Summary

• The Spider-Noir series has cast Brendan Gleeson, hinting at a potential iconic Spider-Man villain role for him.
• Gleeson's potential portrayal of Norman Osborn could be perfect for the show.
• The Noir iteration of Norman Osborn would differentiate itself from Willem Dafoe's portrayal in the past.

a live-action Spider-Man Noir solo series about the character was ordered.

Spider-Noir, which is a collaboration effort between Sony Pictures TV, Prime Video, and MGM+ aims to premiere in 2025. Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage voiced Spider-Man Noir in Into The Spider-Verse, and he will return to play the Spider-Man variant in the iconic Spider-Man villain that he could play.

Spider-Man Noir Has Cast Brendan Gleeson As The Villain

Gleeson's Acting History Makes Him An Excellent Casting Choice

As reported by Variety, Irish actor Brendan Gleeson will be ing Spider-Noir in an undisclosed role. Gleeson’s most notable role as of late was his Academy Award-nominated performance in The Banshees of Inisherin. He has had success playing political figures, with his performance as Winston Churchill in Into The Storm earning him a Primetime Emmy win and his portrayal of Donald Trump in The Comey Rule getting a Golden Globe nomination. Other notable features have included the crime drama Mr. Mercedes and the iconic film Braveheart.

Gleeson is familiar with iconic IPs, playing Mad-Eye Moody in the Harry Potter films and an unconfirmed role in Joker: Folie à Deux. With such names under his belt, he should feel right at home under a big-name studio like Marvel. It’s reported that he will play Spider-Noir’s undisclosed villain, and given the sheer volume of iconic villains there are to choose from throughout Spider-Man’s history, it’s hard to narrow down an exact guess. However, one of the franchise’s most recognizable villains is already shaping up to be the perfect role for Gleeson.

Why Brendan Gleeson Should Play Norman Osborn In Spider-Noir

Norman Osborn Is Arguably Brendon Gleeson's Ideal Marvel Show Role

Norman Osborn - founder of the prominent Oscorp Industries - is one of the most recognizable names associated with Spider-Man. Norman created the villain Green Goblin, and though several people have gone on to take up the mantle - including his son Harry - Norman remains the best-known incarnation of the villain. Even among other Spider-Man variants, Norman conventionally remains one of Spider-Man’s main nemeses. Noir has conflicted with Norman plenty of times on Earth-90214, making the iconic cornerstone villain be the perfect role for Gleeson to play in Spider-Noir.

Born with a skin disorder that alienated him from society, Earth-90214’s Norman becomes an underworld mob boss to earn respect. As Spider-Man Noir is no stranger to gangsters and crime lords, he is often at odds with this version of Norman.

This Norman Osborn variant has a unique origin from the usual iterations, as he gets his Goblin name from the mask he uses to hide his skin disorder. Spider-Noir making Norman the main villain would work perfectly, both because of how well-known the villain is, but also because Norman still makes sense as Noir’s nemesis on a street level.

Gleeson's Norman Osborn Would Be Totally Different To Willem Dafoe's

Spider-Man Noir's Different Version Of Norman Osborn Would Avoid The Two Iterations Being Too Similar

The most notable portrayal of Norman is undoubtedly Willem Dafoe’s in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, and Dafoe went on to reprise his role in the MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though Dafoe’s return as Norman is still fresh in fans’ minds, Gleeson’s Norman would be different enough to be interesting. Whereas Dafoe’s Norman was portrayed as a creepy mad scientist type, Gleeson’s Norman would be more of an imposing gangster-type villain to fit Spider-Noir’s setting. The two takes on Norman would ultimately have enough differences to not draw direct comparisons.

Spider-Noir has gone under the radar since its announcement but has since been picking up steam as production nears. Brendan Gleeson being cast as The Goblin would allow the show to capitalize on the villain's prominence while also keeping things fresh with its own iteration of the character, helping ensure the show's success. Gleeson’s exact villain role in Spider-Noir will undoubtedly be confirmed soon, and may solidify the hope that Marvel will make the most of casting their dream Norman Osborn.