After COVID-19-related delays, it looks like Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 3 is finally kicking into gear. Just recently, Tom Holland got fans hyped over social media by announcing that he had officially arrived in Atlanta to begin working on the film. As you would expect, the cast and crew members are steadily making their way down there for production and, now, it looks like MCU star Jacob Batalon, who plays fan-favorite Ned Leeds, is also in Atlanta. Not only that, but he also shared an early glimpse at Ned’s new look in the upcoming third movie.
Batalon revealed a since-deleted image of himself in character as Ned in his Instagram stories. Luckily, DR Movie News was able to capture a screenshot before the post was scrapped, and you can check it out below:
I have to say it’s great to see Ned again, and Jacob Batalon definitely looks ready to get to work. One thing that immediately stands out about the image is Batlon’s weight loss, which he joked about in another Instagram post. With that post came a caption in which he joked that people could stop asking him about his weight:
Jacob Batalon seems to be more than satisfied with his physique, and it must be gratifying for him to be able to show the results of his work. We as a society put a lot of value on physical appearances but, ultimately, it’s simply about someone being healthy and happy in their own skin.
When we last saw Batalon’s Ned, he was on a European adventure with Peter Parker and their fellow classmates in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Not only did he find himself wrapped up in the explosive battle between Peter Parker and Quentin Beck (Mysterio), but he also found himself in a whirlwind romance with fellow classmate Betty Brant. Though by the end of the film, the lovebirds humorously moved on from each other.
Peter Parker is going to find himself in an interesting situation when he returns for his third solo film. At the end of the previous film, his identity was outed to the world, leaving him with an uncertain future. With these new circumstances, it’s unclear as to how his buddy Ned or love interest Michelle will fit into the story. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that the two will find some way to get in on the action.
And there’s sure to be plenty of action. Jamie Foxx is set to once again play Electro, which should shake things up a bit. There’s also the returning Doctor Strange, whose role in the film could potentially have serious ramifications for Peter and the MCU as a whole moving forward.
You can’t help but get excited at the prospect of the gang being back together and, with Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon already having made their presence known, it’ll be fun to see if anyone else offers up a production update.
The untitled Spider-Man 3 is currently set to hit theaters on December 17, 2021.
