‘Morbius’ And When Studio Plans Don’t Go So Well
by Frank Martin
In the age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, movie studios are thinking bigger. They want to tell more complex stories with a wider range of characters. The MCU took time; it wasn’t built overnight. Therefore, movies need to lay building blocks in order to one day create a gargantuan mammoth like the MCU is today. However, not every plan goes off without a hitch. Studios might have an agenda years in the making, but what are they to do when the plan’s first steps don’t go so smoothly? Fans are a precarious bunch, and studios are left with some big decisions to make when reception to their vision isn’t received well.
A great example of this is Universal’s Dark Universe. The Tom Cruise version of The Mummy was supposed to kickstart this vision. A form of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was also included in the film, hinting at a bigger universe that would include Frankenstein’s Monster, the Invisible Man, Dracula, and others. The Mummy did not do so well and plans for this large, expansive universe were ultimately scrapped.
Sometimes, though, studios don’t necessarily care about the fan reception. Sony is trying to put together a quasi-universe of their own with Spider-Man characters. This includes Venom, Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, and Madam Web. In a bizarre twist, Michael Keaton‘s version of the Vulture transitioned over from the MCU, but it has yet to be revealed exactly what part this bizarre MCU/Sony connection will take. Nevertheless, fans don’t have the same enthusiasm for Sony that they do for Marvel. But that doesn’t stop Sony for moving full steam ahead. It seems they believe in their Spider-Man properties so much that they will continue to build upon the universe regardless of critic and fan reception as well as box office results.