Morbius Makes $84 Million on Box Office Opening

Morbius, following in the footsteps of Venom and laying the groundwork for Kraven, opened at $39.1 million in the United States and $44.9 million abroad for a total of $84 million worldwide.

Morbius, based on the Marvel Comics antihero, stars Jared Leto as a scientist who accidently changes into a living vampire while trying to discover a treatment for a rare blood illness.

So, where does “Morbius” stand now? It’s a hint, therefore, that superheroes can enthral moviegoers in ways that few other genres can. But it also shows that not every Marvel character has the potential to be a smash hit. With “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” (April 8) and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” (April 15) on the horizon, box office analysts predict “Morbius” will be lucky to break $100 million in the United States. Marvel movies routinely hit this milestone after only a few days on the big screen.

“Morbius,” directed by Daniel Espinosa, stars Jared Leto as famous scientist Doctor Michael Morbius, who transforms into a living vampire after attempting to cure himself of a rare blood condition. The character isn’t as well-known as Spider-Man, Batman, or Venom, and the film doesn’t seem to be part of a broader plot like “Eternals” or “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” As a result, “Morbius” wasn’t projected to outperform prior comic book tentpoles based on such characters in terms of box office profits.