SUMMARY
Spider-Man 4 could see the long-awaited arrival of the Hobgoblin, bringing 17 years of suspense to a dramatic payoff.
Ned Leeds could be the perfect character to take up the Hobgoblin mantle, especially after the events of No Way Home.
Introducing Hobgoblin avoids repeating the path already taken with Norman Osborn, offering a fresh and compelling narrative twist.
Spider-Man 4 may be a glimmer on the MCU’s horizon, but that hasn’t stopped theories abounding over the movie’s perfect arch-villain, which could be one that was teased 17 years ago. Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s most prolific and successful superheroes, with a cinematic career that began in earnest with 2002’s Spider-Man. Since then, he has appeared in several Sony-led sequels and reboots, before 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home brought the iconic actors who portrayed him together in a multiversal lesson in how to do fan service.
Spider-Man 4 will be the first time that Spider-Man has appeared in a fourth sequel, following Thor in being one of the most prolific MCU characters. Given Spider-Man: No Way Home became the third-highest-grossing MCU movie to date, Sony and Marvel have wasted no time confirming the sequel, though story details are still well under wraps. Thankfully, Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery is so vast that there are villains aplenty for the web-slinger to tussle with in the story of Spider-Man 4, and one in particular that is in dire need of a payoff that has been 17 years in the making.
Between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, here is every upcoming Marvel movie release date and what we know about the projects so far.
Spider-Man 3 Teased Hobgoblin But Didn’t Use Him
Spider-Man 3 Released In 2007
Spider-Man 3 takes place in the years following Norman Osborn’s death after he was impaled by his own glider. In its early scenes, Harry Osborne is reintroduced after resolving to take on the Goblin mantle for himself in a quest to enact vengeance on Spider-Man, whom he believes to be his father’s killer. While his official moniker is never mentioned, Harry considers himself the “New Goblin,” a stronger and more stable version of his father, after discovering his father’s Green Goblin paraphernalia – which draws several parallels to the Hobgoblin of Marvel comics.
In the comics, a corporate fashion designer called Roderick Kingsley initially discovered Osborn’s stash upon Osborn’s apparent death. He proceeded to perfect the Green Goblin formula before becoming the Hobgoblin.
These similarities were cemented by the inclusion of a golden Goblin mask placed beside the original green mask in Harry’s new secret lab. Several characters have taken on the Hobgoblin mantle in Marvel Comics, but his distinctive visage and orange wardrobe are consistent identifiers, and the Raimi-style gold mask is telling. Suffice it to say, the scene combined with the circumstances of Harry’s discovery implied that Harry was poised to take on the moniker himself – but the payoff never came. Instead, it may fall on Ned Leeds to take up the mantle in Spider-Man 4.
Why Spider-Man 4 Is The Perfect Time For Hobgoblin
A Spider-Man 4 Release Date Is To Be Confirmed
Now that Ned Leeds, along with everyone on the planet, has forgotten who Peter Parker is following Doctor Strange’s incredibly powerful spell, their bond is no longer an obstacle.
Ned Leeds is one of the more prominent figures to adopt the Hobgoblin persona in Marvel Comics and was initially revealed to be the original before he was retconned into being a puppet of Roderick Kingsley. With the MCU’s Ned Leeds being so close to Peter Parker, the circumstances surrounding a possible descent into villainy have been a head-scratcher for several years. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, however, the arrival of the MCU’s Hobgoblin has never been more plausible.
Now that Ned Leeds, along with everyone on the planet, has forgotten who Peter Parker is following Doctor Strange’s incredibly powerful spell, their bond is no longer an obstacle. While a convincing motive will still be necessary to send Ned down the dark path of villainy, the narrative heft that would come from having Peter Parker tussle with his best friend is hard to discount. After all, Peter Parker is still well aware of Ned and their history and will face a significant challenge if forced to cause him harm.
Hobgoblin Avoids Repeating No Way Home’s Villain
Spider-Man: No Way Home Released In 2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Hobgoblin’s arrival is predicated on the life and death of Norman Osborne, as Hobgoblin is essentially co-opting Osborn’s villainous work. Until Spider-Man: No Way Home brought Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn into the MCU, this would have necessitated treading familiar ground regarding cinematic Spider-Man villains, while an MCU-specific Norman Osborn hasn’t been so much as hinted at in the franchise so far. With that being said, the Goblin is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic nemeses, and it would almost be remiss of the MCU to omit him entirely.
In that case, Hobgoblin is a worthy compromise, with Ned Leeds being established as a far more consequential character in the MCU than in Marvel Comics. In this sense, he has replaced Norman Osborn, whose influence in the MCU is almost too late to introduce so far into the Multiverse Saga. Plus, with Ned Leeds showing an affinity for sorcery, the MCU is setting him up to be akin to the Mordo-trained Hobgoblin of the comics in Spider-Man 4 who may wield sorcery in place of pumpkin bombs, distancing him further from the unassailable legacy established by Willem Dafoe.
