Highlights

• Norman Osborn’s dynamic and complex nature, combined with his pure evilness, makes him a compelling and iconic villain in the comic book world.
• With his intelligence and strategic planning abilities, Osborn has the potential to be a major player in the MCU, possibly even leading his own team of villains.
• While he may not be able to directly replace Kang the Conqueror, Norman Osborn could work alongside Doctor Doom to create a powerful duo of villains in the next phase of the MCU.

One of the most exciting aspects of the MCU for a lot of people is the chance to finally get to see their favorite villains on the big screen for the first time. When an underrated villain is done really well, there is a chance for the character to be completely revitalized and have their relevance restored in the pages of comics. On the other hand, some villains have been seen quite a bit.

One of the Spider-Man villains seen most often has to be Norman Osborn, also known as the Green Goblin. Norman Osborn is no stranger to appearing in Spider-Man media, especially considering he’s often considered to be Spider-Man’s arch nemesis. The issue is that he and the mantle of the Green Goblin have been seen time and time again, and yet, the character might have greater potential right now in the MCU than it ever has.

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What Makes Norman Osborn A Good Villain?

Historically, the thing that makes Norman Osborn such a good villain is that he is dynamic and complex while also being shockingly simple in just how vile and evil he truly is. In the pages of the comics, Norman Osborn has had his relevance change over the years, but he’s been a part of some truly massive storylines. He’s always been one to come up with strong plans that place his target in the most turmoil possible, perhaps best seen in the events that led to Gwen Stacy’s death, one of the most significant moments in comic history. There may be controversy surrounding his return in the Clone Saga, but one could argue that his return has only helped to elevate the character all the more.

Being brilliant, Osborn is capable of setting up massive corporations, manipulating massive groups to follow his every whim, and even capable of orchestrating a plot that would see Peter Parker questioning his very existence. His usefulness on the world’s stage makes him vital in the comics, something that results in him leading his own team of Dark Avengers at one point, all the while being able to continue his evil deeds whenever he wants. At the end of the day, Osborn will do anything to reach his goals, even if it involves years of planning, secrecy, and even hiding from the public eye — whether he’s acting as the Green Goblin or not.

In the movies specifically, the formula that Osborn takes turns him into a hateful machine with a vendetta like no other. With the strength enough to overpower Spider-Man, a glider to even the odds against his foes’ maneuverability, and the madness required to hurt anyone and everyone, Norman Osborn is terrifying. When looking at Spider-Man: No Way Home, Osborn is so cunning that he is able to halt Spider-Man’s plans to help all the multiversal villains, even nearly killing the returning Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. That’s without mentioning his murder of Aunt May, a heartless and shockingly quick act that no one saw coming.

How Could Norman Osborn Be A Major Player In The MCU?

While many may think that we’ve seen the last of Norman Osborn in the MCU, fans haven’t actually been made aware of the main universe’s version of the character. This means that there is potentially another (and differently cast) Norman Osborn out there, likely complete with his son Harry Osborn. It is true that the Green Goblin has been done to death on the big screen, so right now might be the perfect opportunity to show off Osborn’s villainous side without relying on his alter ego, only further increasing anticipation for when it finally does appear. With the Thunderbolts on the horizon, that would be the perfect opportunity to let the world know the MCU’s Norman Osborn is just as villainous as any other.

A move like this would allow for Norman Osborn to be utilized outside of Spider-Man media primarily, potentially setting him up as the catalyst behind an Avengers-level threat. Then, with Norman Osborn in existence in the MCU, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Peter Parker to keep a watchful eye over the man to keep his villainy from bubbling to the surface. If Peter had reason to suspect Osborn of villainy without any way of proving it for years, this means that Osborn would only help to reinforce the classic Spider-Man framing as a menace despite all of his attempts to help.

Could Norman Osborn Be A Character That Could Replace Kang?

When thinking of villains who could replace Kang, one has to think about the potential impact of the villain coming in. While Norman Osborn could act as one part of a replacement for Kang, it’s not likely that he alone could serve as a total replacement. The main reason behind this is that Norman Osborn is a painfully earthbound character in most people’s minds, making the idea of him posing the same threat as Kang a bit of a laugh. Osborn doesn’t have the ability to travel the multiverse at will, and honestly, introducing him in such a way might be a bit alienating for some fans. However, that doesn’t mean that Osborn couldn’t end up being just as fearsome of a villain.

It seems like a foregone conclusion from fans that Doctor Doom should be the man to replace Kang the Conqueror as the big bad of the MCU, something made especially interesting with this snippet of a report from Variety in mind:

“A studio source notes that regardless of the actor’s legal issues, Marvel already had considered moving away from a Majors-led phase because of the box office performance of “Quantumania,” which will struggle to make a profit.”

Luckily, Norman Osborn could add a new layer of complexity to the situation if he were working with Doom. With Doctor Doom (potentially even a multiversal variant) focusing on the cosmic and multiversal nature of the MCU, that could leave his earthbound partner Norman Osborn with the task of weakening the heroes of Earth long before Doom makes his big moves known. This would mean that the next phase would have two big bads, allowing the two villains to easily eclipse the potential impact of someone like Kang. This would also provide a unique dynamic that might intrigue MCU fans as two great villains work to enact similar plans, with fans knowing one is likely to turn on the other at any moment. Whether remaining a villain to the very end or ending up turning to help the Avengers in Avengers: Secret Wars, there’s a goldmine waiting to be uncovered with Norman Osborn.

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