he Ever since his first appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker’s best friend and close confidante Ned has become a firm fan favorite. We spoke with actor Jacob Batalon and confirmed Ned is actually a key Spider-Man comic book character. His future in the MCU might see him embrace his villainous side!
Whether movie Ned was named for the Spidey-villain Edward “Ned” Leeds was a hot topic after Homecoming came out. Ned’s full name was confirmed during the home video release of Spidey’s first MCU outing. Since then, it’s a point that has largely gone unnoticed because of the MCU-ending drama of Endgame. But a new relationship in Far From Home hints that Ned’s future might be closer to that of his comic book inspiration than we’d first thought.
In the Spider-Man comics, Ned Leeds marries The Daily Bugle receptionist, Betty Brant before becoming the villain known as the Hobgoblin. In Far From Home, Ned embarks on a new relationship with none other than the MCU’s version of Brant. Batalon gave his read of the new romance during our phone interview. “It’s a very cute nod to the comics. Ned and Betty are just a very cute couple. It’s a really sweet relationship that he has while they’re on vacation. They’re just these two innocent, young kids who want to see what love is.”
So we had to know whether or not he might take the next step in Ned’s life, one as a famed Spider-Man villain. Though he couldn’t give us a concrete answer, Batalon would love to take on the iconic role and get to flex his bad side! “To be completely honest, yes. I would love to, I would love to do that. That just sounds like such a fun process as an actor to go through. But at the same time, Ned is just a really sweet guy. I definitely don’t see that in him. But, you know, I’m definitely not saying I couldn’t do it. I could definitely do my best villain. I’d love to.”
It seems unlikely that we’ll see Ned go bad just yet, but the MCU usually has a long term plan. The fact that Ned’s namesake is one of the most recognizable Spidey villains out there could still come into play in the future.
Images: Sony, Disney, Marvel Comics
