Over the past seven years, Ari Aster has established himself as a director of nightmarish films full of what lurks in the darkest corners of the human heart. But believe it or not, Sony asked Aster to helm an altogether different kind of cinematic nightmare: the Spider-Verse spin-off “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto.
READ MORE: ‘Morbius’ Review: A Dumb, Depressing Comic Book/Horror Hybrid
Yes, it’s hard to believe Sony would be boneheaded enough to ask Aster to direct that disaster. But, apparently, it’s true, and Aster confirmed it in a new interview with Semafor. “Marvel asked me once,” said the director, pausing before continuing, “I feel like I shouldn’t say. Should I? I was asked to “Mobius’? Or is it “Morbius”?” Technically, it wasn’t Marvel Studios asking, but Sony on behalf of its Spider-Man Universe that also contains the likes of “Kraven The Hunter,” “Madame Web,” and the “Venom” franchise. Still, even asking feels like an egregious act by the studio, mainly because Aster, a filmmaker known for directing original scripts and a darling of the A24 crowd, was coming off of 2019’s “Midsommar” at the time. That film was a surefire summer horror hit, while 2018’s “Venom” was, shall we say, a tepid start to Sony’s SSU.
Four years after release, everyone knows what the Sony Spider-Man spin-off was: a highly meme-able disaster, critically, and another stain on Jared Leto’s career and its recent downward trajectory. Would Aster have saved the film if he had taken it on? Not even close. But Sony offering the gig to Aster speaks to the studio’s misguided approach to its SSU IP and what they need to make it work. An up-and-coming director with a distinctive cinematic vision isn’t the only thing necessary to a movie or franchise work. You also need things like–oh, I don’t know–a good script, and an endgame for the material that isn’t merely riding on the coattails of the MCU’s commercial success. So what was Sony thinking about hiring Ari Aster for “Morbius”? Simple: they weren’t thinking, just like they barely put any consideration into what it would take for “Madame Web” and “Kraven The Hunter” to succeed either.
That was then, however, and this is now. “Life” director Daniel Espinosa eventually took on “Morbius,” and the film flopped big-time. Meanwhile, Aster stayed in his A24 sandbox and made 2023’s “Beau Is Afraid,” which critics and audiences largely dismissed, and “Eddington,” now in theaters. Unfortunately for Aster, projects for “Eddington” look like they may end up another divisive misfire. But at least Aster didn’t compromise his artistic vision and integrity to join Sony’s botched superhero franchise. He never would’ve said “yes” to the offer anyway, but it’s almost fun to imagine what an Aster-directed “Morbius” would look like. It couldn’t be any worse than what audiences got, right?
