Morbius Was Inspired By Pokémon, Said Director Daniel Espinosa

Following the incredible success of Venom and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Sony Pictures has announced Morbius, the spin-off starring Jared Leto as a brilliant scientist with a rare blood disease.
As part of Sony's cinematic universe, Morbius was initially scheduled for last year, but has been delayed several times due to the global pandemic. Recently, the movie has recently been rescheduled for a new release date, which is April 1st this year.

Source: Sony Pictures

During a promotional interview granted exclusively to IGN, director Daniel Espinosa revealed that he was inspired by Pokémon for the way in which Morbius releases purple energy during action scenes. The idea came from his own experience after spending years watching Pokémon with his six-year-old daughter, who is a big fan of the franchise.

Source: The Pokémon Company

“I really adore how they use light and colors to express those powers," Espinosa explained. "When you watch Morbius he always has this trail of purple in the comic books and that normally is just lines that are made with a pencil. But I thought maybe if we can take that kind of Pokémon-esque idea and translate that over to the psychedelic experience, I could create a new version of how to express powers.”
It is a somewhat bizarre yet creative choice, given that the original Morbius is not able to release or leave behind purple energy in the comics. It cannot be ruled out, however, that Espinosa confused the purple cloak worn by the character in the 90s with a form of energy.

Source: Marvel Comics

Regarding the character's fighting style, stunt double and choreographer Greg Townley said it was quite bestial.
“The fighting style of Morbius is very predatory and beast-like,” he shared. “The way he moves sometimes is catlike, wild, and quite feral in the moment. He's not comfortable in his own body, because he is used to being quite frail, not being able to do these things. Now he's got this overwhelming power, which he doesn't know how to control. He doesn't know how to deal with it yet.”

Source: Sony Pictures

Directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, Morbius stars Jared Leto (Michael Morbius), Matt Smith (Milo), Adria Arjona (Martine Bancroft), Tyrese Gibson (Agent Simon Stroud), Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes / Vulture), Jared Harris (Emil Nikos) and Al Madrigal (Agent Alberto Rodriguez). As mentioned above, the movie will hit theaters on April 1, 2022.