Unused No Way Home Art Pays Off MCU Spider-Man 3’s New Goblin Tease-TGN

Summary

• Spider-Man: No Way Home concept art hints at Ned Leeds potentially taking on the role of Hobgoblin, as he is shown using the Green Goblin’s glider and pumpkin bombs.

• The sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home could explore a darker path for Ned, as his character is left on his own and could potentially fall into the hands of the actual Hobgoblin from the comics.

• The release date for Spider-Man 4 is yet to be announced, but fans can expect to see Ned and M.J. return in future MCU installments, hopefully in the near future.

While Ned Leeds got to shine in Spider-Man: No Way Home as he discovered his magical potential, new concept art reveals a major nod to Hobgoblin. Spider-Man: No Way Home was, without a doubt, the biggest film for Peter Parker in the web-slinger’s entire media history. Not only did Tom Holland’s Peter get his trilogy finale, but he got to share the screen with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Men, as they took on the villains from Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s franchises.

As much as Peter had in Spider-Man: No Way Home, his best friend Ned also got to take the spotlight, discovering his potential for magic. However, it appears that the Phase 4 film almost paid homage to Ned’s comic book history as the Hobgoblin.

In new concept art that is featured in Spider-Man: No Way Home – The Art of The Movie (via @MCUnewsLive,) Jacob Batalon’s character is seen riding the Green Goblin’s glider while wielding his pumpkin bombs. In addition to that, Ned is wearing an orange-and-blue hoodie, serving as an homage to Hobgoblin’s color traits.

RELATED: Spider-Man: No Way Home Redefines MCU Post-Credits Scenes

No Way Home’s Unused Art Makes Spider-Man 4’s Villain Theory More Likely

While Ned and Peter have been depicted as best friends throughout their entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with the web-crawler now on his own, with his friends and loved ones having forgotten the hero’s real identity. With that in mind, it could set the stage for Ned to go down a dark path in Spider-Man 4, as the sequel is still in development. It would obviously have to be a different take on Ned’s Hobgoblin trajectory, as he and Peter were originally Daily Bugle rivals in the comics.

Depending on when Spider-Man 4 takes place, the story could see Ned having connected with some wrong people, including Roderick Kingsley, the actual Hobgoblin, who ends up brainwashing him in the comics and having him serve as the supervillain. Not only would this be a devastating arc for Peter, but this would be an opportunity for Spider-Man 4 to have the hero get his friend back, as he would have to find a way to save him while also making him remember their friendship.

The bigger question right now is when Spider-Man 4 will actually happen, as nothing has yet been announced. Nevertheless, Ned and M.J. will likely be back for the next installment. Hopefully, fans will see the characters back in the MCU after Spider-Man: No Way Home sooner rather than later.

Source: Spider-Man: No Way Home – The Art of The Movie (via @MCUnewsLive)

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