Marvel Fans Think They’ve Found the New Green Goblin — and It’s Shaking Up Spider-Man 4
Fans are buzzing over Spider-Man: Brand New Day thanks to new casting rumors that have everyone talking.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t out for almost a year, and we’re already deep in the “who’s the Big Bad?” weeds. The latest reason: Tramell Tillman joined the cast, and the internet immediately decided he must be Norman Osborn. Let’s separate what’s actually locked in from what’s pure fan brain chemistry.
What’s confirmed
Variety says Tramell Tillman has been cast in Spider-Man 4 (a.k.a. Spider-Man: Brand New Day). That’s it. No character name, no hints. Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything beyond that, and the movie is dated for July 31, 2026.
Why everyone jumped to Norman Osborn
As soon as Tillman’s casting hit, Osborn started trending. Fans connected dots that may or may not exist, with a lot of people loudly predicting he’s the MCU’s new Norman. Others tossed out alternatives like Tombstone, Jefferson Davis, or even a Kang recast. A few went full galaxy brain and suggested Brand New Day might quietly fold in ideas from that shelved Avengers: The Kang Dynasty era.
“If Tramell Tillman is Norman Osborn I will never say another bad thing about MCU Spider-Man as long as I live.”
There were also cleaner, simpler takes: “He’s Norman Osborn.” And the punchlines: if he is Osborn, he better have “the cleanest waves ever.” The vibe is equal parts wish-casting and meme economy.
The theories on the board
- Norman Osborn (Green Goblin): The most popular pick. In the comics, he’s Peter’s ultimate nemesis. Willem Dafoe nailed him in Sam Raimi’s trilogy and popped back up in No Way Home. On the animation side, Colman Domingo recently voiced a mentor-ish Osborn in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which could explain why fans think Marvel’s teeing him up again—but in a different light.
- Tombstone: Another street-level Spidey foe. Some fans pointed out he doesn’t have to be the traditional grey/albino look to work in live action.
- Jefferson Davis: A curveball. That’s Miles Morales’s dad. The logic here is based on separate rumors that Miles’s mom might appear, so people are connecting family dots.
- Kang the Conqueror (recast): The wilder speculation. One take even tried to link the movie to leftover Kang Dynasty plans. File under “fun to imagine, not supported by anything right now.”
Why Osborn makes sense right now
Osborn is back in the zeitgeist. The animated series reframed him as a guiding force for Peter instead of a cackling glider goblin. That contrast with Dafoe’s chaos gremlin version in No Way Home gives Marvel a clean runway to reinterpret the character yet again. So yeah, if Tillman is Osborn, it would track with where the brand is nudging things.
So… is Tramell Tillman Norman Osborn?
Maybe. The internet certainly hopes so. But until Marvel says something, it’s just noise. All we actually know is: Tillman’s in, his role is under wraps, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.