Spider-Man: No Way Home Star Apologizes for Spreading Rumors About New Villain

The current live-action Spider-Man franchise has delivered no shortage of surprises, from unexpected villains, to comic-accurate moments, to the recent return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's past incarnations of Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Looking to the future, there's been a lot of speculation about what a potential fourth Spider-Man film would bring, and what elements from the Tom Holland-led trilogy could be taken to new heights. One of the most prominent fan theories, which has popped up since 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, has been Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) possibly becoming the villainous Hobgoblin. Some of those theories have even been suggested by Batalon himself — something that the actor addressed in the form of an apology during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

"You know, I'd just like to say, I'm really sorry, everyone," Batalon said. "I did this really stupid thing back in 2016 and mentioned it in an interview. And then I stupidly just continued with the story as if like I knew what was going to happen. And now everyone is talking about it. And I just—I'm sorry for all the misinformation..."

Earlier this year, Batalon played coy at the possibility of Ned eventually becoming Hobgoblin, indicating that he needed to play mum about the possibility either way.

"From all my years of working for Marvel, I feel like I've learned to just not say anything," Batalon told Variety at the time. "I can't really speak on things and then say something that might actually be true and then I ruin something, you know what I mean?"

In an interview earlier this month, Batalon addressed the very idea of him returning in a potential Spider-Man 4.

"I feel like actors are the last people to know," Batalon explained to Collider. "I think that people assume that actors are always hiding secrets. I promise you, we don't know anything. But again, if it's the right place, at the right time, with the right group of people that we've been with, I would say, why not? But other than that, whatever happens, happens. Really, those decisions are up to the big bosses, the people who sign the checks. We're open to the idea, but we're not hoping for it."

What do you think of Batalon's new comments about Hobgoblin? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!