Why Does Morbius Say “I Am Venom”?
Sophia Edwards Jared Leto’s Morbius and Tom Hardy’s Venom, the two pillars of Sony’s Spider-Man universe, have yet to meet, so why does Morbius say “I am Venom”?
Despite being set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, Morbius is mostly self-contained, but the titular Living Vampire does name-drop Venom during the 2022 film. Jared Leto debuted as Doctor Michael Morbius, the second Spider-Man villain to receive a solo film in the emerging Sony Spider-Man Universe, following the releases of Venom in 2018 and Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021. While Sony's direction for their new shared universe is unclear, with 2023's Kraven the Hunter set to confuse things even further, Morbius' reference to the symbiote Venom does help to connect these two vastly different projects.
Marvel Comics' Morbius has never been as popular a character as Venom, but Sony's attempts to bring smaller-scale villains from Spider-Man's rogues gallery into their live-action franchise meant that Morbius might have been the perfect choice. Akin to Eddie Brock, a.k.a. Venom, Morbius was reworked as an antihero for his big-screen debut, which saw him battle the similarly-afflicted Milo Morbius, portrayed by Doctor Who's Matt Smith. While there is currently no version of Peter Parker in Sony's Spider-Man Universe to connect these projects, small Easter eggs and teases are bridging the gaps, allowing a shared universe to grow organically.
Morbius' "I Am Venom" Line References In-Universe Events
Morbius takes place in the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU), which is proven during the film, as Morbius attacks a group of money counterfeiters to take over their lab, threatening one by saying, "I am Venom." In a moment when Morbius is trying to hold on to his humanity, he chooses to frighten the criminals instead of harm them, using Venom as his alias. This scene not only proves that Venom and Morbius take place in the same universe but also references Eddie Brock and Venom's actions in San Francisco, which have made them fugitives by the end of Let There Be Carnage.
Where Was Venom During The Events Of Morbius?
Despite Morbius not making it clear when the events of the film take place in the SSU, it does establish that the events of Venom have already occurred, as Rodriguez and Stroud mention "that mess in San Francisco," the setting for Venom and its sequel. The ending of Venom: Let There Be Carnage sees Eddie Brock and Venom transported into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and if Morbius' confusing post-credits scene is to be believed, the ending of Morbius and No Way Home should line up perfectly. This means that Eddie Brock and Venom were on Earth-616, the MCU's main reality, during the events of Morbius.
Somehow - in a way that has yet to be explained - Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. the Vulture, from the MCU's Spider-Man: Homecoming was transported into the SSU at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. His appearance in Morbius' post-credits scene might have made very little sense but did establish a tease for the SSU's Sinister Six, which could be a great way to tie together the otherwise-disconnected projects in the franchise so far. After the hugely negative reception to Morbius, however, it's unclear whether the character will show up in the SSU's future, so Morbius and Venom might never actually get the chance to meet.
