Morbius Gets 'Awarded' with Razzie Noms for Worst Actor & More

By Richard Nebens Posted:
Morbius, Jared Leto

After becoming one of the worst-reviewed movies of 2022, Sony Pictures' Morbius earned award nominations at the parody show known as the Razzies.

Almost no movie in recent memory has hit as many lows as Morbius, which has become the joke of the superhero movie universe since its release in April 2022. Starting right from its opening weekend by earning less money than any MCU movie in history at the box office, things only got progressively worse as fans and critics trashed it from every angle.

This negativity has put Sony’s Spider-Man Universe in a huge hole moving forward, with the franchise now having to win back fans who have lost their faith in the company after producing a movie that was panned for its production, story, and even visual effects.

And now, that negativity has returned to the forefront with multiple nominations for awards that Sony certainly doesn't want on its proverbial mantle.

Morbius Earns Unwanted Razzie Noms

Morbius, Jared Leto
Sony

Coming from the official The Razzies website, Sony Pictures' Morbius earned five nominations for the 43rd Razzie Awards ahead of the show's ceremony on March 11.

The superhero flop was one of five nominees for the "top" award of "Worst Picture" while also being nominated for Worst Actor (Jared Leto), Worst Supporting Actress (Adria Arjona), Worst Director (Daniel Espinosa), and Worst Screenplay.

The full list of nominees can be seen below:

Worst Picture

  • Blonde           
  • Disney’s Pinocchio
  • Good Mourning  
  • The King’s Daughter
  • Morbius

Worst Actor

  • Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly), Good Mourning
  • Pete Davidson (Voice Only), Marmaduke
  • Tom Hanks (As Gepetto), Disney’s Pinocchio
  • Jared Leto, Morbius
  • Sylvester Stallone, Samaritan

Worst Supporting Actress

  • Adria Arjona, Morbius
  • Lorraine Bracco (Voice Only), Disney’s Pinocchio
  • Penelope Cruz, The 355
  • Bingbing Fan, The 355 & The King’s Daughter
  • Mira Sorvino,  Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend

Worst Director

  • Judd Apatow, The Bubble
  • Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) & Mod Sun, Good Mourning
  • Andrew Dominik, Blonde
  • Daniel Espinosa, Morbius
  • Robert Zemeckis, Disney’s Pinocchio

Worst Screenplay

  • Blonde,  Written for the Screen by Andrew Dominik, Adapted from the “Bio-Novel” by Joyce Carol Oates
  • Disney’s Pinocchio, Screenplay by Robert Zemeckis & Chris Weitz (Not Authorized by the Estate of Carlo Collodi)
  • Good Mourning, "Written" by Machine Gun Kelly & Mod Sun
  • Jurassic World: Dominion, Screenplay by Emily Carmichael & Colin Treverrow, Story by Treverrow & Derek Connolly
  • Morbius, Screen Story and Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless

Sony Hits New Lows With Morbius Razzie Noms

In the end, it only seems fitting that Morbius wound up nominated for a handful of Razzie awards. And considering that the film became the punchline of every movie conversation in 2022, coming out of the Razzies with only five nominations can almost be classified as a win, in that didn't end up being any worse.

The nominations that Morbius did receive put into perspective what fans thought of the movie after Jared Leto put forth a performance that turned many away, especially after he'd spent so much energy promoting the outing for two full years. 

And with a script that combined bad decades-old jokes with a predictable plot and no standout performances (outside of Matt Smith's memeable dancing scene), Sony's latest superhero effort simply couldn't get the job done in a competitive genre.

When the studio that actually makes a movie this bad tries to save face by re-releasing it in theaters while knowing it flopped, it only exacerbates the situation, as Morbius can now only hope to not come away from the Razzies with too many wins.

Now, Sony looks to get back on its feet with new releases over the next couple of years as Kraven the Hunter is set for a late 2023 debut before El Muerto and Madame Web hit the screen in 2024. Hopefully, this trio can avoid the Razzie treatment, although fans won't forget about this moment from Morbius for a long time.

Morbius is now available for purchase wherever movies are sold, and it's available to stream on Netflix.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.