Looks like the Peters are really unlucky when it comes to best friends, right?

Tom Holland’s run as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has been widely appreciated and so is his Peter Parker’s bonding with Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds. The duo practically redefined friendship goals which is why it was such a hard punch to the gut when Ned did not remember his bestie at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home thanks to Doctor Strange’s spell.

After the exceptional success of No Way Home, fans have been eagerly waiting to see how the studio tops this with the next sequel, which is currently in development. According to a new rumor, it looks like Spider-Man 4 will be taking on the route where Ned becomes Hobgoblin.

Will Spider-Man 4 Turn Ned Leeds Evil?

As per an industry insider who goes by the username ‘@HolyfieldM5’, Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds will be turning into the Hobgoblin in the upcoming Spider-Man 4, just like in the comic books. The rumor states, “Jacob Batalon will return to the MCU in the new Spider-Man trilogy as Hobgoblin and will have connections to the multiverse.”

There were a few subtle signs pointing to Ned’s future character change in No Way Home. For starters, the film saw Ned use magic to open multiple portals using Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring. Those who have read the comic books, or are familiar with Hobgoblin, know that Ned’s version of the character has trained as a sorcerer under Baron Mordo in the art of reality-altering chaos magic.

Another point to note is when Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker recalls the story of his best friend Harry Osborn trying to kill him in his own world to Ned, Ned tells Tom Holland’s Peter that he would never turn into a supervillain who tries to kill him. As we know very well, Marvel loves to hide easter eggs around its projects and this could very well be a little hint at the future and what’s to come.

Plus, since Ned has no recollection of his time with Peter because of the spell, he is no longer loyal to his ex-best friend. This could easily pave the way for Ned, who is one of the most beloved characters in the Spiderverse, to do a complete 180-degree turn.

Could Jacob Batalon Play a Different Hobgoblin?

Many fans have been holding on to the hope that one day they will get to see Roderick Kingsley’s storyline come to life. Kingsley was once a fashion designer with criminal underworld connections who became a billionaire thanks to unethical practices.

He came across the original Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s secret hideout and found his equipment and formula which he then refined to enhance its benefits. Doing so, he reduced its madness-inducing side effects and was able to reap the benefits of superhuman strength, speed, and intelligence minus the mental instability.

However, as the original Hobgoblin, Roderick was highly cautious about protecting his identity. For this, he often resorted to using others as pawns, including Ned. Ned was brainwashed by Roderick to act as a duplicate on many occasions and to fool people into believing that he was the real deal.

After his assassination, Ned is revived since he is revealed to have ingested a copy of Osborn’s Goblin formula while under the brainwash. Later, it was unveiled that his Hobgoblin had trained in the art of reality-altering chaos magic.

Since many have ben wanting to see Kingsley’s Hobgoblin come to life, perhaps we can get the best of both worlds by following a similar storyline as seen in the comics. Another way to have both Ned and Kingsley’s versions of the character in the films is if the former played a version of Demogoblin, a demonic version of Hobgoblin.

Either way, if the rumor turns out to be true, we are going to see Batalon in a completely different look. It’ll be quite interesting to see how such a loveable character and a true friend turns against Holland’s Peter and sets himself on a villainous path.