Jacob Batalon has talked about taking on more villainous roles in future, possibly suggesting his character in the MCU’s Spider-Man series, Ned Leeds, could be set to become the Hobgoblin.
Fans have been hoping to see Batalon’s Ned become the villainous Hobgoblin since his introduction to the MCU in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. For a time in Marvel’s comics, Ned Leeds was believed to be the Hobgoblin while being brainwashed to act as a decoy for Roderick Kingsley, the real Hobgoblin.
While the future of Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man franchise and Ned’s place within it are uncertain right now, Jacob Batalon has hinted he’s looking to move into some more villainous film roles.
Is The Hobgoblin Coming To The MCU?
In a recent interview with Esquire, Jacob Batalon was asked whether he would consider playing more villains in future, something the Spider-Man star showed enthusiasm for and suggested may already be in the works.
Batalon spoke about how he used to gravitate towards darker roles, as well as touching upon the positive impact playing Ned in the MCU Spider-Man films has had on him. The actor said that more villainous roles are already “in the works” for him, which may refer to projects outside the MCU, but could suggest there have already been talks about introducing the Hobgoblin.
Check out Jacob Batalon’s comments in full below:
“You know, I’d love to. I feel like as an actor [when I was in drama school] I really gravitated more towards really dark dramatic things as opposed to comedy and things of like that nature but I found, you know, playing Ned and Reginald, it has sort of given me this light where I wasn’t seeing things so negatively and I wasn’t thinking so deeply or darkly about things… it’s a very light presence and it’s been a very positive effect on my life. So I feel like… I’m looking forward to doing a lot of other things, which you know people may not see me doing right now. But yeah, those things are in the works for sure.”
When Jacob Batalon last appeared as Ned in Spider-Man: No Way Home last year, the character discovered he had magical abilities and was able to use Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring. If future Spider-Man films build on this, it’s possible audiences could see a mystical version of the Hobgoblin.
Here is the synopsis for Spider-Man: No Way Home:
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.
Directed by Jon Watts from a script written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, No Way Home stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Keep following Heroic Hollywood for more news on Jacob Batalon’s MCU future, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Esquire