Jared Leto is concerned about the financial health of the entertainment industry following the Covid-19 pandemic, and he credits Marvel movies with keeping theaters afloat after several month-long closures.

In a recent interview with Variety, the Morbius actor and self-proclaimed cinephile spoke on Marvel’s ability to pull crowds into theaters during a time when no other movie could. “If it wasn’t for Marvel films, I don’t even know if theaters would exist,” he stated. “It doesn’t seem like there’s room for everyone, and that starts to become a little heartbreaking.”

When you look at the most financially successful movies of the past two years, you shouldn’t be surprised to see Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Black Widow leading in terms of box office numbers. Each one of these movies features Marvel franchise characters, which seem to be some of the only bankable properties in the movie industry these days.

Other acclaimed movies, such as musical adaptations of In the Heights and West Side Story as well as period piece The Last Duel failed to rake in the revenue that their studios had hoped. That being said, Leto is grateful for comic book adaptations, as they’ve become the lifeblood of the film industry right now. “I also have gratitude for these movies because they’re keeping cinema alive,” Leto said.

Leto himself appears as the title role in Morbius, which is set in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters. He has also participated in two other films released during the pandemic era — Ridley Scott’s flashy crime drama House of Gucci, and Warner Bros.’ neo-noir mystery The Little Things. “It’s a privilege to be part of a couple of movies in a row that are supporting cinema,” Leto added.

Morbius arrives in theaters on April 1.

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