Why Horizon Labs In Morbius Means More Than You Think
Contains spoilers for "Morbius"
Before ever becoming the living vampire, Dr. Michael Morbius dedicated his life to finding a cure for the chronic, debilitating blood disease he'd suffered from since childhood. In "Morbius," that means going to a school for gifted kids, developing a synthetic version of blood, and experimenting on himself with vampire bat DNA. It's that last thing that turns his life upside down, giving him superpowers alongside an undeniable need to consume blood. Thus, Sony's newest antihero in its Spider-Man Universe is born: the batty Michael Morbius.
Although the movie is mostly self-contained, "Morbius" sneaks in a few references to the larger Marvel universe around it, like when the FBI agents mention a thing in San Francisco and when Morbius jokes that he's Venom — aka that thing in San Francisco. However, one crucial part of the "Morbius" story inextricably links him to Spider-Man. Horizon Labs, where Morbius spends his time taking care of patients, conducting shady experiments, and standing in his bat aquarium, is the site of Peter Parker's dream job.
Comic book Peter Parker works at Horizon Labs
In the comics, Horizon Labs is a pioneer of advanced technology in the Marvel Universe. Its CEO is Max Modell, a popular scientist and one of Peter Parker's role models. Once Peter does get a job there, he uses the lab to make high-tech Spidey suits and gear for his superhero alter ego. One of his fellow scientists at Horizon Labs is none other than Morbius himself.
However, the movie "Morbius" frames the setting a little differently, making it more akin to a hospital. Still, it seems to be a research-heavy place, considering Morbius' extensive lab there. Plus, it's bound to have many rooms and uses we didn't see while he was fighting his newfound bloodlust in his office.
Director Daniel Espinosa has already hinted on Twitter that we'll be seeing this universe's Spider-Man soon, so Horizon Labs could be the site of that reveal. Maybe Andrew Garfield's Peter has taken a job there since the end of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," since Oscorp comes with so much baggage. After all, Garfield has said he's open to doing a third movie as Spidey. Of course, this is assuming the poor reviews for "Morbius" don't kill any future plans for Sony's Spider-Man Universe before it even finds its eight legs.