Written By Mikey Sutton • Editor-in-Chief • Owner
Bryan Cranston could become Spider-Man’s greatest enemy; he is being looked at as the new Norman Osborn.
The Breaking Bad actor was fan-cast as Norman Osborn for years.
He has the right look; moreover, the multi award-winner has the gravitas to pull off the complexities of the villain.
Notice I said Norman Osborn but not his costumed alter-ego the Green Goblin.
Sony used the Green Goblin several times in their Spider-Man movies.
Willem Dafoe; Dane DeHaan; and James Franco (in a twist on the character) have all played him.
Marvel Studios hasn’t used the Green Goblin in their Spider-Man films.
Oversaturation of the character is a primary reason.
Furthermore, this is why Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) as the Hobgoblin is a path that excites Marvel Studios.
The Hobgoblin would be a fresh way of including his legacy in the MCU.
It’d be something familiar yet new.
Insiders reveal that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige doesn’t want a Green Goblin retread.
There was speculation years ago that Norman Osborn would be the next Big Bad in the MCU.
I shot this down for two reasons.
Bryan Cranston Considered for Norman Osborn in the MCU
Image: Topps
First, sources said that isn’t the case. Norman Osborn is going to be a letdown after Thanos.
He’s nowhere near as powerful; the Hulk could pick him up with one hand and throw him across state lines.
Secondly, Marvel Studios doesn’t own the film rights to Norman Osborn; Sony does.
Therefore, should the MCU build up to him, and Sony decides to pull the plug, there goes the IP.
If they were going to use Norman Osborn, it would not be on that massive scale.
Feige does want Norman Osborn as a bad guy for Spider-Man in his college years.
Much of this interest is tied into Bryan Cranston possibly in the role.
There are plans to introduce the Thunderbolts on Disney Plus as well.
Writer Kurt Busiek created the Thunderbolts in The Incredible Hulk No. 449 in 1997.
They are a group of reformed supervillains. Jeph Loeb developed them as an ABC show when he was in charge of Marvel TV.
The Thunderbolts are Marvel’s Suicide Squad, basically.
Various Thunderbolts are already in the MCU; they include Baron Zemo, Ghost, and Taskmaster.
To Feige, if Norman Osborn led the Thunderbolts in the MCU, it would be a spectacular way of rebooting him.
But, in order to do that, there would have to be some legal dealings with Sony for permission.
Unfortunately, the red tape might prevent that from happening. Most likely, Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) will head the team.
Whatever direction they take with Norman Osborn, Bryan Cranston is at the top of their wish list.
Related: Scoop Confirmed: Chris Evans to Return as Captain America
