‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’s’ Jacob Batalon is ‘an advocate’ of playing villain Hobgoblin

If you’re a fan of Spider-Man, you know that Peter Parker’s best friend Ned Leeds eventually becomes one of his enemies in the comics. It’s a part Jacob Batalon, who plays Leeds, says he would be interested in exploring in a future film.

“I feel like some people have wanted me to become the Hobgoblin and I am personally an advocate of that,” Batalon told Insider while talking about “Spider-Man: Far From Home” for its release on Blu-ray and DVD.

“It’d be so fun I think,” he added. “[It’d be] just a really fun time wearing costumes and floating around on wires for hours and hours.”

In an interview with Insider, Batalon spoke about his interest in playing a Spidey villain, whether or not Mysterio is really gone, how it wouldn’t have made sense if Ned didn’t disappear in the “Avengers: Infinity War” snap, and more.

Where Batalon thinks Ned was when the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ snap happened and he disappeared for five years: Putting together some ‘Star Wars’ Legos

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Kirsten Acuna: One of the pleasant surprises of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” was that this film picks up right after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Did you know that that was going to be the case?

Jacob Batalon: I think so. I feel like we didn’t really know what to expect, but you know, we got to read the script and we sort of got that idea [that it would take place after “Endgame”]. I think for a lot of us, that’s how we sort of found out the state of a lot of people in “Endgame.” But I feel like Tom [Holland] ruined that for me years ago.

Read more: Tom Holland spoiled a major ‘Endgame’ death for his ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ costars years ago

Acuna: Do you remember your reaction when you learned that Ned disappeared in the snap, or I guess the blip, as you guys refer to it?

Batalon: That’s probably the only way it would’ve made sense, right? Because then it’s like, what would a 21-year-old guy be doing with a 16 year old? Yeah, I definitely did. It definitely did make a lot of sense for us after reading the script.

Acuna: Have you thought about what Ned was doing when he blipped? Do you know?

Batalon: I assume Ned was just building, some Lego Death Star or just playing some games and stuff and he just happened to turn to dust.

On whether or not Jake Gyllenhaal’s villain Mysterio is really dead: ‘Jake is gone’

Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

Acuna: At the end of the movie, we’re under the impression that Mysterio is dead, but we’ve seen how far the character goes to trick and manipulate Peter. Do you think he’s really gone?

Batalon: I hate to say it, you know, but Jake is gone. I can’t believe I have to say this. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you know, I just have to say it.

Batalon would be interested in playing ‘Spider-Man’ villain Hobgoblin

Marvel Comics

Acuna: What is your favorite fan theory that you’ve heard about Ned or “Spider-Man: Far From Home” while filming or afterwards?

Batalon: Well, I think one of them, at the time we were making the movie when the first trailer came out, I think people thought I was going to die. Since “Homecoming” really, I feel like some people have wanted me to become the Hobgoblin and I am personally an advocate of that. But I think most fans would enjoy just Ned being a sidekick.

Acuna: Yeah. I think you’ve chatted about that a little bit on Instagram, saying that’s something that you’d be into.

Batalon: Yeah, it’d be so fun I think. [It’d be] just a really fun time wearing costumes and floating around on wires for hours and hours.

On learning that J.K. Simmons would reprise his role as J. Jonah Jameson in the movie

Columbia Pictures

Acuna: I saw this movie, I think it was three times in theaters, and one of the moments that had the biggest reaction every time I was there was when J. Jonah Jameson appeared on screen from the original “Spider-Man” films. What what was your reaction when you found out that J.K. Simmons would be reprising his role in the movie?

Batalon: [I was] really, really pleasantly surprised. I think we were all big fans of it. I remember reading it in the script, and, I feel at that point we didn’t know it was going to be J.K. coming back for that. And we were just saying how interesting and how awesome, how much of a fan service, it would be to have him, be J.K. Simmons again. So, to have to have him on screen and then, you know, be with the crowd and hear the reaction was very satisfying. And meeting J.K. Simmons, you know, him as a person is, he’s so cool.

Acuna: Did you know before the movie came out that it was going to be J.K. Simmons? When did you find out that it was going to be him?

Batalon: I think we all sort of found out when we first watched it. Tom [Holland] had seen the film once… They saw it one time and then I saw with them the second time before it came out. And then we saw it all again with the crowd at the premiere. Just knowing that the surprise was there was really fun.

Acuna: Yeah, like I said, it was one of the biggest reactions. People were just shocked, you know, to see him on screen.

What it was like filming on set with Jon Favreau, who plays Happy Hogan in ‘Far From Home’ and in Disney’s Marvel films and his favorite scene to film

Acuna: You were on set with Jon Favreau [“The Lion King” director], who plays Happy Hogan in the film. Do you remember what it like being on set with him?

Marvel

Batalon: Jon is a very lovely person. He’s so down-to-Earth and so nice and just a really smart person. But he’s also very humble and really creative, and just a good sport. He just loves working with other creative people and it’s a very sort of inspiring sort of energy to be around.

I remember when we were filming “Homecoming,” I think his last day, I was there watching him and he told me that he couldn’t wait to watch my career blossom and that really meant a lot to me. Yeah. It was a very sweet thing for him to say to me and it’s one of the things that I sort of keep with me.

Acuna: Definitely. That’s such a nice thing. Do you have a favorite scene that you filmed in “Spider-Man: Far From Home”?

Batalon: I feel like anything I did with Betty [Angourie Rice], and the one scene where Ned walks in on Peter and MJ and he’s still trying to cover up because he didn’t realize that MJ figured it out already [that Peter is Spider-Man]. That day particularly, filming was so fun. I got to improvise a lot and I was making comments and they’d laugh so much that they kind of ruined a lot of takes that would’ve been really great.

Jay Maidment/Sony Pictures Entertainment

What Batalon hopes to see in the next standalone ‘Spider-Man’ movie and what’s next for him — a Netflix movie

Acuna: As I’m winding down, we now know that the next “Spider-Man” movie is in 2021. What are you hoping to see in another “Spider-Man” movie or, or in the “Spider-Man” universe, either for Ned or in general?

Batalon: Ultimately, whatever we come up with, it just gets destroyed or whatever by what [director] Jon Watts and the creative team want. So, we sort of come to the conclusion that we shouldn’t even think about like our own sort of [ideas]. But you know, I think there’s just so many avenues we can go in, drawing from the comics and from Marvel. We’ll just wait and see.

Sony Pictures

Acuna: There were so many Easter eggs in “Far From Home” and references to the comics. Whether or not there are avenues for the film to go in or if they were just a little nods, there were definitely some seeds laid in the last film for the future. Jacob, this has been so lovely. Is there anything else that you want to share about, Spider-Man far from home that I didn’t ask you about that you’re really proud of?

Read more: 21 details you may have missed in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’

Batalon: As far as “Far From Home” goes, I think we tried our best to do the fan service as for and give them what they really deserve and we’re very proud that we were able to do, to accomplish those things.

Acuna: And what’s next for you?

Batalon: There’s a movie of mine coming out on Netflix in November called “Let It Snow.” I’m working on something next month. So there are a lot of things happening.

Acuna: That’s great — and what is “Let It Snow” about?

Batalon: This is based on the YA novel of the same name. It’s basically like “Crazy Stupid Love” or “Love Actually,” but [with] millennials in the winter time around Christmas. [It has] really fun, cute stories.

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” is available on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday.