Sony has pulled its upcoming comic book movie outing,Morbius, from release in Russia. The studiohas joined the example set by other major studios, each of which has begun pulling tent-pole releases from the schedule in Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius,” a spokesperson fromSony Picturessaid of the removal ofMorbius. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly.”
Multiple studios have pulled major releases, with Disney halting several movies, including the Pixar outingTurning Red. Warner Bros. has alsonow canceled the Russia release ofThe Batman, which is expected to be one of the biggest movies of the year. All of these actions are expected to hit the box office in Russia.
“Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar,” Disney has said in a statement. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”
Morbius Will Introduce Jared Leto as the Vampire Spider-Man Villain
Morbiuswill introduce one of Marvel’s most compelling and conflicted characters. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease, transforming the good doctor into a conflicted monster.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless,Morbiusis led by Academy Award winner andHouse of Guccistar Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, a scientist suffering from a rare blood disease whose attempts to cure himself afflict him with a form of vampirism, giving him superhuman abilities and slowly transforming him into a monster.
The supporting cast includes Matt Smith as Loxias Crown, Morbius’s friend who suffers from the same rare blood disease and eventually becomes the supervillain, Hunger; Adria Arjona as Martine Bancroft, a scientist and Morbius’s fiancée; Jared Harris as a professor and Morbius’s mentor; and Tyrese Gibson and Al Madrigal as Simon Stroud and Alberto Rodriguez, a pair of FBI agents hunting Morbius.
Morbiusis the next installment in Sony’s sharedSpider-Manuniverse. Beginning with 2018’sVenom, the studio is hoping to introduce further Spider-Man villains in standalone adventures, with the likes ofKraven the Hunteralready in development, before no doubt bringing them all together in something akin to an Avengers for antiheroes.
Morbiusis scheduled to be released in the United States on June 25, 2025, delayed from an initial July 2020 date.
