The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly expanding, thanks a steady stream of new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. As always, fan are interested in upcoming Marvel movies, particularly the future of Tom Holland's Peter Parker. A new rumor claims a beloved Spider-Man villain may be joining the shared universe, and I really hope that it's true.
What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is super limited, resulting in fan theories and rumors filling in the blanks online. The fourth Spidey movie is expected to film soon, and a new rumor from scooper Daniel Richtman claims that the studio is hoping to bring Norman Osborn/Green Goblin into the shared universe. Given his iconography, plus the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, I think this would be a great idea.
Tom Holland's tenure as Peter Parker has been wildly successful, and he's fought a number of iconic villains including Vulture, Shocker, and Mysterio. But his timeline hasn't had its own version of Norman Osborn... yet. So bring it on!
Of course, we should treat this rumor with a grain of salt for the time being. There's no telling if/when Osborn will actually pop up in the MCU. The report even clarifies that he's not necessarily going to be the villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So really it seems like just about anything could happen. Or in this case, not happen.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall that Norman Osborn/Green Goblin did recently get to appear in the shared universe. Willem Dafoe reprised his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which brought heroes and villains from the previous two franchises into the MCU. The performance is great and he ended up really challenging the morality Tom Holland's Peter Parker, so it would be interesting to see how he reacts to meeting his timeline's version of the same character... especially if Norman once again becomes the villainous Green Goblin.
There are countless questions about Spider-Man's future in the MCU, especially after the twist ending of No Way Home. Doctor Strange's spell managed to successfully remove the memory of Peter Parker from anyone who knew him. Now Tom Holland's hero is alone in the world, with not even MJ or Ned remembering him. And as such, it feels like the fourth movie Brand New Day could seemingly go anywhere narratively.
While I'd love to see a new version of Norman Osborn introduced in the MCU, I'm also hoping to see the three Peter Parkers reunite on the big screen. Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire had fantastic chemistry in No Way Home, and now that we've seen them together you can't unring that bell.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 31st, 2026. But first up is The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list.
