'Morbius' director says he isn't fazed by movie's negative reaction by critics: 'I have a lot of self-hatred'

• Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Morbius."
• Insider talked to director Daniel Espinosa about how he featured Michael Keaton in the movie.

Ever since "Venom" became a surprise hit in 2018, Sony has been trying to bring another Spider-Man villain movie to the big screen.

That finally came to fruition on Friday as director Daniel Espinosa's "Morbius" opened in theaters. Jared Leto stars as Dr. Morbius, a famed biochemist who, thanks to bat DNA, is cured of a rare blood disease but turned into a blood-sucking pseudo-vampire with amazing superpowers.

On paper, it seemed like another hit Marvel property. But a lot has happened in the past four years. Most obviously, a global pandemic.

Through all that time Espinosa has been waiting patiently, having to deal with several release date changes, until his movie could finally be released.

And while "Morbius" did top the box office over the weekend, its $39 million domestic and $84 million worldwide debut was less than marvelous for a Marvel release. But things weren't looking good going into the weekend either — it already had an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score of 17%.

Insider chatted with Espinosa recently about everything from the film's famous cameo (and whether it was always intended to solely exist in an end-credits scene), to his thoughts on the critical reaction, to the challenges of releasing a movie in the face of a pandemic.

Jason Guerrasio: Was it frustrating to sit there with a finished movie that, due to the pandemic, could not be released?

Daniel Espinosa: I really like to have things happen quickly. I really do. There's something about the instinctual idea, it has a certain value. Prolonged processes are very problematic both on an emotional level and in practicality of what you do.

This picture, if it came out earlier, who knows what would have happened. But as you said, there was the pandemic. I think if I had sat two-and-a-half years in a normal world waiting for a movie to come out I would have been frustrated, but it wasn't like that. But it was very hard.

One aspect I would imagine that must have been a challenge was how to use Michael Keaton's character, Adrian Toomes. The trailer made it seem like the character was in the movie. But he only appeared in the end credits. What was the evolution of bringing back Vulture?

He never existed in the plot of the movie. He never had a part. But the idea of having Michael Keaton in the movie came back before we even shot the movie. It was really related to showing off the Spider-Verse.

Wow. And correct me if I'm wrong, you started on this movie before "Avengers: Endgame" even came out?

Right!

So then it became a question: How do we use Vulture in the end credits? The ideas must have been endless.

Exactly.

Now in the second end-credits scene when Vulture and Morbius meet, is that really Michael Keaton's voice or was that some movie magic voice doubling?

Oh no, that's Keaton's voice! It is him.

I can say this, there is a Spider-Man, but which one is something that will be revealed. If I said anything else on this they would shoot me. [Laughs.]

We don't want that.

It's exciting and that will be revealed soon. Not like years from now. Soon.

To tell this story, did you need to know what Spider-Man was in this world?

Of course. But also, I told Sony that I can make a concept where, as this is going, other things are going on. So Venom out in San Francisco is also happening at the same time. That's what the exciting thing was about this.

After "Venom" came out, there was a confidence that you can make a Marvel movie that is kind of purified from details of other Marvel movies. For me, Tom Hardy was so dedicated to that project that he willed it to work.

And I would imagine you wanted the same with Jared Leto in your movie.

Yes.

Maybe. I mean, when I did "Life," all I heard was I had to be before the next "Alien" movie came out ["Alien: Covenant" opened two months after 2017's "Life"].

Because, after that movie came out, people wouldn't want to see another movie with aliens. But to me, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the movie is the movie. As the years go by, no one remembers when it came out, just that it exists.

So "Morbius" is not getting received well by the critics. It has a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Do you pay attention to critical reaction at all?

When I did my first feature it was a small movie called "Babylon Disease." I remember one day going home on the subway and I had a few drinks so I was a bit drunk. Someone nudged me on the train and said, "I have to tell you what's wrong with the second scene in your feature," and I was like, "Well, okay."

The point I'm making is that it's a strange thing to make something that is so public.

Look, I have a lot of self-hatred so I have a lot of criticism of my own work. I'm always trying to focus on being better. But I am also proud of what I do. There are parts in all of my movies that I'm really proud of.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.