits scene and Patrick Stewart’s Professor X appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Venom: Let There Be Carnage also saw the MCU’s Spider-Man (Tom Holland) make a brief appearance in the credits scene, and Spider-Man: No Way Home went all-in by bringing Sony’s past iterations of Spider-Man and his villains into its story — including a Venom/Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) cameo. These make sense since both Sony and Marvel Studios have the rights to portray Spider-Man characters on screen. Yet, only Marvel owns the rights to X-Men, which is what makes the Sony-Verse’s mention of the X-Men home base different. Legalities aside, this also presents bigger Multiverse-related questions. Not only could Morbius’ version of the X-Men be different from Fox, their apparent existence in the Sony-Verse actually compromises Venom’s No Way Home quip about super teams not existing in his universe.
Morbius Easter Egg Hints The X-Men Exist In Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
Apart from what universe is Morbius in, the movie’s X-Men Easter egg also raises the question of why the X-Men aren’t in the MCU. Similar to the MCU addressing the absence of the Eternals in their MCU film, there needs to be an explanation as to why superhuman characters exist in a world with extreme conflicts but have not appeared when help is needed, especially to the extent that Eddie Brock doesn’t even know of their existence. Even if the team of X-Men were still teenagers in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, older characters like Professor X and Magneto would certainly have been helpful during times of crisis.
Perhaps the most pressing question after Morbius’s tease of the X-Men is if and how these uncanny characters will ever become something more than just a passing reference. As the Disney-owned Marvel Studios is the only studio to have the movie rights to the X-Men characters, the appearance of “mutants” in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is basically impossible, especially with Marvel already planning the X-Men’s MCU debut. Hearing the mention of a school for gifted children perked the ears of some fans and amused many, but the probability that this will lead to anything more substantial is low — at least in the Sony-Verse.
With Sony and Marvel Studios already working together to tell the stories of Spider-Man and his plethora of supporting characters, Morbius (and Venom) acknowledging the multiverse introduced in the MCU to great success seems a no-brainer. While Sony is limited with what Marvel characters they can bring into their cinematic universe, subtle references here and there are the kind of thing audiences appreciate. Until the MCU’s X-Men movie gets an actual name and at least a release window, these kinds of hints and nods are at least a considerate taste to tide fans over until the MCU properly gets to work on everyone’s favorite team of mutants.
The Morbius X-Men Hint Strengthens The Multiverse Too
On the other hand, combined with the Sony-Verse/Spider-Man universe’s future plans and MCU Phase 4’s introduction of mutants, Morbius‘ X-Men reference could be a real clue about where the MCU’s Multiverse is actually headed. What universe is Morbius in? At this point in the MCU, this question only scratches the surface of what’s possible if all the future Marvel movies by Disney/Marvel Studios, Sony, and Fox will somehow exist inside a larger, connected live-action Marvel Multiverse. Despite its faults, Morbius tackling the emergence of mutants can serve as a further narrative bridge between these studios’ respective interpretations of Marvel canon, especially with Deadpool 3 on the way, the amount of mutant reveals in Phase 4, and the above-mentioned MCU/Sony crossovers.
In hindsight, Morbius hinting at the X-Men’s existence, along with Vulture’s post-credits appearance, also serve to make the movie feel less isolated from previously established Marvel movie lore. Overall, it’s clear why Morbius got bad reviews — slightly confusing Marvel references were the least of its problems. Though Morbius‘ X-Men Easter egg seemed like a mistake or an overreach, upon closer inspection, it actually hints at what the three big studios could be planning to do with Marvel’s movie rights in the near future.
Key Release Dates
Kraven the Hunter
Release Date:2024-08-30
