The successes of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) have reinvigorated a Marvel flagship comic franchise, but while the spinoffs have been lucrative they have so far been critically reviled.

“Morbius” seems to be part of a trend following “Venom” (2018) and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (2021). Although revolving around a fearsome antihero dubbed the Living Vampire, who first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” comics in 1971, the new film decidedly lacks bite. 

While otherworldly escapism is a big part of the appeal of adapted-from-comics movies, “Morbius” does not have nearly the scale or gravitas that fans have come to expect. Take the legacy character out of the equation, and this is virtually indistinguishable from any garden-variety horror/thriller released in the post-Oscars dumping ground. 

“Morbius” opens amid the lush mountains and waterfalls of Cerro de la Muerte in Costa Rica, where Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) slashes his palm in front of a cave in order to summon a torrent of bloodsucking bats. It’s a spectacular, though somewhat gratuitous, set piece. 

The narrative then briefly flashes to 25 years prior, when young Michael (Charlie Shotwell) met Lucien (Joseph Esson), whom he inexplicably nicknamed Milo, at a hospital in Greece where they were treated for a blood disorder that rendered them barely able to walk, even with crutches. 

Present-day Dr. Morbius has devoted his life to finding a cure for this affliction, and he is not above risking his medical license toward that end. He creates chimera cells with the DNA of bats that feed on blood, and proceeds to have them injected into his spine. His discovery does more than cure his condition, as he can now dangle from the ceiling — but he is also turned into a living vampire. 

Analogous to Jason Statham’s “Crank” character needing to maintain his adrenaline, Dr. Morbius must consume blood every four to six hours to keep functioning. At least his conscience apparently remains intact, which we discover can’t be said about the adult Milo (Matt Smith) after he injects himself with the same cells against Dr. Morbius’s advice.  

Mr. Leto convincingly portrays Dr. Morbius as he transforms from frail and debilitated weakling to jacked-up superhero. His physical performance is on point, especially when ambulating haphazardly with crutches. Mr. Leto is reputedly a method actor, and one can’t tell how much assistance he receives from visual effects and makeup. 

The supporting cast members — including Adria Arjona as his colleague/love interest, Dr. Martine Bancroft — aren’t as memorable, save perhaps for Tyrese Gibson, who plays against type as Detective Stroud.  

Despite its Marvel pedigree, “Morbius” has something of a cheap look. The production designer’s staged interpretation of New York City, where most of the action sequences take place, is dumpy and Oliver Wood’s green-tinted cinematography doesn’t help, as it precisely evokes the bargain horror/thriller aesthetic. 

Dialogue is barely discernible in the terrible sound mix and the “Spider-Man”-esque final showdown between Dr. Morbius and Milo is utterly forgettable in light of previous films, “No Way Home” included. 

The most interesting bit is in the epilogue, when Michael Keaton appears as Adrian Toomes, otherwise known as Vulture. Director Daniel Espinosa seems unable to contain his glee at having the former DC Batman in the Marvel “bat”-man film, not even waiting for the end credits to finish rolling before flaunting his scenes. 

In this moment, it becomes clear that “Morbius” is basically just a one-hour, 44-minute trailer for other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to come.