Spider-man Reboot: Rumors Abound

Has Matthew McConaughey Found The Right Script?

By David Clark

The rumor mill is in full swing, first it held news about Krang in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie; the latest rumor surfing the web is McConaughey taking on the roll of Norman Osborn in the new Spiderman reboot. Even the role of Spiderman is not yet solidified though, Asa Butterfield would seem to be one of the top choices to fill the web slinger’s shoes. Will McConaughey be joining Asa Butterfield in the near future?

As of yet this is still a an unsubstantiated rumor but it is not as if McConaughey has not given people a reason to believe it might be true. After-all, he did recently broach this very topic in an interview. McConaughey let it slip that both DC and Marvel have approached him regarding roles within their respective universes. McConaughey had this to say on the topic,

“It’s very simple for me. I look at the script. Is the opportunity exciting? Is the money that comes with it exciting? Sure. Is it the possibility of going, ‘Hey you can get on a train and it can be a franchise and you could do 3, 4, 5, and have a great time as some kind of superhero or anti-hero.”

By the sounds of it, McConaughey is very open to the idea of playing a multi-movie role if the money is right, the script is good, and the character is deep enough for him to explore. He admits later on in the interview that signing up for a comic book franchise comes with a lot of strings. On top of the movie production the contracts often require press tours, convention appearances, and long term time/movie commitments. By the sound of it, McConaughey admits the idea of getting into a Marvel or DC universe could be fun, but he also sounds hesitant about ending up as the next Robert Downey Jr. with a 6, 7, or 8 movie deal commitment.

Breaking down the rumor a little further, what kind of implications would this have for the Spiderman reboot? It is already known Marvel intends to work the new franchise around a much younger Peter Parker. For that reason the Asa Butterfield rumors hold some sway because of the actors young appearance. Perhaps Marvel wants to explore a younger pre-Goblin Norman Osborn too - not that Matthew McConaughey is particularly young.

It may be hard to picture McConaughey dawning an arch-villain suit like that of the Green Goblin. He has recently rebuilt his career through rather serious portrayals in True Detectives, Dallas Buyers Club, and Interstellar. Admittedly the last two attempts at Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin have met with mediocre success at best. With the treatment of villains in prior franchise installments it is hard to see another interpretation of the Green Goblin being accepted well by fans; besides, McConaughey is not an actor that retreads roles or emulates others - he is an original actor.

That said, if McConaughey is not going to play a Green Goblin suit wearing Norman Osborn how might the role work? Norman Osborn does not have to be the Green Goblin as seen in the most recent Amazing Spiderman film. Harry Osborn ended up being the Green Goblin. Norman Osborn played a very small role as a genetically defective terminal old man. In truth, the potential of the Norman Osborn character is yet to be truly explored within the movie franchises.

Norman Osborn is a man of great wealth and power. He is close enough with Peter Parker to be manipulative and he has a foothold in the city to wield and dictate events. Why does he ever have to become an insane green wearing mad man? Let his son or some other character be written into that role. Osborn could be a Lex Luthor or Wilson Fisk type character acting as a catalyst for events throughout multiple storylines and movies. It would be a way of reinvigorating a fresh new take on a character fans have already seen two times over.

Sources: Screerant, Variety