Marvel is making a mainstream MCU version of Norman Osborn seem increasingly likely, with Spider-Man: Freshman Year being the latest example. Norman Osborn, also known as the villainous Green Goblin, is Spider-Man’s deadliest enemy in the main Marvel Comics universe, and Osborn was famously depicted definitively by Willem Dafoe in 2002’s Spider-Man and 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Osborn’s announced role in Freshman Year and Dafoe’s reprisal of the role in No Way Home suggests that it’s only a matter of time before the mainstream MCU continuity unveils its own iteration of one of Marvel’s most dangerous antagonists.
In Marvel’s Spider-Man comics, Norman Osborn is Spider-Man’s greatest enemy as the Green Goblin, and modern storylines have shown him to be an Avengers-level threat when he turns his attention to the larger Marvel universe. The Green Goblin’s deadly powers and his vast arsenal of weaponry pale in comparison to his sinister mind and penchant for utterly destroying the psyche of nearly anyone who crosses him. Willem Dafoe perfectly depicted the Green Goblin of the comics in his live-action appearances, and while his story ends in No Way Home, his appearance shows how well the Green Goblin fits into the MCU.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year may not take place in the mainstream MCU universe, but it is likely set in one adjacent to it in the MCU multiverse, making it part of the MCU franchise and allowing it to include fascinating parallels to the main continuity. For instance, Norman Osborn will play a similar role to Tony Stark, serving as Peter Parker’s mentor before presumably becoming his Halloween-themed alter ego. Considering the key role that Norman Osborn played in Spider-Man: No Way Home and is set to play in Spider-Man: Freshman Year, his eventual introduction to the mainstream MCU universe seems inevitable.
When Will Norman Osborn Arrive In The MCU?
Spider-Man: No Way Home not only revealed interesting tidbits about Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man universes, but also the primary MCU timeline. The Raimi universe’s Norman Osborn reveals that Oscorp doesn’t exist in the MCU, and while this implies that the MCU doesn’t have a Norman Osborn, it might mean that its iteration simply hasn’t founded the company yet. With Tony Stark dead and having ended weapons development in the first Iron Man film, Norman Osborn, who is just as brilliant but perhaps lacks Stark’s ethics, can take his place. The MCU’s Norman Osborn might even be the person who purchased the former Avengers Tower, making it his company’s headquarters in a future MCU film.
While not as powerful as Thanos or Kang the Conqueror, Norman Osborn is one of the most dangerous beings in any Marvel universe, potentially overshadowing the MCU’s other major villains through his ability to destroy the spirit of the heroes. After Kang’s defeat, having a villain like the Green Goblin would threaten the MCU in a way that the Mad Titan and the Conqueror couldn’t. Although the story of the Raimi universe’s Norman Osborn has been concluded, Willem Dafoe is still the ideal choice to play the mainstream MCU’s Norman Osborn (depicting another universe’s iteration of him, similar to J.K. Simmons’ MCU version of J. Jonah Jameson). With Dafoe’s return to the role and Norman Osborn being a major character in Spider-Man: Freshman Year, the MCU appears to be hinting at the debut of its own version of the Green Goblin.
