Colman Domingo has said joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to voice villain Norman Osborn in a new Spider-Man animation “means everything to me”.
The US actor and playwright, who won an Oscar-nomination for his role in period drama Rustin, surprised audiences at Disney fan convention D23 to confirm his involvement in Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, alongside Hudson Thames as the title character.
“He (Osborn) is the ultimate super villain – and also I’m following in the footsteps of someone like Willem Dafoe,” Domingo said during the Marvel Animations sneak peek session for fans.
![Willem Dafoe at the Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere in 2021 (Kathy Hutchins/Alamy)](https://www.irishnews.com/resizer/v2/6XWYACGGNBKXDCTSDQOP6S7QCM.jpg?auth=7efe8d8ebc14dd56a8b416d2c4a869a6c431b37836a76ef8f03d1b268eaeff77&width=800&height=533)
“I don’t know why I’ve been drawn to the villains, I don’t know what that says about me.
“I’m a good human being but I do believe that everyone has the power to turn in some way shape or form, if you don’t get enough hugs, enough love, a lot of support, you go to the dark side – all the villains I’ve been strangely attracted to.
“To become a part of Marvel universe as Norman Osborn means everything to me.”
A sneak peak at the TV show includes the moment Peter Parker is bitten on the neck by a genetically altered spider, becoming Spider-Man, while Domingo can be heard as Osborn, giving advice to Spider-Man on defending himself against bank robbers.
Spider-Man “superfan” Jeff Trammell, who is head writer on the project, said: “We all love Spider-Man, we all love Peter Parker and the world that he lives in.
![Ryan Coogler directed Black Panther and its sequel](https://www.irishnews.com/resizer/v2/HUEGHZ76IFODZLDUSXB2TO3WWE.jpg?auth=871e4382a1326f5a2cba3f4c9d90d0df5718b4122f7e6188a931c0bf015cc0e7&width=800&height=1138)
“And for us, the big thing about the show is we get the opportunity to really dig into who Peter is and how that affects who Spider-Man becomes.
“The other thing is we get to pay homage to everything that has come before us.”
He confirmed “we are putting new spins on” classic characters including Lonnie Lincoln and Dr Curtis Connors, while it will also new characters such as Nico Minoru and Amadeus Cho – known as Brawn.
Meanwhile Ryan Coogler, who directed 2018’s Black Panther and its sequel starring the late Chadwick Boseman, surprised fans on stage to discuss the animated spin-off series Eyes Of Wakanda.
He hinted that the show will intersect with other points of MCU history.