Who Is The Second Green Goblin In The Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer?
Why have just one internet-breaking "Spider-Man" trailer when two will do? The second trailer for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" officially broke the multiverse wide open, revealing once and for all that the MCU's Peter Parker will, in fact, go up against a handful of alternate universe foes. The alternate universes these formidable antagonists hail from, of course, precede the introduction of Holland's take on the character. Thanks to directors Sam Raimi and Marc Webb's prior "Spider-Man" franchises, "No Way Home" will see Alfred Molina's Doc Ock, Jamie Foxx's Electro, Thomas Haden Church's Sandman, Rhys Ifans' Lizard, and Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin pose the ultimate challenge to our favorite web-shooting hero.
It's the return of this last Spidey villain and specifically a certain shot of a very noticeably different-looking Goblin late in the trailer, however, that has raised some eyebrows among fans. Check it out below.
Is it possible that this "Two is better than one" approach will translate to the appearance of multiple characters suiting up in the classic green outfit to wreak some havoc, too? In the multiverse, there are truly no rules — especially when it comes to this particular villain who has been embodied by several different individuals, both in the comics and on the big screen, as well. Let's dive into all the possibilities, from the most likely to the biggest imaginable stretch and everything in between.
It's Literally Just Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Folks
Alright, not to be a killjoy or anything but let's get the most boring and obvious answer out of the way first. I, for one, have a sneaking suspicion that Occam's Razor might very well apply here. If main characters going through multiple costume changes in a given superhero movie is a time-honored trope, then it's not the biggest stretch to imagine a villain doing the exact same thing. Dafoe's Norman Osborn is given quite the cackling entrance in this newest trailer, showing off all the gorgeous details of his updated suit and accompanying glider after we last saw them in 2002's "Spider-Man." Though that revealing trailer shot later on occurs under the cover of nighttime and lasts for a blink of an eye, it's clear that there are some major variations between that and the above suit, including a different glider, no helmet, and various differences between the suits themselves.
My controversial proposal: it's just Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin! Rumors and hearsay abound that this multiversal version of Norman Osborn will appear at some point in the film sans helmet and sporting some nifty goggles, which generally lines up with what we glimpse in that image. Though he'll ostensibly be backed up by a handful of fellow Spidey villains (assuming they don't end up fighting themselves, first. You know how supervillains can get!), any fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is bound to leave a mark ... perhaps enough that Osborn will end up needing to rely on a backup, more cobbled-together suit for future encounters later in the film. It's not the sexiest possibility, I know, but isn't there only so many characters who can appear in this movie? If we're still not 100% convinced that Andrew Garfield is telling the truth about not appearing in "No Way Home," then between him and Tobey Maguire, that's another two characters who may be joining the fray. Adding yet one more Green Goblin into the picture might be overkill.
Place your bets now, people. I know what my money is on.
Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn
Well, isn't that the question of the day? Even despite many attempts by fans in recent years to rehabilitate both of the "The Amazing Spider-Man" movies, we won't sugarcoat this one. From the writing of the character to his appearance (that haircut, man) to his alter-ego's final design, Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn wasn't exactly a highlight of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." That's no slight against the actor himself, who has proven to be a compelling presence in films like "Chronicle," "The Place Beyond the Pines," and especially as the lead in Gore Verbinski's "A Cure for Wellness." But if Thomas Haden Church's Sandman can return, largely considered to be a misfire in Raimi's "Spider-Man 3," then why can't DeHaan get a second chance to make things right?
The "No Way Home" trailer ends on an incredibly teasing note, with Doctor Strange worryingly remarking that, "They're starting to come through ... and I can't stop them." The most commonly-accepted narrative is that this sequence will culminate with the arrival of the other Spider-Mans (Spider-Men? Spiders-Man?), but what if this actually signals the arrival of even more Spider-Man antagonists from the previous films? DeHaan's Green Goblin won't go down in the annals of classic cinematic villains, but he is at least responsible for the neck-breaking heartbreaking death of Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy. Given the apparent willingness of "No Way Home" to recreate that moment almost beat-by-beat with Holland's Peter and Zendaya's MJ, what's stopping director Jon Watts and his writers from bringing in DeHaan's Goblin and all the baggage he comes with?
James Franco's Harry Osborn
To address the elephant in the room: James Franco has become persona non grata in the time since his last appearance in Raimi's "Spider-Man 3," stemming from multiple credible allegations of sexual misconduct. So right up front, that tempers any significant chance that Marvel or Sony would want to associate themselves with someone who would provoke quite a bit of justified backlash. But in an effort to make this as comprehensive as we can, it's worth addressing the possibility — as slight as it may be — that Franco's Harry Osborn may appear alongside his father Norman.
From a pure storytelling point of view, this version of Harry has an entire trilogy's-worth of history with Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man. He introduced conflict and drama between Peter and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), held onto a lifetime of daddy issues related to Dafoe's Norman Osborn, discovered Peter's secret identity, and ultimately waged war on his former best friend in the clunky final film. Though he ended up reconciling with Peter before dying of his wounds in "Spider-Man 3," his reappearance in "No Way Home" would bring a touch of melancholy to Doctor Strange's portentous words that these villains are fated to die in encounters with Spider-Man. Because if we're being picky, neither the Lizard or Sandman ever died fighting our hero in their respective versions while Doc Ock ultimately sacrificed himself to save the world. Franco's Harry, on the other hand, could help lend some weight to "No Way Home" — especially if he appears alongside Tobey Maguire's Peter.
Ned Leeds' Hobgoblin?!
That's right, we've saved the biggest, most out-of-left-field guess for last. This final possibility has to do with Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds, Peter's best friend who has served as his loyal ally throughout this trilogy of MCU "Spider-Man" films. Few casual moviegoers would anticipate that Ned's path could end up with him suiting up in a Goblin outfit, but stranger things have happened! Notably, those stranger things have happened in the comics themselves. In certain storylines, Ned becomes the third notable character to pick up "Hobgoblin" mantle — albeit against his will. Kidnapped and brainwashed in the issue of "Hobgoblin Lives #3," Ned is ultimately killed off tragically and his short stint as Hobgoblin comes to an end.
As we all know, Marvel Studios loves picking and choosing certain aspects of comics lore to adapt to their own ends for the MCU films. In our wildest supposition yet, what if Ned dons a leftover Goblin suit — perhaps after Norman Osborn or any other potential iteration is finally dispatched for good — in a heroic moment to help save Peter when all hope seems lost? It's hard to imagine the MCU adapting their own version of Harry Osborn at this late stage, so perhaps Ned would fill that role as Peter's superpowered friend for this threequel. This, we admit, is entirely conjecture and not terribly likely to come to fruition ... but as we've said, stranger things! Whoever ends up being revealed to be underneath that second Goblin suit and regardless of whether any other Spider-Man versions join Holland's Peter in this desperate battle, it's clear that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. We'll find out for sure when the film releases in theaters on December 17, 2021.