Jared Leto is standing on a soundstage in West London. He is surrounded by walls of green screen that will later be filled with colorful images of the Amazon rainforest. Behind him is a life-size helicopter and in front of him is the opening of a deep, dark cave. The tension is palpable. The character he embodies is about to perform an act capable of altering existence.
“I love being able to explore the darkest corners of the universe,” says the actor who plays a star character, the eponymous hero in Morbiusa film about superheroes that is part of that Sony Pictures Universe so populated by Marvel characters.
At 50 years old, Leto was recognized for his talent with the Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG awards. In this film, he assumes a role that meant a physical and mental challenge, something to which he is already accustomed and that stands out in each one of the cinematographic projects that he faces.
The full name of his latest character is Doctor Michael Morbius, a famous New York scientist with a strange and incurable blood disease that is slowly killing him. With the bats he catches in the cave, he intends to launch a radical experiment that will cure him—and other humans—of this misfortune.
However, this move will see him cross ethical boundaries, and unknown to Morbius, the price will be terrifyingly high. The experiment will save his life and will give him special powers. But from then on, Morbius will require human plasma to survive. Others will have to die for him to live.
News: How is your character in Morbius?
Jared Leto: Michael Morbius is a guy who does what he pleases. He is an iconoclast. A person who has enjoyed some successful validity betting on his person and breaking rules. And he is not afraid to do this for the sake of a mission that transcends him.
Leto is immensely successful thanks to his focused approach to his art, from his portrayal of a heroin addict in Requiem for a Dream (2000) to his Oscar-winning role in Dallas Buyers Club (2013).
News: What attracted you to the proposal at the acting level?
Leto: It’s very rare that you get the chance to breathe life into a character who has never appeared on screen before. This really stimulated my curiosity.
“It’s a classic story about the origins of a superhero, but it’s not that simple,” he adds. “We are currently ready for much more detailed superheroes. I think there would be no problem if we called Morbius a “super-something”. In many ways he doesn’t fit what is expected of such a hero. But he’s a guy with a big heart and the best of intentions, so it’s exciting to be able to introduce a superhero 3.0 to the world. It has been a fascinating journey.”
Morbius’ journey began in the Marvel comics, in which he made his debut as an antagonist in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (Oct. 1971). Created by writer Roy Thomas and styled by Gil Kane, Morbius became the star of his own stories, so the filmmakers have tapped into his various incarnations in order to create this film.
The film is inserted in the Universe of Marvel and Sony Pictures characters, which also includes Spider-Man and Venom. But in this story about his origin, this character will remain alone. Daniel Espinoza (Easy Money, Safe House, Child 44) is directing, and the cast includes actor Matt Smith, aka the old Dr. Who. On this occasion, Smith plays Milo, a close friend of Morbius who becomes a dark temptation for the main character. Tyrese Gibson and Al Madrigal, meanwhile, lend a hint of levity to the more serious roles as FBI agents dedicated to tracking down the superhero’s activities.
Although the film is dark, Leto says that those moments of levity are important and I hope that Morbius surprises the public. There is no doubt that he has given himself body and soul to the unfolding of his character: the actor is a diligent investigator of his roles.
News: How did you prepare for this character?
Leto: I did as much as I could. Although this disease is fictitious, I wanted to understand countless details. I have spent some time with survivors of rare blood diseases and with people who have suffered from rare and unique diseases. I wanted to know what such a challenge could mean. I did my best to properly embody my character in his very unique circumstances.
News: What else can you add about the character?
Leto: Let’s be clear, Doctor Michael Morbius has embarked on a race against time, in order to save his life, but also the lives of other humans. The intense search constitutes something that powerfully invigorates this story.
The preparation of the actor also accommodated the physical aspect: Morbius ceases to be a dying man to become a physically powerful superhuman.
News: You are an actor who physically commits to your characters, how was the physical preparation for Morbius?
Leto: All of this was physically challenging in many ways. Certainly, the mental challenges were not conspicuous by their absence. It seems to me that this fact made the role a perfect subject for me, because that kind of thing fascinates me, I love physical transformations. It’s very rare that you can get that kind of experience on tapes like this. To be able to see someone who is about to die and who is suddenly in an optimal and incomparable physical state is something completely unexpected.
For Leto, the most satisfying aspect of this role is none other than the dichotomy that the transformation engenders in Morbius. There is no doubt that this character wants to do good, but his new circumstances have generated a whole series of new needs.
News: What brought you this cinematographic experience?
Leto: I love being able to explore the darkest corners of the universe, at least slightly. And of course I love the raw, rebellious and slightly dark nature of Morbius the movie. I am very excited about this tape; I am very excited that people can finally go to a movie theater and enjoy the experience that the production offers.
