Michael Keaton’s Vulture apparently returns in Sony and Marvel’s Morbius, but the cameo could hurt the Jared Leto film. In Morbius, Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius attempts to cure his rare blood disease but ultimately ends up in a vampire-like state. As a result, the doctor faces an internal struggle with his need to save lives and his more sinister purpose of consuming blood. Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, and Jared Harris all join Jared Leto in the film. Surprisingly, Michael Keaton’s Vulture also appears in the trailers and promotional materials.

Actor Michael Keaton made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the film, Keaton plays Adrian Toomes, the owner of a salvage company who gets wronged by Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. So Toomes took his fate into his own hands, becoming a villain known as Vulture and stealing Chitauri technology and weaponry to sell illegally. In the end, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man gets the best of Vulture, sending him to prison. However, it appears he has a long MCU future ahead of him.

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Though Keaton’s involvement in Morbius drummed up buzz for the movie, his appearance could ultimately hurt the film. Sony teased the actor’s appearance in Morbius as far back as 2020, showing a character presumed to be Vulture interacting with Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius. Keaton has been a staple of Morbius trailers since. “What’s up, Doc?” Keaton says in one scene. In another, he says, “Michael Morbius, discover who you’re meant to be.” However, online rumors claim that Keaton’s character was almost completely cut out of Morbius. Different speculation has Vulture just appearing in an MCU post-credits scene. If any of the rumors are true, it could have negative repercussions for Morbius.

By cutting out Vulture, Morbius is essentially doing a bait-and-switch. Keaton’s Vulture has been a key piece of the marketing for Morbius. At this point, the character has prominently appeared in trailers for years. However, if he’s not in the film, Sony and Marvel are using tricks to get fans to watch the movie, promising a story connected to the MCU and delivering something else. It’s a deceptive tactic. And if Vulture only appears in a post-credits scene, it doesn’t bode well for Morbius since a post-credit scene isn’t even a part of the actual movie. So, in the end, the marketing will only hurt the film.

Of course, Sony and Marvel Studios could always change things. Films often tinker with the final cut until almost the release date, with effects and post-production work getting added at the last minute. So if Vulture has a few notable moments in the movie, the speculation won’t amount to much in the end. And fans can sleep soundly, knowing that what was promised in the Morbius trailers appeared on the screen. However, by promising the audience one thing and delivering another, a little bit of vampirism is the least of Michael Morbius’ problems.

Key Release Dates
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  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
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Bill Bradley
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Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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