Matt Smith Discusses the Batman Tribute He Tried to Include in ‘Morbius’ That Was Cut

Matt Smith is sharing insights about a concept he wanted to incorporate into ‘Morbius’ that ultimately didn’t make it to the final cut. The ‘House of the Dragon’ star disclosed that he attempted to include a well-known Batman reference in the Sony superhero film, but that moment was removed prior to its release.

In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with host Josh Horowitz, Smith reflected on his experiences portraying complex characters often found in morally ambiguous situations. He discussed roles such as Daemon Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’ and Patrick Bateman from the stage adaptation of ‘American Psycho’, noting that actors frequently enjoy pushing characters into uncomfortable territories.

Horowitz suggested that performers like to test audiences by exploring how far they can stretch a character before viewers lose their connection. Smith concurred, explaining that probing those boundaries is part of what makes acting compelling.

“I think it’s intrinsic to every actor. You want to push your own limits as well, right?” Smith remarked during the discussion.

While discussing characters who traverse moral boundaries, Smith mentioned one of cinema’s most iconic villain quotes. He revealed that he tried to use the Joker’s legendary line from Tim Burton’s 1989 ‘Batman’ film during ‘Morbius’, but the reference was ultimately cut.

“What’s that line? It’s Jack Nicholson. ‘Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?’” Smith stated.

He explained that he actually delivered the line while filming ‘Morbius’ and hoped the filmmakers would retain it as a fun homage.

“I got that line in ‘Morbius’, by the way, and they f—king cut it out! I improvised that line. I was like, ‘Come on, let’s nick that from Big Jack.’ And they cut the f—ker out. Can you believe it?” Smith told Horowitz.

This led to a humorous exchange between the actor and the podcast host. Horowitz quipped that the removal of the Batman reference was the real reason ‘Morbius’ struggled, saying, “That was the problem with the movie.”

Smith laughed and agreed, joking that the deleted scene could have dramatically altered the film’s reputation.

“That was! That would have just changed the whole damn thing, wouldn’t it? Jesus Christ.”

Smith also discussed another notable ‘Morbius’ scene that fans frequently mention: Milo dancing shirtless in front of a mirror. He explained that this unusual moment was not part of the original filming but was created later during additional shoots.

“Basically, we came back like months later [after initial filming] and they were like, ‘Well, we don’t know what we’re gonna do with this. Why don’t we whack your top off and get you to dance in the mirror?’ And I was like, ‘Cool. Okay. Yeah, let’s go!’” Smith shared.

‘Morbius’ was released in 2022 as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, the film starred Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, with Smith portraying the villainous Milo. The movie faced challenges during its release due to multiple delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite its recognizable cast and ties to Spider-Man characters, ‘Morbius’ received largely negative reviews from critics and grossed approximately $167 million worldwide. The film later became a topic of discussion online due to memes and jokes about its reception.

Although ‘Morbius’ did not achieve the superhero success Sony anticipated, Smith’s remarks demonstrate that the actor was eager to experiment and contribute his own ideas to the character. Fans can only speculate how the omitted Batman homage might have influenced audience perceptions of the film.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!