SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Star Jacob Batalon Walks Back Hobgoblin Comments With Surprise Apology

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Star Jacob Batalon Walks Back Hobgoblin Comments With Surprise Apology

Spider-Man: No Way Home star Jacob Batalon has spent years teasing Ned Leeds' possible transformation into the MCU's Hobgoblin, but now walks back on those comments, issuing a surprise apology to fans...

By JoshWilding - Oct 11, 2022 06:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Spider-Man
Source: The Tonight Show

If you're at all familiar with the Amazing Spider-Man comic books, you'll know that the Hobgoblin's secret identity is...complicated. Roderick Kingsley is perhaps best known for suiting up as the villain, though Flash Thompson and Ned Leeds were both either framed or brainwashed into taking on that moniker for a time. 

Jacob Batalon plays Ned in the MCU, starring as Peter Parker's best friend in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home

In the latter, we finally got a tease - of sorts - that there might be a villainous future mapped out for Ned. Now he no longer remembers Peter, it's easy to imagine him heading down a dark route, but Batalon has walked back on his past Hobgoblin teases during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show

Asked about potentially becoming Hobgoblin in a future movie, the actor said, "Uh-huh. Interesting. You know, I'd just like to say, I'm really sorry, everyone. I did this really stupid thing back in 2016 and mentioned it in an interview. And then I stupidly just continued with the story as if like I knew what was going to happen. And now everyone is talking about it."

"I'm sorry for all the misinformation...a lot of people like the idea and a lot of people are disgusted by the idea. So I just feel like - because I'm very much, I'll do whatever. You know what I mean?"

It would be somewhat ironic for Spidey's best pal to become a Goblin, especially after the havoc that Norman Osborn Variant unleashed on Peter's life. At this point, there's still no official word on Spider-Man 4, and we have no idea who would potentially be the big bad of that movie, especially with Sony Pictures making use of baddies like Venom and Kraven the Hunter. 

Check out our interview with Tom Holland about his Spidey future below:
 

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TheDpool
TheDpool - 10/11/2022, 6:21 AM
Must have been hard to find a decent guest that night.
Thing94
Thing94 - 10/11/2022, 6:26 AM
No, no, no.

And no.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 6:40 AM
"A lot of people are disgusted by the idea."

Congratulations, internet.

You have successfully fat-shamed your way out of a comics-accurate storyline. Where were you when Molina was cast as Doctor Octopus?
Superspecialawesomeguy
Superspecialawesomeguy - 10/11/2022, 7:07 AM
@ObserverIO - Well it would've made no sense if they complained about Molina seeing as Doc Ock has always been kind of a round boi lol.

EarlChai
EarlChai - 10/11/2022, 1:34 PM
@ObserverIO - Did his weight have anything to do with it? I just don’t want him to become a villain because I like his friendship with Peter. Also, didn’t he lose like a ton of weight recently?

Either way, I’m not sure him becoming Hobgoblin would be comics-accurate, since he’s always played the role of Ganke Lee but with Ned Leed’s name. Comics Ned was a coworker at the Bugle, but never really a close friend of Peter.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 1:41 PM
@EarlChai - It was definitely a weight thing and it was disgusting. He seems to be taking it in his stride though.

Harry Osborn was also Peter's friend. The difference with Ned is that he's redeemable and there's a bit of a twist or two regarding the Hobgoblin.

It's also been perfectly set up in NWH with him being revealed as Homo Magi and telling Peter that he will never become a supervillain and betray him, only for him to forget who Peter is and not have him in his life any more.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 10/11/2022, 7:10 AM
Did anyone really buy into it?
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/11/2022, 7:54 AM
@GhostDog - not at all lol
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 10/11/2022, 7:54 AM
I wouldn't mind it if he actually shows up as part of a Sinister Six in the third movie if Spider-Man's next trilogy. Before that though, I want Spider-Man interacting with Daredevil first
7ThsoNh0rizin
7ThsoNh0rizin - 10/11/2022, 8:17 AM
What makes him a good candidate,I thought Hobgoblin was an in shape,white guy? And what was this tease in the movie... was it because he forgot he was friends? Why would that automatically make it a tease. Wouldn't he just move on with his life because he a zero idea who pete/spiderman is? I just don't get it.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 1:46 PM
@7ThsoNh0rizin - Peter was his best friend. Not having im in his life might set him on a dark path. He's also a magic user, so he could become corrupted by certain forces (like the demogoblin).

It happens in the comics so saying it can't happen here because he's not an "In shape, white guy" is like saying he can't be Ned Leeds for the same reasons. He is Ned Leeds already.
7ThsoNh0rizin
7ThsoNh0rizin - 10/11/2022, 3:16 PM
@ObserverIO - ook,so the only thing stopping him from being on a dark path before he knew Peter was spiderman was just having Peter as a friend. As far as his look...his description is that of a man who works out regularly and uses tech right? Or am I wrong? I am genuinely trying to understand how someone is supposed to be a character and looks nothing like or I guess acts like what that comic character is.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 3:28 PM
@7ThsoNh0rizin - He is that character. It's too late for that. He's been Ned Leeds for 3 Spidey movies and an Avengers movie.

However he looks in the comics, he looks like Jacob Batalon in the movies. So Hobgoblin would look like that too.
7ThsoNh0rizin
7ThsoNh0rizin - 10/11/2022, 3:53 PM
@ObserverIO - makes sense,thanks for explaining it.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 4:05 PM
@7ThsoNh0rizin -
AgentSmith
AgentSmith - 10/11/2022, 11:08 AM
Am I missing the point of this article? I don't get it. I mean, I read whatever it was he said, but are we thinking he is now playing coy? Honestly, going goblin would really be an off direction since now he is conveniently a sorcerer supreme, apparently... Don't get me wrong, LOVED SM:NWH for just about everything else - I just found that oddly convenient and a little lazy in the writing... So, how does it make sense to find magic only to be Goblin?
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 1:48 PM
@AgentSmith - Demogoblin.
EarlChai
EarlChai - 10/11/2022, 1:27 PM
They’re clearly setting Ned up to be something, what with that shot of the knives and sewing machine in his grandma’s apartment. Although if I had to guess, I’d say he’ll be a hero rather than a villain.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 10/11/2022, 1:51 PM
@EarlChai - I'm thinking there could be a good goblin, a bad goblin and an ugly demon.
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