All is right in the Spider-Verse, at least for the moment. The mega-media conglomerates Disney and Sony have worked out their issues and not only will Spider-Man feature in a Marvel Studios-produced third film that will supposedly wrap up the character’s MCU arc, but he’ll also appear in one other Marvel Cinematic Universe production.
With things settled and the future secure, at least for the time being, many have been turning their heads to what’s next. With Spider-Man 3 set for a 2021 premiere, that doesn’t leave a lot of prep time. And while the fallout of Far From Home will have to be addressed, there are little to no details about the next onscreen adventure for the web-slinger.
However, if Jacob Batalon, who plays Peter Parker’s best bud Ned, has his way, things will take a dark turn for his character. During a recent interview, the MCU star commented on his desire to transform into a classic Spidey-Villain, saying:
That just further validates my theory of Ned becoming Hobgoblin, but hey… But it’d be so great [if] they’re not going to want me to die. [I hope] they’re going to want me to stay on and be part of the Sinister Six. That’s just my theory.
This is interesting for a number of reasons. For starters, there is some precedence for it, as in the comic books, Ned Leeds does become the Hobgoblin. And playing up the friend gone bad is a classic trope that could add a lot of emotional, and personal, weight to the MCU’s Spider-Man stories.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the Hobgoblin’s a villain that’s never appeared onscreen. He’s been rumored several times, most notably in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 in 2007, but that didn’t pan out. Moreover, Kevin Feige has stated on multiple occasions that they want to break new ground and they don’t want to use villains that have already been done.
So, if they do have Ned Leeds fulfill his comic book destiny and become Hobgoblin, then not only would they be able to pay homage to the classic Goblin-esque villains within Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, but they’ll get to do it in a fresh way.
