"Morbius" director Daniel Espinosa confirmed that star Jared Leto used a wheelchair to travel to and from bathroom breaks so he could stay in character on set.
In a new interview with Uproxx, senior entertainment writer Mike Ryan brought up a rumor about Leto initially walking to the bathroom with crutches, similar to his character Dr. Michael Morbius. It was rumored that a compromise was made, in which Leto was transported via a wheelchair in order to move faster and reduce the time.
The director verified the story, saying: "I think that what Jared thinks, what Jared believes, is that somehow the pain of those movements, even when he was playing normal Michael Morbius, he needed because he's been having this pain his whole life. Even though, as he's alive and strong, it has to be a difference."
"Hey, man, it's people's processes," Espinosa added, saying that actors have different processes and "as director, you support whatever makes it as good as you can be."
In Leto's latest role, he portrays the titular Marvel antihero in Sony's "Morbius."
Due to a rare blood disorder, Michael Morbius a world-renowned biochemist relies on forearm crutches in order to walk more steadily.
When he finally creates a serum made from bat DNA, Morbius becomes physically stronger with superhuman abilities like echolocation. But the results are ephemeral, leading the doctor to drink blood frequently to maintain his more powerful form.
In interviews, Leto has been secretive about how he developed his unsteady walk for his character.
The actor, who prefers to use the term "immersive acting" over "method acting," implied that he went beyond putting a pebble in his shoe to alter his walk and create a limp.
"I don't want to get too specific because I'd like to keep some of that for myself," he told Variety. "I worked with people who had this specific physical challenge and modeled it after that."
Adria Arjona, who stars as a scientist named Martine Bancroft in "Morbius," told the publication that Leto's dedication to the physical mannerisms of his role had her "fearing for this guy's spine."
"Morbius" is now in theaters.
