Sony Pictures just released the next step in its Spider-Man Universe with Jared Leto's Morbius. The film had previously been hit with multiple delays, including one likely caused by the extreme success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. But fear not, it's finally here, and it's—well, not great, at least according to those who have seen it thus far.
Many have pointed out the dated feel of the movie, lackluster visual effects, and a truly baffling set of post-credits scenes. Even Sony's previous outing, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, wasn't torn apart nearly as badly as the Living Vampire has been; its Rotten Tomatoes score wasn't anything to be proud of either.
Given the vocal outrage, it's hard not to wonder what the man behind the project thinks about everything being said. Thankfully, the director behind Morbius sat down and revealed exactly what he thinks of all the words being thrown his way.
Morbius' Daniel Espinosa Faces the Critics
In an interview with Insider, Morbius director Daniel Espinosa commented on the negative reviews his recent project has been receiving.
The director commented that "it's a strange thing to make something so public," and how he is "always trying to focus on being better."
"When I did my first feature it was a small movie called Babylon Disease I remember one day going home on the subway and I had a few drinks so I was a bit drunk. Someone nudged me on the train and said, 'I have to tell you what's wrong with the second scene in your feature,' and I was like, 'Well, okay.' The point I'm making is that it's a strange thing to make something that is so public... look, I have a lot of self-hatred so I have a lot of criticism of my own work. I'm always trying to focus on being better. But I am also proud of what I do. There are parts in all of my movies that I'm really proud of."
As of writing, Sony Pictures' latest film sits at 16% critic approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 3.8/10. Numbers are notably higher on the audience side of the equation, with Morbius holding strong at a 70% and 3.80 out of 5 rating—though, a discrepancy between the two parties is quite common, with audience scores generally being higher when compared to critics.
Espinosa also spoke to Comicbook.com, saying that he tries not to pay too much attention to the harsher criticism and admitting that putting out films in a public forum is "always very strange" for him:
"I mean, I try not to... I just ask my friends to send me the ones that they think are clever. I mean, good or bad. And then I get a bunch of clever stuff and the stuff that my friends don't think is clever, maybe it's just healthy for me to read. So, it is that. You make a movie that is supposed to be public. I mean, it's part of the fundamental concept of what you're doing, but it's always very strange."
It's Okay to Admit Morbius Was a Misstep
While the audience approval for Mobius may be at 70%, that doesn't generally mean audiences are loving it far more than critics. After all, the movie got the second-lowest Cinema Score of any Marvel film ever—just above Fan4stic.
It's fairly rare for the talent behind a project to talk badly about any aspect of it publicly, so Espinosa's response is par for the course. Though, given his workaround, he clearly has some issues with the final product—the details of which audiences will likely never know.
Listening to negative feedback is vital as a creative force. It's something one has to be open to if they ever hope to hone their craft and become better artists—even if they disagree with every comment said.
For those who want to form their own opinion on the movie, Morbius is now playing in theaters worldwide.
