SPIDER-MAN Spinoff MORBIUS Casts Jared Leto In Lead Role

According to Variety, actor/singer Jared Leto has signed on as the lead in the forthcoming SPIDER-MAN spinoff, titled MORBIUS. The film is set to be directed by Daniel Espinosa (SAFE HOUSE). Leto has reportedly been attached to the film for some time now, but has not confirmed until now. Production is expected before the end of this year. Sony has yet to announce a release date. Read more about the news from Variety here!

Producing the film is Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, along with Lucas Foster. The script comes from Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama. The story is based on the Spider-Man villain of the same name as the title. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in 1971.

This is Leto's second foray in a comic book role, having previously played The Joker in SUICIDE SQUAD. He also earned an Oscar for his role in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, for which he underwent a dramatic physical transformation by losing 30 pounds. He is also known for his roles in BLADE RUNNER 2049, LONELY HEARTS, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, and FIGHT CLUB. Leto is also the lead singer of the popular band Thirty Seconds To Mars. Thirty Seconds to Mars, comprised of Jared Leto, Shannon Leto and Tomo Milicevic hail from Los Angeles, CA. The band's eponymous debut album, 30 Seconds to Mars, was released in 2002 and remains a cult favorite. They went on to achieve worldwide success with the release of their second album A Beautiful Lie (2005), which sold over 5 million copies. Their next release was This Is War in 2009. The recording process of the album was marked by a legal dispute with record label EMI that eventually became the subject of the award winning and acclaimed documentary film ARTIFACT (2012). Thirty Seconds to Mars then released the fourth album, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), to critical and commercial success. The band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and sells out arenas and stadiums globally.

Thirty Seconds to Mars has received numerous awards and accolades throughout their career, including a dozen MTV Awards, a Billboard Music Award and a Guinness World Record for the Longest Running Tour in history. On July 4th, the band shot a documentary titled A Day In the Life of America. Including over 90 crews in all 50 states (plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico), the project captures American life in a single day. A Day in the Life of America is due for release in 2018. Thirty Seconds to Mars are currently working on their highly anticipated 5th studio album.