Spider-Man Theory: Ant Man & the Wasp Teases Norman Osborn

Is it possible Walton Goggins's Sonny Burch is working for Spider-Man villain Norman Osborn in Ant-Man & the Wasp? The character is something of a mystery in the film, a sneak-thief who's attempting to steal Hank Pym's technology - but the movie deliberately keeps his employer's identity a secret.

Marvel seems to be purposefully avoided tying up that plot thread. That may not mean anything in the short-term, though. After all, Marvel first teased the existence of Wakanda in 2010's Iron Man 2, a full six years before viewers finally met Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. Marvel Studios has a well-earned reputation for playing the long game, planting details that seem to be little more than cool Easter eggs and then turning them into major plot-points years later. It may even be that the studio hasn't decided who it is Burch is working for, but know this is a loose end they could tie up in a future movie with relative ease.

Or it may be that Marvel is building up to something. The latest theory is that Sonny Burch is working for a particularly important character - the MCU's yet-to-be-revealed version of Norman Osborn.

This Page: What's Going on with Norman Osborn in the MCU?
Page 2: Norman Osborn Could Be Sonny Burch's Employer

What's Going on with Norman Osborn in the MCU?

In 2014, Marvel Studios reached an unprecedented deal that would allow them to introduce a brand new Spider-Man in the MCU, played by Tom Holland. The precise terms of Marvel's deal with Sony aren't in the public domain, but it appears part of the price they paid was to allow Sony to develop their own range of Spider-villains films - the first of which, Venom, will be released in October this year. The relationship between the Sony Spider-villain films and the MCU is currently unclear. It's also unknown whether or not Sony's desire to use a character would prohibit Marvel from doing so. So all in all, there are a lot of unknowns.

What is known, though, is that Marvel Studios initially decided to avoid using Spider-Man villains who've previously been seen on the big screen. As Spider-Man: Homecoming producer Amy Pascal told us in an interview:

"I think there are certain characters I don't think there's anything more to say about them right this minute?... I think we have to try to be really fresh with it. I mean, I don't know how many more times we can do - at least for now - I don't know how many more times we can do the Green Goblin. I've certainly tried to do it fifty."

Given Pascal's comment, it's hardly a surprise Norman Osborn's name wasn't mentioned in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Interestingly enough, there have been consistent rumors that Osborn's company, Oscorp, was planned to play a major part in Sony's spinoff Silver & Black. In August 2016, there were reports that Sony was looking to cast a voice actor to play the part of Norman Osborn in the film. According to these rumors, Sony wanted to avoid showing the character's face in case Marvel chose to cast a different actor for the part in their movies. Sony wanted Osborn to become a possible link between their spinoffs and the MCU. The Silver & Black script is currently being rewritten, so it's unknown whether this possible connection will be retained. Still, if this report is true, it suggests Sony believed Marvel would use Norman Osborn sooner or later.

The Norman Osborn Theories

Norman Osborn is an iconic Spider-Man villain, and as a result, some viewers are watching carefully to see if they can spot any hint the character already exists in the MCU. The most notable theory to date is tied to the plot of Spider-Man: Homecoming, where Tony Stark sold off Avengers Tower. The film was silent about just who was buying the building, but fans have theorized that Avengers Tower was actually purchased by Osborn's company Oscorp, and will become the MCU's version of Oscorp Tower.

There's currently no evidence one way or the other on this theory, just like the question of Sonny Burch's employer, so it's possible Marvel Studios hasn't yet decided who the buyer really is, and that this is simply a loose plot-thread left to be tied up in a future film if the studio should choose to do so. But if this theory is indeed correct, then it suggests Marvel is carefully laying the foundations to use Norman Osborn as a major villain in Phase 4. It also suggests viewers should be looking for other unexplained plot threads that could tie to Norman Osborn.

Page 2 of 2: Norman Osborn Could Be Sonny Burch's Employer

Theory: Norman Osborn Was Sonny Burch's Employer in Ant-Man & the Wasp

One such loose plot thread is clearly the identity of Sonny Burch's employer in Ant-Man & the Wasp. The film carefully avoided dropping even the slightest hint, and Sonny was clearly far too professional (most of the time) to give away any names. But three things are certain, and all point to the possibility that Norman Osborn was Burch's employer.

The first is that, self-evidently, whoever Burch is working for must be able to pay him. What's more, it's an open secret that the Pym Particles grant people superhuman powers, which means Burch is probably being paid a healthy amount to cross wits with the Pyms. He even offers Hope $1 billion, so whoever Burch is working for is likely a billionaire.

Secondly, whoever Burch is working for must have good connections in the tech industry. After all, Burch's employer clearly knew about Pym's experiments with the Quantum Realm, and even knew that Pym had created a portable laboratory for Burch to steal. Whoever hired Burch, he clearly has brilliant connections.

Following on from that, this mysterious employer also evidently has an interest in advanced technology - technology that we know could be weaponized quite easily. The first Ant-Man revealed just how dangerous the Pym Particles could be if they fell into the wrong hands, while the sequel revealed that exposure to the Quantum Realm could create pretty dangerous super-soldiers. It seems logical that whoever hired Burch isn't in this business for altruistic reasons, but rather hopes to weaponize Pym's technology.

Industrialist and weapons manufacturer Norman Osborn ticks all these boxes. He has an (unhealthy) interest in weapons manufacture, he's deeply interested in advanced technology, he has tremendous connections, and he could most certainly afford to pay Sonny Burch to steal Pym's lab. He'd be the perfect candidate.

What This Would Mean for Green Goblin's Future

Assuming these theories are correct, Marvel is taking a slow-burn approach to their version of Norman Osborn, introducing him gradually as a shadowy figure with an interest in advanced technology and weapons. That would be a smart approach; while Sony has done the Green Goblin before on the big screen (twice), the focus here is actually on industrialist Norman Osborn himself, the corrupt businessman who simply seeks to become wealthier and more powerful. It's an approach that aligns with recently animated portrayals, for example in Marvel's Spider-Man.

Comic book fans have long understood that Norman Osborn is a far more interesting character than the Green Goblin. In fact, in the comics, Osborn took advantage of the Secret Invasion event to rise to a position of prominence in the United States Government. He actually became the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s successor, an organization he dubbed "H.A.M.M.E.R.," and instigated the phenomenal "Dark Reign" era of comics. This is an arc that's uniquely available to the MCU version of Norman Osborn, as it requires a whole host of superheroes in order to adapt it.

It's distinctly possible Marvel Studios is actually building up to this story. Certainly, all the pieces are gradually being moved into place. The "Secret Invasion" featured an alien race known as the Skrulls, who disguised themselves as a number of familiar characters, and they're set to make their MCU debut in next year's Captain Marvel. Osborn gained power through involvement in the Thunderbolts program, and two members of the Thunderbolts - Baron Zemo and Ghost - have now been introduced to the MCU. Rarely enough for Marvel villains, both characters have survived.

While tantalizing, it is important to remember that, while Marvel Studios can use Sony owned character in the MCU, they don't actually own the rights to those characters, so while Tom Holland's Spider-Man can show up on screen with the Avengers, Marvel Studios may not be comfortable pinning their entire phase 3 strategy on characters they don't' fully own, instead preferring to structure things around their properties and have Spider-Man play in that sandbox instead of vice-versa.

Even so, the possibility is too tantalizing to ignore. If Marvel is indeed taking this kind of approach with Norman Osborn, then it stands to reason he's essentially the "Thanos" figure of the post-Phase 3 MCU. Certainly these theories suggest he's a lot more important to the future of the MCU than simply being a future Spider-Man foe.