A new clip from Spider-Man: No Way Home highlights a crucial costume change for the Green Goblin.
According to trailers for No Way Home, Tom Holland's Peter Parker convinces Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange to cast a spell that will erase Spider-Man's secret identity from the public consciousness. Unfortunately, Strange's magic has some unintended consequences, creating portals to the multiverse that allow some of the villains from Sony's Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man movies to cross over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though most of these characters seem to be wearing their classic costumes, a new clip from No Way Home shows that the iconic mask of the Green Goblin will shatter during the film.
Portrayed by Willem Dafoe, Norman Osborn a.k.a. the Green Goblin fought against Tobey Maguire's Peter in the original Spider-Man. As the father of Peter's best friend Harry, he had a personal grudge that led to an epic clash in which Norman accidentally killed himself with his glider. Given that No Way Home's multiverse-centric premise rips Spidey's signature foes from some point before their deaths, it is likely that stormin' Norman will carry his grudge with him into the MCU.
Co-star Jamie Foxx described Dafoe's Goblin as the film's scariest villain, likening his rivalry with Spider-Man to the works of Shakespeare: "When something is personal, there's nothing that can beat that. No matter what costume you put on, no matter what you say. When he speaks, he has the power. It's personal."
However it happens, there's no doubt that sparks will fly when Spider-Man and the Green Goblin meet. Footage from the film implies that the two will face off on the New York State highway, with the Goblin still wearing his Spider-Man attire. Other clips show that Norman will attack Peter in the street with a pumpkin bomb, though it appears that he'll have lost his mask by this point in the movie.
The Green Goblin isn't the only ghost of past Spider-Men that will be haunting Holland's Peter in No Way Home. The film will also feature the return of Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard and Electro. However, it isn't clear if all of these characters will be holding onto their villainous vendettas. Clips from No Way Home seem to suggest that Alfred Molina's Doc Ock will form a strained alliance with Peter, while Foxx's Electro called Spider-Man an "old friend" in another.
Maybe if Holland can get some of his sinister foes on his side, they can convince the Green Goblin to crack a smile, even without his mask, when Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on Dec. 17.
Source: YouTube