Spider-Man: Homecoming actor Michael Keaton has opened up about his cameo in 2022’s Morbius, and even he isn’t sure why his character made an appearance. The star, best known for his roles as Batman and Beetlejuice, spoke about the strange movie moment during an interview on an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
The cameo in question saw Keaton’s Spider-Man villain, Adrian Toomes (aka The Vulture), meeting Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius in a deserted area to discuss strange occurrences that have “something to do with Spider-Man.” It’s a quick scene that shows up after the movie’s main events conclude. Keaton’s inclusion confused moviegoers everywhere, especially after it turned out he wasn’t in the film as much as trailers had let on.
Now, nearly two years removed from Morbius’ theatrical premiere, we still have no answers about how the Vulture may connect to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but fans aren’t the only ones confused about what it all means. When asked if he had any clue about how he fit into the grand scheme, he said, “No. No idea. None. Zero.”
“Even they couldn’t quite explain it,” Keaton added. “He said, ‘Look, let me just kind of tell you.’ And I go, ‘OK, I really don’t quite know what you’re talking about or even who some of these people are.’”
He said it was complicated because those in charge were “looking down the road” in what was likely an attempt to tell a larger, interconnected superhero story. Judging by the mentions of a potential team-up in the post-credit scene, it’s not unreasonable to assume that Vulture and Morbius were intended to be part of a theatrical version of Spider-Man’s villainous group, the Sinister Six.
It’s not the first time a Sony Pictures Marvel movie has tried to create its own take on the evil troop, and it’s not clear if those plans will eventually come to fruition or not.
Morbius’ budget was estimated to be around $75 million, with its box office run ending with a worldwide total of $167,460,961, according to Box Office Mojo. While a Morbius sequel has not been announced, Sony is moving full steam ahead with the third movie in its Tom Hardy-led Venom run. Details about how it might fit into the big picture are a mystery, though a recent set photo does tease when it might take place.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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