Morbius: Jared Leto’s Marvel film delayed again amid Omicron surge in US

‘Morbius’ was originally scheduled for release in July 2020

Covid-19 has delayed the release of Jared Leto’sforthcoming Marvel film Morbius for the fifth time.

On Monday (3 December), Reuters reported that the film – which was scheduled for release on 28 January this year – would now open in theatres on 1 April instead, citing an official statement from Sony Pictures.

In the Marvel superhero movie, directed by Safe House filmmaker Daniel Espinosa, Leto portrays the character of Dr Michael Morbius, a scientist who turned himself into a vampire in an attempt to cure himself from a rare blood disease.

Morbius co-stars Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Tyrese Gibson and Jared Harris.

The film’s release, originally scheduled for July 2020, has been postponed several times due to uncertainty around the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest decision to delay its release comes as the US is currently battling record-high Covid infections, fulled by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

In January last year, the studio announced that Morbius would open in cinemas on 18 March 2021, before announcing that fans would have to wait another seven months to watch the film.

The delay means that Morbius will no longer be the first superhero film of 2022.

Robert Pattinson is set to make his debut as Gotham City’s Dark Knight in the latest Batman film, which is currently scheduled for release on 4 March.

While promoting Spider-Man: No Way Home, star Tom Holland said he would like to see his character fight Leto’s Dr Morbius, adding that the film “looks really cool”.

The first trailer for Morbius suggested that Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters is connected to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

In addition to street signs calling Spider-Man a murderer, the trailer features a cameo by Michael Keaton who played The Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming.