INTERVIEW
Alice Gee | 26/06/2026
A decade after first stepping into the role of Ned Leeds, Jacob Batalon returns to the Marvel universe and continues to define a generation of superhero films. At the helm of an emotionally complex new chapter, one where Peter Parker must navigate a world that no longer remembers him, Batalon shapes an evolution of their friendship through conversations about mental health and the importance of human connection, more deeply than ever before. Having spent 10 formative years in the Marvel franchise alongside Tom Holland and Zendaya, playing Ned has shaped him both personally and professionally. It's a chapter that feels like a fresh beginning for both characters and actors who have spent the last ten years bringing them to life.
Alice: What were you most excited about when revisiting Ned, especially in a world where no one remembers Peter Parker?
Jacob: You know, I think what excited me the most was just getting to work with a lot of the same people that we've been working with for the last decade, which, by the way, is already crazy to say that we've been doing this for a decade, but...it's just really fun to go back to a character that I've basically grown up with since the beginning of my career in the industry. I was just more excited than anything else to be, again, part of something special and to make something that I know we, as fans, cannot wait to watch. It's just a really exciting time.
A: It's such an interesting crisscross and twist to it. Just as you get to a point where you're rooting for these characters. What was it like exploring a world where history technically no longer exists?
J: I think it was really fun to start fresh in a way and to continue their lives and see where they've gone, just in terms of the last movie, trying to piece together what they've been doing since. It’s kind of like revisiting someone that you used to know, but because it's been so long, you're kind of guessing how they've evolved and changed. Luckily, we had great writers who are expanding on their lives with us, not just being pieces to Spider-Man's story.
A: I imagine that we find Ned in a completely different place emotionally?
J: I think for the most part, that's pretty much the same, just instead he's just an adult now, and I say adult loosely, because I feel like he's still pretty much the same guy. Obviously, he and MJ have grown up a lot; they're on their own path, and it's really sad for Peter Parker because he kind of sees them have these beautiful lives that they all kind of wanted to have together, and that's the responsibility that he has to take on. He doesn't have to torture himself watching their stories, but he does, so there's that too.
A:You know what, I expected it! I think that would be me in real life.
J: It’s like the FOMO is just FOMOing too much.
A: What surprised you the most in this film when it comes to Ned's journey?
J: I think what surprised me the most was that he actually hasn't figured anything out. I think he and MJ are intelligent enough that they could probably figure it out if they really tried to, but that probably speaks to more to how they make Spider-Man and Peter so much more enigmatic in this movie. He's genuinely someone that no one really knows, and he is really lonely in that sense; even his closest allies don't really know him at all.
A: It's such an interesting take. We talk a lot about mental health, and I think from that perspective the films have been so good in showing relationships, especially male relationships, vulnerability and the importance of them, and now he's, as you say, thrown into a really lonely space.
J: I think that's the causality of his whole problem in this fourth movie, where he genuinely cannot take it any more, that he's alone, and it then causes a metamorphic sort of change in him, and it's just funny to say that mental health is a real thing for a lot of people, even superheroes.
A: I think we think of these extraordinary people, and even in real life, where some people may assume they won't feel that way because they might be strong characters or people.
J: It really puts together this idea that community, friendship, and relationships with the support you can find in them.
A: I imagine it's a big absence as well for you.
J: Absolutely, and in a way, he kind of creates the Spidey tracker to find Spider-Man, to figure out who he is, to thank him. He's kind of finding him for his own, for his own personal game, but really, he's probably missing his best friend and masking it with that.
A: Especially in a space where he's looking for something he can't remember?
J: He can't really quite place it, but he was always in his life somehow. I think he just needs to find a way to thank him. It's actually bittersweet in a way.
A: How do you identify with Ned after years of playing him?
J: I feel like he's such a great friend that I've had to force myself to become a better person in real life. He’s also a really fun person who sees the world in a more positive inflection than me. I'm pessimistic about a lot of things, and being him forces me to be more open and more happy. Just more willing to take on the world. And his innocence, in terms of just again, his point of view on the world is very endearing. I think that Ned, for a long time, was the audience's window; he sort of represents us as fans of superheroes, and to this day, he's still the same thing, he's still the same person.
A: What are the moments in the film that fans of Ned's friendships will find especially meaningful in this film?
J: First off, hopefully they do become friends. Everything in Peter Parker's life doesn't tend to go well, you know, his relationships with his close ones don't end up great, so hopefully they do find a way. Hopefully, they break that cycle of trauma. But I think a lot of this movie is more about his journey psychologically and emotionally, and how he's able to get through things with the help of friends and allies.
A: What’s been your favourite Peter, Ned and MJ throughout the franchise?
J: Oh my gosh, there are so many that we've had...I think in the third movie, back in No Way Home, when they were all planning to go to college together before all the craziness happened to him, I thought that was such a sweet, amazing moment. And when MJ became a friend of Spider-Man. I think those are probably the two main ones, but again... there are so many that it's heartbreaking to think about them not being friends in the fourth movie.
A: You've spent such a long time, as you said, 10 years, growing as part of this franchise and it becoming and being your life. How has being part of the franchise growing up impacted you, inspired you and been part of such a big part of your life?
J: Honestly, growing up, I had no connection to the industry whatsoever. I didn't have a typical path in. Thankfully, I never had to go through as much. I mean, I've auditioned and gone through a lot of rejection, but I've never had to go through the whole process of becoming a background performer and hopefully getting a SAG card after three bookings or becoming a featured performer and then maybe booking a TV show where you get a couple of lines. I genuinely was thrown into the deep end on homecoming, and at the time, I think growing up around all that stuff and not really knowing anything about the industry, it was truly a blur. I was given so many privileges that I had no idea what to do with. I was surrounded by a lot of people who were supportive and wanted to see me succeed; they kind of guided me through that, but you know, being 18/19 in like one of the biggest franchises ever, you're given access to a lot of things.
People can't always guide you through, and I made a lot of mistakes, like many mistakes in my life from that point, and it took my early 20s for me to figure out my path and where and who I wanted to be. I'm truly thankful that I've gone through all those things, because a lot of people don't get that chance to really discover who they are until much later in their lives. It was truly a journey.
A: If you could give a piece of advice to yourself, what would it be to your younger self?
J: I think I would have taken things just a bit more seriously, and if I could tell him back at 19 that this was going to change your entire life, I would say... definitely double-check and do your homework on a lot of things. At the same time in your personal life, don't take things too deeply, because things happen, and it's not the end of the world.
A: You've worked with Tom and Zedaya for such a long time, so I imagine you've all got a beautiful relationship?
J: We may not be blood-related, but we've gone through experiences together. To watch where they are now in life is really beautiful. And again, they were both really supportive and helpful towards me. I feel a bit more comfortable and confident having them around. Life always gets in the way, but whenever we're together, I'm not afraid to do stuff, and that's how it’s always felt since like 2016 - It's crazy to say out loud that year, but it's a blessing to have a kinship with them.
A: How has the franchise maybe inspired you and other work?
J: I guess artistically it's really opened my mind to a lot of things and being able to be a part of other things that weren't just Spider-Man. I've seen people, not with a two hundred and fifty million dollar budget, make things work, make it even more beautiful and visually stunning than with money, so I think in terms of ingenuity and creativity, it really has struck a chord with me.
I've gotten into writing and been able to executive produce my own TV show. That was a really beautiful time in my life. Doing those types of things makes you realise that being an actor, you're just a cog, you're just a part of the machine that really makes the whole picture go, and there are outside forces and other things that really help the thing move along. I think we as actors get so caught up in our performance and in our heads about if we're doing this right and whatnot, and when you have a producer hat on, you're sort of thinking of the whole picture. You're always thinking of the next step and how to keep things going. It's such a beautifully difficult process to be a part of; it’s so stressful, and there are a lot of sleepless nights. You hope that you're able to do things the right way, and you hope that everyone is enjoying it; that is what motivates me to want to do more, for sure.
A: And just to top it all off, you’re getting married! Congratulations!
J: Thank you. My Mrs and I are getting ready, and it should be good.
A: Are you almost done with the planning?
J: We're basically at the end, thankfully. It was very stressful, but we're ready. It's all kind of coinciding with Spider-Man. All of these things are happening in the summertime, so it's a really big summer for us, and we're really excited.
Creative Alice S Gee & Briana Elledge Alicesgee @brielledgephotography
Photographer Briana Elledge @brielledgephotography
Styling Sasha Leon @sashaleonjauregui
Grooming Jess Ortiz represented by Kalpana @jessica_o_ @kalpana_nyc
Lighting Assistant Joe Kunesh @kuneshstudios
Digital Tech Brian Von Glahn @bvgdigital
Location The Cloud One New York City @TheCloudOneHotels
HATC Alice s Gee Alicesgee