It’s easy to say that The Green Goblin is the most recognizable villain in the Spider-Man canon. Granted, it’s not hard since he looks like a green alien/mythical demon flying on a hoverboard, but that’s also due to the fact that there’s been a Green Goblin in each incarnation of the Spider-Man trilogy. Originally, the popular Marvel villain made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 back in 1964. However, Green Goblin was the very first villain of the live-action debut of the comic book character in 2002. Played by the talented Willem Dafoe, the Spider-Man villain stood out as more than just your typical bad guy. He wasn’t just battling Spider-Man, but the demons within himself. Though Norman Osborn was a brilliant scientist, his alternate identity tapped into the insecurities that the CEO of Oscorp had.
The Green Goblin has always been one of the more complex villains in the superhero world. It’s really about a man who’s wrestling the darkness that he has to deal with. The Green Goblin was killed too soon in the original trilogy as there was more to get out of the layered Osborn. At this point, doing a spin-off that documents Norman Osborn before his Green Goblin days is pointless. And to be honest, boring. The attraction is about the supervillain himself, not particularly the humdrum life of Norman Osborn. That means that the spin-off would have to either pretend that his death never happened in the first Spider-Man movie or follow-up on Norman after he was cured in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Yes, I know there’s a Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man series but the less said about that version the better. Now, following Norman Osborn after Spider-Man: No Way Home could still be interesting. Maybe the anti-serum didn’t work?
Having Osborn trying to readjust in life with the demons of Goblin’s voice still haunting him could make for an interesting character study. Making him resent everything in life until Osborn feeds back into the monster that he once was is a narrative rarely showcased in comic book films. Showcasing Osborn going back to the path of villainy could be great. In some odd way, it could be the Breaking Bad of comic book movies. Dafoe’s version in Spider-Man: No Way Home was seen as a feeble old man without the Goblin persona. Perhaps this is who Osborn is? There’s a lot of fun that could be had with this direction. Sure, we’re focusing on the man more than the monster, but the subject of Green Goblin is the inspiration here. The other part is making a solo feature separate from the incarnations introduced already. There’s not much you can ring out Willem Dafoe’s version because he dies so soon. And it wasn’t even implied. Spider-Man: No Way Home may have brought him back alive, but it doesn’t ignore the events that took place in the first film. There’s no need to do an origin story on the Green Goblin, if a new version was introduced. It would also be pointless and likely generic story. The compelling spin is on the character himself and the way Osborn/Goblin sees the world.
Maybe he just wants it to burn like Joker? Maybe he feels there some type of corporate injustice that he absolutely despises? The voice of Goblin may be the reason that Osborn decides to go to Party City and buy a Halloween alien track suit, but his thoughts come from inner demons that Osborn is feeling. In truth, a film where people give into their darkest desires could really be an interesting watch. The live action version isn’t some martyr trying to right the wrongs of the world, yet he’s also not a soul less being who wants to put an end to it as well. A Green Goblin spin-off could actually be the first in line for a future Sinister Six project. Perhaps the guys who believe in Osborn’s ideology join forces in their desires to change the world into what they want it to become. If this is the route that the filmmakers take the hopefully, they don’t make the mistake that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 made. That film was so focused on building for the future that the plot was unnecessarily overstuffed with things that didn’t need to be in the movie. Make it a standalone feature that doesn’t continue to throw narratives that will be explored in future movies. The Green Goblin spin-off can lead to a very interesting world in the Spider-verse. Sony and executives have been wanting a Sinister Six movie for the longest time, and this character could be a great way to introduce the first aspect of it.
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