Spider-Man Star Says The Hobgoblin Rumors Weren’t True
Spider-Man: No Way Home's Jacob Batalon apologizes for his contribution to the rumors that his character would become Hobgoblin in the film.
So one of the big rumors heading into Spider-Man: No Way Home was that actor Jacob Batalon, who plays Peter Parker’s best friend Ned, would possibly turn into the Hobgoblin in the film. That didn’t happen, though Tobey Maguire’s Peter did reference a friend in his universe who turned into a villain. Regardless, Batalon recently addressed the longstanding rumors about his character’s fate in No Way Home during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (via Comic Book).
“You know, I’d just like to say, I’m really sorry, everyone,” Batalon said. “I did this really stupid thing back in 2016 and mentioned it in an interview… And now everyone is talking about it. And I just—I’m sorry for all the misinformation…”
Misinformation is perhaps Spider-Man’s biggest villain. Not too long ago, it was rumored that Paul Giamatti’s Rhino for Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man universe would pop up in No Way Home along with Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, and the other villains from past Spider-Man films. There were also rumors that Kristen Dunst and Emma Stone would reprise their characters from the previous films; however, neither of those actresses appeared.
Despite all the rumors and misinformation, fans were still pleased with what they got from No Way Home. Not only did they witness all three Spider-Men appear together onscreen, but they also enjoyed an incredible Spider-Man-centric story without the shadow of Tony Stark hanging above everything. In many ways, No Way Home served as the launching pad for Spider-Man to have his own stories within the greater Marvel universe without the added pressure (or baggage, considering whom you asked) of other MCU stories and characters weighing Peter Parker down.
Though the question remains, where does Spider-Man’s story go from here? At the end of No Way Home, Peter Parker is erased from everyone’s memory, and only Spider-Man exists. We know from previous MCU projects that once a hero hits a rough patch, it’s only a matter of time before they find redemption.
Will Spider-Man find his redemption in the next installment of the franchise? Will there even be a Spider-Man 4 in the MCU? These are questions fans are definitely wrestling with.
One thing we know for sure is that Ned didn’t become the Hobgoblin, who in the comics is a major foe of Spider-Man and shares many of the same qualities as Parker’s other nemesis, the Green Goblin. Though if Ned had become a villain in No Way Home, it’d add another ounce of guilt that was already drowning Parker in the film. With his identity now intact and his friends no longer knowing him, Parker can now focus on protecting New York and being everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
As for where the character ends up, who knows. The only indication we have regarding there being a Spider-Man 4 in the MCU is that in the post-credit scene of No Way Home, a piece of the symbiote from Tom Hardy’s Venom was left in Spider-Man’s universe and appeared to be crawling toward his location.
If a Spider-Man 4 does happen in the MCU, one can only hope it comes before the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars movie. However, with the news of Secret Wars being delayed, perhaps that even pushes back the next installment of the Spider-Man franchise. Fans of the MCU and Spider-Man will have to wait and see how all of this pans out.
