Summary:
- Jacob Batalon, who stars as Ned in the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, recently talked about his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- He also addressed the fan theory of Ned Leeds becoming the villain Hobgoblin, implying that Marvel executives may have considered the possibility.
- Having Holland’s Peter Parker fighting his best friend in the fourth movie might be a plot twist that the MCU needs.
Jacob Batalon, known for his role as Ned Leeds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently addressed speculation about his character’s dark turn in the upcoming Spider-Man films. As Peter Parker’s best friend, Ned has been a key figure in Peter’s journey so far in the MCU.
However, following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Doctor Strange casts a spell to make everyone forget Peter’s true identity, fans have been curious about what’s next for Ned. Has he completely forgotten about his best bud? Will he and Zendaya return to the sequel?
Speaking with CBR, Batalon shed some light on his character’s future, expressing openness to various possibilities within the MCU:
“I’m open to anything, and I think we all are open to anything. Unless you’re like a superhero, like big time, one of the main ones they’re trying to make movies about, you don’t really know what’s going to happen. In the industry, people don’t want to hope to wish.”
“So, I would hopefully [return]. I’m down for anything. I would love to be a part of something special again. But also at the same time, I understand it’s a business, and people may not want that thing anymore, so I’m just being more realistic than anything else.”
From what he said, it seems that Batalon doesn’t know much more than us when it comes to the plot of MCU’s Spider-Man 4. Even if he appears in the movie, it still makes sense since Spider-Man 4 is still in its early developing state.
Batalon also commented on the swirling rumors that his character could turn into the villainous Hobgoblin, a storyline familiar to fans of the Marvel Comics:
“Honestly, I’m not sure. Again, we may have talked about things, for sure, but I don’t know if it would’ve really led to anything serious about being a villain, or anything like that.”
This hints that while there might have been discussions about Ned’s potential transformation into Hobgoblin, these ideas may not have progressed beyond preliminary talks. However, since Batalon didn’t deny it, there’s still a good chance that the theory can happen.
In the comics, Ned Leeds becomes the Hobgoblin himself after being brainwashed, and has clashed with Peter Parker‘s Spider-Man numerous times before meeting his own demise. This backstory fuels speculation that Batalon’s Ned could undergo a similar transformation in the MCU.
After all, it would be interesting to see old friends like Peter and Ned turn against each other in the upcoming movie, as it would undoubtedly add a dramatic twist to the storyline. This theory is also entirely possible thanks to Ned’s memory of Peter is completely erased at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Or, with how the Multiverse story is reaching its peak in the MCU, Spider-Man 4 could see Peter Parker fighting a Ned variant from another dimension, who is corrupted by the power of the Hobgoblin, instead of the Earth-616 version. However, this theory could contradict Spider-Man 4’s plan to have a more grounded story.
For now, there is little update for the upcoming Spider-Man title, but you can catch Jacob Batalon starring in the horror movie Tarot, which will be premiered on May 10.
