Ari Aster is the director behind some of A24's best horror movies, namely "Hereditary" and "Midsommar," though he has branched out into dark comedies ("Beau Is Not Afraid") and neo-Westerns ("Eddington") since making a name for himself as a conjurer of nightmares. Regardless of which genre he's working in, though, Aster makes original projects that boast a distinguished auteur style, and it's hard to imagine him lending his talents to a Marvel flick. That said, it turns out the director was offered
a chance to helm the sucky vampire movie "Morbius," as he recalled in an interview with "Semafor." To quote him directly:
"I feel like I shouldn't say. Should I? I was asked to do Mor ... Is it 'Mobius?' 'Morbius?' We could have added it to my list [of flops]."
"Morbius" sees Jared Leto play the titular biochemist-turned-bloodsucker, who becomes a creature of the night after infecting himself with vampirism during an attempt to improve his health. He also has a brother named Milo Morbius (Matt Smith) who suffers from the same predilection, but unlike Leto's antihero character, he chooses to embrace his bloodlust and cause some havoc. Given that "Morbius" boasts some horror elements, it's understandable why Sony Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, and the other concerned parties here wanted to tap an acclaimed genre filmmaker like Aster to direct it. However, the fact Aster barely remembers the film's title suggests that he has no interest in working with Marvel -- and he has also been critical of superhero movies in the past.
Read more: The 10 Scariest Horror Movies Of 2024, Ranked
Ari Aster's Issue With Superhero Movies
Martin Scorsese once criticized superhero movies, specifically Marvel Cinematic Universe films, by comparing them to theme park rides (and not in a fun way), opening up the floodgates for journalists to ask filmmakers to share their thoughts on the trend. Indeed, Ari Aster is one of many acclaimed directors who've since been asked to express their opinions on these type of blockbusters, and while his critique wasn't as savage as Scorsese's, it's clear he has some issues with Marvel and DC's pop cultural dominance. As he once told PTI (via Business Standard):
"I am annoyed by the monopoly. But it's probably safer for me to not present an opinion given that it's a scandal every time someone does. But I think any monopoly is unhealthy, and certainly that applies to this one."
As of this writing, it seems that Aster has no interest in making movies about caped crusaders, as he'd rather tell original stories and be part of the change he wants to see. That said, "Morbius" might have turned out better than it did if Aster had been at the helm -- even though he probably wouldn't have been allowed to make anything as gruesome or disturbing as "Hereditary" or "Midsommar."
"Eddington" is now playing in theaters.
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