Spider-Man: No Way Home actor Jacob Batalon teases the possibility of playing villains in future film roles. Batalon, who is currently portraying the titular Reginald in Syfy's comedy series Reginald the Vampire, is best known for his portrayal of Ned Leeds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ned acts as Peter Parker's best friend throughout the MCU, appearing prominently in all three Spider-Man films and making cameo appearances in two Avengers movies. Both a comic relief and a loyal friend, Ned has become a mainstay of the MCU's Spider-Man series.
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Unfortunately, the end of No Way Home signaled Ned's uncertain future as Peter's best friend. During the film's climax, Peter is forced to erase himself from everyone's memory in order to stop villains from other realities who tried breaking through the multiverse to find him. Doing so also meant that both Ned and Peter's girlfriend, MJ, would have all memories of their lives with Peter wiped. This was proven to be the case when Peter tried talking to both of them at the end of the film, with MJ seemingly not recognizing him. While it's unclear how Ned will develop in later Spider-Man installments, his return is still a possibility.
In an interview with the Dark House podcast, Jacob Batalon teased the likelihood of having a future role as a villain. Batalon did not mention the MCU nor any other project specifically, but he did strongly hint that he is preparing himself for an antagonistic role in the future. Check out what Batalon said when asked about playing a villain role 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.
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.
Ned Leeds Is Already Tied To A Spider-Man Villain
Batalon's comments have a potential connection to his role as Ned Leeds in the MCU's Spider-Man films. In the comics, Ned becomes the Hobgoblin, albeit a version of the character brainwashed by the real Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley. However, Ned is not Peter's best friend in the comics, instead working with him at the Daily Bugle as a reporter. While the friendship between Peter and Ned has been lost due to the end of No Way Home, it's still possible that the MCU could shake up how Ned's role as the Hobgoblin originates due to this different dynamic.
It's compelling to think that Batalon, who is more well-known for his comedic roles, may be gearing up to play a villain in an upcoming film or show. While it remains unclear if Ned will transform into the Hobgoblin in the future, theories abound about how he may become Peter Parker's next big adversary. Regardless of whether his first role as an antagonist stems from Spider-Man: No Way Home or not, Batalon's experience in darker roles from drama school is sure to impress when that day comes.