Over the last two decades, we have seen a broad range of obscure Marvel characters take center stage in movies of their very own. However, there are plenty of other classics waiting in the wings who have almost received films at one time or another. In fact, in a recent interview, The Equalizer 2 director Antoine Fuqua opened up and admitted that he was approached to potentially step in for a Morbius the Living Vampire movie at one point. Fuqua explained:
As a kid I grew up with comic books. They talked to me about Black Panther years ago, way back in the day. There's some reason they came up and they talked to me about at Sony, a Marvel character, Morbius [The Living Vampire]... that kinda came up. I don't know, I have a thirteen-year-old son so I'm watching more of that again and it's exciting to do that. I'd love to create a new one. Y'know, something that's closer to what I get excited about.
We have heard rumors of potential Morbius the Living Vampire movies for quite some time. In fact, it had been reported that the character would join Sony's upcoming slate of Spidey spinoff films, which will start later this year when Ruben Fleischer's Venom debuts on October 5. Now, it looks like Antoine Fuqua was approached by Sony for such a project at one point, though it's unclear if this Morbius movie is the same one that was recently rumored. Oddly enough, it's also worth noting that Fuqua was apparently approached for a take on the T'Challa story before Ryan Coogler stepped in for this year's Black Panther, so it looks like he has found himself on this type of radar more than once.
Morbius the Living Vampire is one of those unique characters who hasn't had much mainstream exposure yet. Real name Dr. Michael Morbius, the character is arguably most widely-known as a villain from the Spider-Man corner of the Marvel lore, though he has also gone on to become a hero in other stories. The character has never fronted a movie of his own, but Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts has also expressed interest in bringing him to life at some point.
It's unclear if the ship has sailed on Antoine Fuqua's chances to get involved in the superhero movie genre. Elsewhere in his remarks to JoBlo at CinemaCon, the Training Day director seemed to remain open to the possibility of such an opportunity coming his way without confirming his involvement in any one project. He has a son who's a fan of this genre, so he seems interested as well.
For now, Antoine Fuqua already has another adaption on his hands for later this year. He's currently in the process of reteaming with Denzel Washington for The Equalizer 2, which will see badass CIA assassin Robert McCall return to action after a close friend of his is murdered. The Equalizer franchise isn't a superhero property in any traditional sense of the phrase (though it is based on a classic TV series of the same name), but it's clear that Fuqua isn't opposed to diving into worlds that he didn't specifically create to try something new with an existing character.
Only time will tell if a Morbius movie will actually go into official development, but until then, CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to any and all upcoming superhero movies. In the Marvel world, you can catch Avengers: Infinity War on April 27, and Antoine Fuqua's The Equalizer 2 will debut later this summer on July 20.
