Who is he for, the new Marvel hero? For Jared Leto, quite proud to be the first to play Morbius in the homonymous film by Daniel Espinosa. “It’s exciting to create a character that we had never seen on screen,” he confides to 20 minutes. This opens up an incredible field of possibilities by giving all the freedom to appropriate the role. »
The actor, recently seen in Joker of Suicide Squad and in House of Gucci by Ridley Scott, is poisonous at will in the role of this scientist suffering from a genetic disease whose remedy that he tried on himself transforms him into a vampire. “It’s a complex role a la Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” he says. It is neither good nor evil but is beyond Good and Evil. »
A case of conscience
Jared Leto is at the top of his performance, especially when Morbius is weakened by his illness and struggles to move. “This aspect of my performance was very physical, explains the actor. I learned from stroke victims to fine-tune my body language. I wanted the viewer to feel the hero’s suffering and to make his metamorphosis more impressive. He suddenly becomes a force of nature with a sculptural physique but can only feed on human blood and must fight against homicidal tendencies.
So of course, the actor does not really play the card of sobriety to share the ethical concerns of the good doctor. “But this case of conscience is fascinating, insists Jared Leto. Interesting developments may result, because this opus only marks the beginning of his adventure. This film revolves around his rivalry with his childhood friend, played by Matt Smith (ex Doctor Who and Prince Philip in the series The Crown), who suffers from the same pathology but is much less concerned about human lives once he has tasted hemoglobin.
“Superhero movies are popular and I’m happy to try my hand at them, especially since I’m not used to playing the headliners, recognizes Jared Leto. For someone like me who specialized in independent cinema, Morbius is a real opportunity. The film’s post-credits footage suggests that his performance as Morbius is just an appetizer, and that the actor might find his place among the stars of the Marvel multiverse.