Norman Osborn (The Amazing Spider-Man)

"This isn't how I imagined I'd die, looking at my son and seeing a stranger."

- Norman Osborn talking to Harry.

Norman Osborn is the secondary antagonist in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He is the CEO and founder of Oscorp Industries and father of Harry Osborn.

He was played by Chris Cooper.

Biography
In the 2012 reboot, Norman Osborn's existence is felt via intercharacter dialogue and the presence of Oscorp Industries. Early in the film, he is shown as a vague silhouette on a monitor in the Oscorp lobby, referencing him as the company's founder. Humorously, his silhouette is shown holding an orange globe of the company's logo, a reference to his goblin bombs. It is suggested that he has been afflicted by an illness, which is the catalyst for Dr. Connors' development of the regenerative serum. Osborn is never seen in person, however, but is mentioned several times. In the film, Dr. Ratha had pressured Dr. Connors to develop an antidote that will cure Osborn of a rare but deadly disease. Connors, thinking that there is too much risk, refused to do so, and Ratha fires him in retaliation.

Little is known of Norman Osborn, other than that he had a debilitating disease called 'Retroviral Hypodisplasia' which killed him. Dr. Curt Connors' and Dr. Rajit Ratha's experiments with lizard DNA were an attempt to cure him, until Connors used the serum on himself, transforming into the monstrous Lizard. After the Lizard was destroyed (for the first time), Connors and Ratha quit their works, and Connors was thrown into a mental institute. Currently, there are no known cures for the Osborn illness, and it is unknown if anyone is even attempting to find a cure.

Norman's son, Harry, returns after years away in boarding school and visits him in the hospital, where by this point Norman is in very poor health. Norman explains to Harry that his illness is genetic, and that he is at the right age where it begins to show. Before he dies, Norman gives Harry a device saying that it is his life's work. The next day, it is reported that Norman had passed away.

Later it is revealed that Norman Osborn worked along with Richard Parker. When Richard tried to destroy his work and escape with his wife, Norman sent his man after them to kill them.

Deleted Post-Credits Scene
There was a post-credits scene in The Amazing Spider Man 2 but it was deleted from the final cut. The scene shows Gustav Fiers walking through the Special Projects and going to Door 3. There, you can see Norman Osborn's frozen head. Gustav says "Wake up my friend" and Norman opens his eyes. Also, when Norman passes away, you see the nurses rushing in to cover up his body. One of the nurses is pushing a rack with a jar on it. That could be the jar where Norman's frozen head was placed.

Trivia

 * For unknown reasons Chris Cooper wasn't credited for his appearance as Norman in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
 * Osborn, in other Spider-Man media, takes on the identity of the Green Goblin, a famous Spider-Man villain. However in this universe its his son Harry who first takes on the identity of the Green Goblin.
 * It is rumoured that Norman may come back as the Ultimate incarnation of the Green Goblin.
 * Chris Cooper had stated that Norman's appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would be the introduction to the character, and a return in The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will be on the cards.
 * Marc Webb has confirmed that Norman will appear in The Sinister Six film.
 * However as the Spider-Man franchise is being rebooted in order to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this version of Norman Osborn will unlikely be part of that continuity.