The Tragic Reason Why Only One Green Goblin Appeared in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
The latest installment of the MCU’s Spider-Man saga featured the return of some of the character’s most iconic villains; yet, with one glaring omission, we discuss the tragic reason why only one Green Goblin appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The latest collaborative effort between Sony and Marvel has led to a record-breaking outing for the studios, and what is perhaps the greatest Spider-Man story ever adapted to film in the character 20 years of history on the big screen.
Source: Sony Pictures/ Marvel Studios
Featuring a Peter Parker desperate to regain the anonymity he lost due to Mysterio’s unmasking, the young hero seeks out the help of Doctor Strange, which eventually becomes a botched spell that began to deteriorate the delicate multiverse, and convoluted alternate realities.
What followed was the culmination of the character’s cinematic existence, the return of various Spider-man villains, and even the past two live-action incarnations of the character played by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire.
Source: Marvel Studios
Yet, when we consider the actual reason why the multiverse was collapsing in on itself due to the spell, it leaves questions as to why one very important character didn’t appear.
Doctor Strange noted to Peter that anyone who was aware of Spider-Man’s secret identity of Peter Parker was slowly being drawn to the main MCU, which makes sense when we consider that the villains who did appear, all had a personal connection with Peter Parker.
Source: Marvel
But that leaves one very obvious character excluded; which, when uncovered a little further, brings a grim reality as to why that omitted character was unable to appear.
The Amazing Spider-Man series featured its own Green Goblin, portrayed by Dane Dehaan, he was the villainous version of Peter Parkers best friend, Harry Osbourne, who had full knowledge of the character’s superhero identity.
Source: Sony Pictures
So why didn’t that version of Green Goblin appear in the iconic continuation of the MCU’s Spider-Man saga? Well… that’s explained by Garfield’s Parker himself.
When the MCU’s version of the character is mourning the death of his Aunt May, he is comforted by the alternate versions of Spider-Man, who all bond over the tragedy that they’ve been forced to grow from.
Source: Sony Pictures
Garfield’s Peter, specifically, notes that it was losing Gwen that made him angry, and drove him to, “stop pulling his punches.”
It brings to light the horrid reality of just what happened to Harry Osbournes Green Goblin of that Spider-Man’s universe; Peter, so distraught over the death of the woman he loved, and angry at the person responsible, finished the job.
Source: Sony Pictures
He killed his best friend- the friend who now, at this point, was more monster than man- and became the angry version of Spider-Man that was now far from the Amazing hero who inspired the children in his New York to believe that he was who they aspired to be.
And he was the angry, detrimental, Spider-Man that the MCU’s version of the character was slowly devolving into.
Source: Marvel Studios
Yet, he was the Spider-Man who was able to speak those vital words of encouragement and echo the harrowing advice that has defined the character’s vast history, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
Words that he himself, didn’t heed in his quest for revenge; a quest that proved the tragic reason why only one Green Goblin appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Source: Marvel Studios
