Warning: Major SPOILERS for Spider-Man: No Way Home ahead!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man films, is a loyal friend and "guy in the chair" to Holland's Peter Parker and Spider-Man, respectively. Considering important character reveals in No Way Home, the fact that Multiverse of Madness is the next MCU film, and reshoots for Doctor Strange 2 supposedly adding new characters and cameos, a case can be made for Ned Leeds' appearance in the film.
Batalon's Ned Leeds is a bit of a departure from the character initially introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #18 in 1964. The comic-book Ned was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed reporter for the Daily Bugle, and wasn't nearly as integral to the story as Batalon's version. The comic version of Ned Leeds was married to Betty Brant (Elizabeth Banks' character in the Sam Raimi films, Angourie Rice in the MCU) and even took a villainous turn before ultimately being killed off for good.
Given Ned Leeds' importance to director Jon Watts' Spider-Man trilogy, it's unsurprising that the character has a major role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. What is surprising, however, is the exciting direction in which screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have taken Ned - and what it could mean for Ned's immediate future in the MCU. Here's why and how Ned might be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Ned Showed Magical Abilities in Spider-Man: No Way Home
With Doctor Strange helping Peter Parker in No Way Home, audiences expected a fair bit of magic from the get-go. Regardless, it was a shock when much of the film's magic was performed by Ned Leeds rather than Doctor Strange himself. After a casual first-act statement that magic ran in his family, Ned eventually got his hands on Doctor Strange's sling ring and, amazingly, learned how to use it. Ned quickly became the catalyst for some of the most important moments in No Way Home - especially the introductions of Andrew Garfield's and Tobey Maguire's Peter Parkers.
It's worth noting that Ned picked up the use of magic incredibly quickly, especially given how hard magic is seen to be in the MCU. Even the powerful Doctor Strange is shown struggling to learn spellcasting in his own origin film, needing to let go of many preconceived notions about reality itself in order to successfully perform magic. The speed with which Ned learned how to open portals may suggest a deep well of magical power waiting to be tapped. Doctor Strange and Ned even shared a quick scene toward the end of No Way Home, in which Strange seemed intrigued by Ned's magical prowess.
Doctor Strange Could Enlist Ned to Help in Multiverse of Madness
If one thing was made clear during the Doctor Strange 2 teaser at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's that Strange will be in over his head during the events of Multiverse of Madness. The teaser revealed that Strange will seek out Wanda Maximoff for help in dealing with a variety of antagonists (including Evil Doctor Strange), but could he enlist Ned Leeds to his cause as well? Given the speed with which Ned picked up portal-making during No Way Home, it's not impossible that he could at least be a minor character in Multiverse of Madness.
In addition, Multiverse of Madness recently underwent reshoots, allegedly to add more cameos and characters into the mix. THR has reported that both No Way Home and Loki factored into the decision to have "more fun with the multiverse." Ned does seem like the most likely candidate from No Way Home to appear in Multiverse of Madness, especially given that Doctor Strange has now forgotten who Peter Parker is.
Alternatively, Wong Could Train Ned at Kamar-Taj
Even if Doctor Strange is too busy to train Ned during Multiverse of Madness, Leeds could find a mentor in Wong. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings s the idea that he's becoming a Phil Coulson-like figure in the MCU, helping to bring new superheroes into the fold. With the help of Wong, who is now the Sorcerer Supreme, Ned could undergo training at Kamar-Taj similar to that which Doctor Strange himself received. As Kamar-Taj is shown to be under attack in the Multiverse of Madness teaser, the film is likely to spend some time there. A reveal that Ned is in fact training there would go a long way to show the continued relevance of the mystical location.
What it Could Mean for Ned Leeds' MCU Future
Although it may seem like a stretch to imagine Ned Leeds returning to the MCU so quickly, it's important to consider that Leeds' comic book counterpart became much more than a foil for Peter Parker. Theories that Ned Leeds would become Hobgoblin abounded heading into No Way Home, as the comic-book version of the character did eventually take on the role. While that didn't happen during the film, Ned's gift for magic may be a strong hint that he will become the Hobgoblin in a future film. In the comics, Ned Leeds helps the villainous Baron Mordo by breaking into the Sanctum Santorum and stealing a magic book with the power to reshape reality. Bardon Mordo becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, and Ned Leeds as Hobgoblin becomes Mordo's apprentice.
This is immediately relevant to Multiverse of Madness because Mordo promises to be a major player in the film. Mordo was introduced in Doctor Strange, but his larger role in Multiverse of Madness means he may be looking for assistance in his quest. If Ned is introduced at all in Multiverse of Madness, it's likely he will cross paths with Baron Mordo and potentially take steps toward becoming a villain in his own right. With Ned having no memory of his friendship with Peter Parker after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the stage is certainly set for a character-changing appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
