In the first scene, the sky fills with purple, crackling energy, believed to be a result of Doctor Strange’s multiverse jumble spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Adrian Toomes materializes in an empty prison cell and looks in a mirror to make sure he’s there before quipping, “I hope the food is better at this place.” The scene switches to a news report that describes the strangeness of Toomes’ appearance in the detention center, although there is no prior history. The moderator reports that a hearing has been scheduled that “probably could result in his immediate release.” Toomes is then escorted into a police car by several officers.
It’s a bat. it’s a bird It’s the beginning of something sinister. The latest entry in Sony’s Spider-Man universe, Morbius sets the franchise’s future, doubling down on its ties to the adjacent Marvel Cinematic Universe with two mid-credits scenes. Both feature Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes, aka Vulture, in retaliation for his role in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. And he apparently has big plans for Spider-Man.
The question of how Toomes was transported from the MCU to the SSU has confused some viewers, as Strange’s spell at the end of No Way Home supposedly only restored the villains who breached the multiverse to their original dimensions. But there’s no evidence the Wizard’s spell didn’t also have unforeseen consequences, as we’ve seen with every major spell Strange has cast in the MCU. (He really should work on that.) Keep in mind that the multiverse is rapidly branching into new realities due to the events in Loki. So Vulture’s dimensional leap from the MCU to the world Morbius and Venom inhabit could not only be due to a flaw in Strange’s spell, but also the multiversal madness to come.
The No Way Home post-credits scene may have already hinted at a flaw in the spell, as Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is brought back to his world and part of the Venom symbiote is left behind in the MCU. So it’s clear that not every living thing that knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man was sent back. Does the symbiote stay behind in the same universe where Vulture just left some sort of cosmic balancing act? We just don’t know yet; As Strange tells Peter (Tom Holland) in No Way Home, “The multiverse is a concept we know shockingly little about.” The same is true of Marvel’s rules of magic. Little has been stated on screen as to what can and cannot be done with magic and the resulting costs.
Morbius’ second mid-credits scene appears to take place some time later and finds Michael Morbius driving to a remote rendezvous where Vulture arrives on time. Eagle-eyed viewers might realize that while similar, his wingsuit isn’t the same as the one we saw in Homecoming. In fact, it’s remarkably similar to the vulture wings we saw in a display case in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), suggesting this world could be the home of Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man.
Vulture says to Morbius, “Thanks for meeting me, Doc. i read about you I don’t know how I got here… anything Spider-Man related. I’m considering putting together a team. Do something good.” Morbius simply replies, “Fascinating.” It’s a clear sign that Sony is moving forward with the Sinister Six spinoff, which has been planned since 2014.
It’s also worth noting that Morbius, who was never a member of the Sinister Six in the comics, doesn’t specifically agree with Vulture’s suggestion and doesn’t seem to have a problem with Spider-Man. What that means for Morbius’ anti-heroism and his quest for a cure remains to be seen. All we can say for sure is that nothing in either mid-credits scene contradicts No Way Home, and there’s clearly more to this story and the rules of the multiverse that we hope to see explained in future films.
But what does Vulture have to do with Spider-Man if he doesn’t remember who Peter Parker is due to Strange’s spell? We’re speculating, but Toomes likely still remembers Spider-Man — except that there’s no personal connection to him now, no knowledge that he’s just a kid. Spider-Man is just the guy who locked him away and made his family leave him. We know that Spider-Man’s past deeds were not undone by the spell, at least as evidenced by the bandage MJ (Zendaya) at the end of No Way Home and the damaged Statue of Liberty mentioned in Hawkeye. All signs point to the fight between Vulture and Spider-Man still taking place.