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    I Noticed All The Hidden Details And References In "Morbius", So You Don't Have To

    There may be more Spider-Man villains in this universe than we thought...

    Ewura-Ama Quarshie
    by Ewura-Ama Quarshie

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Morbius is out now and Sony's Spider-Man Universe (or SSU) is expanding.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

     People aren't exactly loving the movie, but it does have some details that may have gone unnoticed amid the bad reviews.

    So here are some interesting facts, details, and references you might have missed while watching.

    🚨 Spoilers for Morbius ahead, obviously! 🚨

    1. Dr. Emil Nicholas is a version of Emil Nikos, Morbius' best friend in the comics.

    Dr Emil Nicholas looking at Morbius who's just off camera
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    In the comics, Nikos is Morbius' best friend who studied alongside him to find a cure for his blood disease. He helped with the experiment that accidentally turned Morbius into a vampire, and was the first one the bloodthirsty doctor killed. In the movie, Nicholas is a whole other guy. He's more of a father figure instead, originally working at the facility a young Morbius and Milo live in, and then helping with further treatment and research as the boys grow up.

    2. Lucien/Milo is loosely based on Loxias Crown/Hunger and Morbius himself, with some of Emil Nikos's backstory mixed in.

    Milo walking down a train platform in a long grey coat, light blue shirt and dark blue tie
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Many thought Matt Smith was billed to play Loxias Crown/Hunger, but his character Milo is actually an original creation. Milo has a similar background to the comics' Emil Nikos, with both being Morbius' childhood best friend who also wants to find a cure. But instead of helping Morbius, Milo steals the vampire "cure" that his friend creates, kind of like how Hunger kidnapped Morbius and was turned into a pseudo-vampire during their fight in the comics. Milo is also based on Morbius's original villainous version in the comics, so he acts as a foil to his bestie in the movie. 

    3. The name Milo means dear or beloved – or soldier.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    In an early scene, we see Morbius rename Lucien, claiming all the kids who've been in that bed were named Milo. The Slavic root mil- means "dear" or "beloved", while the Latin "miles" means soldier. So maybe Morbius calls every one of his bed neighbours Milo because he hopes they'll stick around and become "dear" to him as Lucien did? The "soldier" meaning foreshadows how they'll fight to cure their illness AND fight each other. I get the feeling the previous Milos all died of their illness, which makes reusing the name a bit morbid – but at least there's a meaning behind it? 

    4. When Milo is dancing around his house enjoying his new abilities, we see his walls covered with zebra print.

    A zebra in the centre is looking at the camera, surrounded by the striped backs of other zebras
    Chantal / Via Getty Images

    Zebras can symbolise individuality, freedom, creativity, and quick-thinking – all qualities Milo embodies (though not necessarily in a good way). Even before being cured, Milo loves living life to the fullest and afterwards, he quickly thinks of ways to lure Morbius out, like kidnapping Martine. Plus, no two zebras have the same striped pattern, signifying how even though Milo and Morbius have the same illness and grew up together, they're still very different people. 

    5. The wavy tendrils that Morbius "sees" represent a bat's echolocation.

    Morbius with his head tilted down as his pale blue eyes look out from under his eyebrows dramatically, with light blue smoky tendrils coming off the wall behind him
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Bats aren't actually blind, but they can "see" things using sound. Bats make noise that echoes off their surroundings and then bounces back to tell them what's nearby. Morbius' sonar is similar, except he can hear far away sounds without needing to yell out himself. Zoomed in shots in the film show that his ears become ridged when he's in vamp mode, just like a bat's. 

    6. During a news report about the "Vampire Murder" attacks, a headline in the news crawl at the bottom says "Subway still closed due to bat infestation".

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    These are probably the same bats that Morbius summons during his final fight with Milo in an underground tunnel. I'm not sure how they got there, but I'll bet Morbius was glad they were around! He really embraces his batty nature in the film – it's almost like he's some kind of... bat man (sorry not sorry). 

    7. FBI Agents Rodriguez and Stroud previously worked on the Venom case.

    Sony Pictures Releasing/Jay Maidment

    Rodriguez mentions that this is the most interesting case they've had since "that thing in San Fransisco". Venom took place in San Francisco, suggesting these agents investigated him too. Dealing with Venom doesn't seem to have prepared them to deal with vampires though, as Agent Rodriguez brings holy water into an interrogation with Morbius "just in case".

    8. And Morbius says "I am Venom", which is an obvious reference.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    When he attacks some counterfeiters, one asks "Who are you?!" and Morbius replies "I... am... Venom!" then hisses. This confirms that Venom is not only in the same universe, but his exploits and name are publically known. In the trailer Morbius followed this with "I'm just kidding" but that seemingly didn't make it into the movie. So maybe Morbius was using Venom's name as an alias or cover-up?

    9. Morbius' smoky vampiric trail becomes purple towards the end of the film – mirroring the comics.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Director Daniel Espinosa said the use of "light and colours" in the film was actually inspired by Pokémon, as well as the comics' aesthetic. Morbius often has purple lines trailing behind him in the comic art, so the colour change during the film's climax both hints at his origins and shows that he's fully embraced his abilities. 

    10. We see Oscorp tower and Horizon Labs in the skyline.

    The Oscorp building on the left with other city buildings in the skyline visible in front of an orange sky
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Oscorp is a big company in the comics and in the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies. If they're around in the SSU too, that might hint at an alternate Norman and Harry Osborn and even Green Goblin turning up sometime. Horizon Labs is Morbius' workplace in the comics and is likely the same place he works in the film. 

    11. A billboard on the subway advertises "Thomas and Kane", which isn't a real company, but IS a reference.

    The cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #101: Spider-Man is knocked back as Morbius smacks him while saying "Fool! It will take more than a freak with six arms to stop.. a vampire!"
    Marvel Comics / Via marvel.com

    During their fight, Milo throws Morbius into a billboard reading "Thomas and Kane" above a model's head in the subway station. Morbius was created by Marvel Comics writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane in The Amazing Spider-Man #101, so this was a nice nod to them. 

    12. And later, Morbius crashes into the neon sign of Wyman Hotel, which seems to reference another Marvel alum.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    M. C. Wyman is a penciller who worked on Marvel Comics Presents Issues #144 and #145, which both featured Morbius. The hotel name seems to reference him as another person who worked on Morbius comics. The story in those comics (Morbius fighting Lilin demons) doesn't seem to link to the plot of the movie, but could hint at future stories. 

    13. The FBI detectives read the Daily Bugle....

    The Daily Bugle newspaper with 'Dr Michael Morbius apprehended for "Vampire Murder" in all caps on the front, with a picture of Morbius on the left under the headline
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    J. Jonah Jameson's infamous newspaper featured in Venom as well as the non-MCU Spider-Man movies. His son, John Jameson, was also the astronaut who found the symbiotes on an asteroid in Venom. Jonah later turned up in the MCU on a Daily Bugle web show after Spider-Man's identity was revealed. 

    14. ...And the words "Black Cat: Friend or Foe?" are visible on the top right.

    The same picture of the Daily Bugle newspaper as above but zoomed in on the top right corner, where the words 'Black Cat: Friend or Foe?' are visible
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Sony was planning a Black Cat and Silver Sable team-up movie, but it ended up being cancelled. This reference suggests that the character might still be around in Sony's Marvel universe. Felicia Hardy did appear in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but she hadn't become Black Cat yet – maybe her story continued after the movie ended? 

    15. Plus, there's another headline reading "Rhino On The Loose: Zoo hoax fools us all".

    The same picture of the Daily Bugle newspaper again but zoomed in on the top middle, where the words 'Rhino On The Loose: Zoo hoax fools us all' are visible
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    This could refer to an actual animal OR the Spider-Man villain Rhino, who previously appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. All these Spider-Man villains might turn up again after those mid-credits scenes...

    16. The two mid-credits scenes suggest a ~sinister~ future.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    A big purple crack appears in the sky, then Adrian Toomes randomly appears in an empty cell and is released, since there's no record of his crimes in this universe. He then meets up with Morbius in a new Vulture suit, saying "A bunch of guys like us should team up, do some good." This strongly implies that the Sinister Six, a group of Spider-Man villains who team up in the comics, will turn up soon. They had a different interaction in an early trailer, but it seems to hint at a team-up either way. 

    17. Morbius might know of – or even have met – a Spider-Man.

    Disney XD

    When Vulture says "I think it has something to do with Spider-Man", Morbius doesn't bat an eyelid (wink). This suggests that either he already knows who Spider-Man is, or he was listening intently to Vulture's proposal and didn't question it. 

    18. Speaking of the webslinger, there was Spider-Man graffiti with "MURDERER" written across it on a wall Morbius passes in the trailer, though it doesn't appear in the film.

    Morbius in an orange jumpsuit with a grey blanket wrapped around his shoulders, walking past some Spider-Man graffiti with MURDERER written across it
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    The graffiti suggests that there is a Spider-Man in the SSU, even if it's not the MCU one. Since Sony also made The Amazing Spider-Man, some people think it might reference Andrew Garfield's Spidey, while others recognised Tobey Maguire's costume in the image. Which begs the question – who IS this universe's Spidey, and what has he been up to? 

    19. So this film doesn't take place in the MCU, but IS linked to it after Doctor Strange's multiverse spell.

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    This means more Spider-Man villains could cross over to each other's universes and team up. It also suggests that Doctor Strange's Peter-Parker-erasure spell wasn't perfect, and might just cause MORE problems rather than solving them. We’ll just have to see how bad the damage is in Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.