‘Morbius’ adds Matt Smith, Spiderverse 2 will jump 2 years, ‘Venom 2’ get a writer, set for 2020
Sony has had a shockingly successful year with Venom and then Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. The studio is set for a repeat partnership with Marvel for Spider-Man: Far From Home before expanding with other projects.
Spiderverse 2
On the red carpet for the Critics’ Choice Awards, directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman were on hand to speak about the sequel, explaining that the plot will take Miles two years into the future.
“Do you have time? I’ll tell you literally everything that’s going to happen in the sequel. We’re gonna start with Miles, we’re gonna cut to two years later, obviously.”
Rothman’s fellow directors encourage him to cut it off at that point, so as not to divulge too much information about the sequel.
Morbius
Variety reported the casting of Matt Smith to the Morbius project.
“Matt Smith is in final talks to join Jared Leto in Morbius, a film based on the Spider-Man villain of the same name.”
Safe House director Daniel Espinosa will helm the movie from a script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (co-creators of Netflix’s Lost in Space). Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are producing with Lucas Foster as Palak Patel will oversee the project for Sony.
Of course there are no details of Smith’s role, other than it being a major role in the film.
Writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane created Morbius in 1971 for “The Amazing Spider-Man #101.”
The character was a scientist who tried to cure himself of a blood disease, with tragic results. He became afflicted with vampiric traits such as fangs and a thirst for blood — and wound up battling Spider-Man.
Smith is coming off the success of The Crown season 2 with Doctor Who fans certain to be excited by the news.
Morbius arrives in theaters July 31, 2020.
Venom 2
No surprise that Venom 2 will be moved quickly with a teased appearance of Carnage in the credits scene.
The studio has tapped Kelly Marcel, one of the screenwriters from the first movie, to pen the script. She will also executive produce the follow-up, which will see Tom Hardy return as the anti-hero symbiote with Woody Harrelson playing Cletus Kennedy, aka Carnage.
The first film grossed over $855 million worldwide.
The news comes after the studio recently dated an untitled Marvel sequel for October 2020.