Marvel Comics characters perfect for the horror movie genre
By Mark Lynch
Norman Osborn
The Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains; he may actually be his greatest. He’s tormented Spider-Man’s life for decades, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop any time soon. The creepy costume, maniacal laugh, and pumpkin bombs are the stuff of nightmares. He may be creepy, but he’s not the one you should worry about. It’s Norman Osborn that should really scare people.
Norman Osborn is a rich genius with a short temper and personality disorder. One minute he’s in a boardroom discussing his company, and the next he’s killing one of his employees. You’d assume the latter would be while he was in his costume. It’s not. Norman will clear the room of everyone except the person in question, kill them, and have his assistant dump the body. Or he’ll do it himself.
A Norman Osborn movie would be a different approach. Think of this movie as Split without the dank atmosphere. Instead of the antagonist coming from someone with a troubled background, it’s a wealthy gentleman with a grudge. Norman could be killing people with no real knowledge of it; just flashes that he believes are bad dreams. Ben Urich, Dakota North, or Elizabeth Brant investigating or reporting these murders could add a Film Noir vibe to the movie. We’ve seen Willem Dafoe’s underrated and forgotten performance in the first Spider-Man movie. The scene where he’s talking to himself in the mirror is a perfect example of what this project could be. It may start with Norman, but it could end with the Green Goblin.