Morbius actor shoots down rumours he's playing huge Spider-Man villain

(Image credit: Sony)

With the Morbius trailer more or less confirming the vampire movie’s existence as part of the MCU, all sorts of theories have become fair game. One of them revolves around the formation of the Sinister Six, a supervillain group that can count Vulture and Scorpion (already both introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming), as well as the nefarious Doctor Octopus among its members. One of Morbius’ actors, though, has moved to deny any suggestion that he’s secretly playing Doc Ock.

“No,” Harris told Variety Fair at the SAG Awards 2020 when asked about the Doctor Octopus rumours. “I love the imagination that the fans have, it’s exciting for me to think about the imagination that that fans have. But yeah no, [I’m not playing Doc Ock].”

So, those hoping for a stealth Sinister Six formation in Morbius can hold fire for the moment. The tentacled tyrant supposedly isn’t showing up. That’s not to say Harris isn’t playing someone who is up to no good, though.

His brief trailer appearance shows his unnamed character – in a white lab coat, hence some of the rumours – leading a younger Michael Morbius through to what looks like a hospital. It’s unclear at this stage exactly what kind of experiments go on there but Harris, who has previous as an iconic villain, playing Professor Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, is certainly a contender for playing a part in a third-act twist. He seems nice. Too nice.

Harris, meanwhile, is keeping further details about who he’s playing under wraps – for now. Maybe stick around for the inevitable post-credits scene. Just in case.

From Spider-Verse to Far From Home, here are the best Spider-Man movies, ranked!

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Latest in Action Movies
The cast of Thunderbolts
Marvel fans are revealing who they'd like to see added to the Thunderbolts lineup, from Moon Knight to a major Hulk villain
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson doubles down on never coming back as Black Widow: “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?"
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four
The Doctor Doom actor from 2005's Fantastic Four thinks Robert Downey Jr.'s take on the role in the next Avengers movies will be "pretty extraordinary": "I love watching his work"
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
James Gunn reveals Jason Momoa text him about Lobo the day he was announced as DC Studios co-head
Latest in News
inZOI Character Studio screenshot showing a young woman with short black/pink hair, black cat-like ears, and a black blouse with a bowtie
The creator of upcoming life sim Inzoi says he was "recklessly brave to even think about creating a game of this scale"
Rise of the Ronin
A year after its PS5 launch, Rise of the Ronin debuts on PC to "Mixed" reviews and performance complaints: "Stuttering on a 4090 is just... no"
Rise of the Ronin's photo mode offers some wonderful shots
On the heels of Rise of the Ronin's PC launch, its director says there's a "significant" amount of Japanese Switch gamers: "I am closely watching how this will change with the release of Switch 2"
Stardew Valley Castle Village mod
Stardew Valley Expanded creator is building an "even more ambitious" mod with a whole new city and "dungeons inspired by The Legend of Zelda"
Dino Crisis 2 art showing a young woman and man back-to-back amid tall green grass, both with their weapons drawn
Dino Crisis gets a fresh trademark filing by Capcom, but it might not mean the 26-year-old survival horror franchise will get a new installment like fans expect
Cujo
Netflix is making a brand new adaptation of Cujo, the infamous Stephen King book about a killer dog