Spider-Man: No Way Home may have left Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker in an existential crisis, but the third part’s ending also led one actor to believe that their time with the franchise was over. In a recent discussion, Jacob Batalon, who portrays the ever-reliable Ned Leeds in the MCU, revealed that he wasn’t sure that he would get to reprise his role in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Jacob Batalon wasn’t sure Ned will return for Spider-Man: Brand New Day
While speaking at a Spider-Man 4 panel, Batalon expressed his surprise at having made it this far in the MCU franchise. The Novocaine star admitted that he genuinely considered No Way Home to be Ned’s final outing in the ongoing Spider-Man film series.
“Luckily, we’re all best friends, so if he’s making another one, we’re going to be there! But yeah, I think a lot of it was left open-ended on purpose,” exclaimed Batalon, as per Comic Book Resources. “But at that point, it was really emotional, obviously. I think we were all grown up enough to know that some things don’t get to last forever.”
He continued, “But, luckily, we’re privileged and lucky enough to be a part of this again. During that time [of No Way Home], specifically…it was a hard time for everyone. I was crying a lot that [last] day.”
Notably, in the final moments of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland’s web-slinger asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell that’ll make everyone forget about Peter Parker in a last-ditch attempt to save the world. As such, the movie ends with Parker losing everyone in his life, including his friends Ned and MJ (Zendaya).
A clean slate prompted many to expect Marvel to introduce a soft reboot for Spider-Man, which explains Batalon’s uncertainty about returning as Ned. However, the 29-year-old actor, along with Holland’s on-screen as well as real-life partner, Zendaya, are making a comeback in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters on July 31.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.
