I agree that Norman shouldn't be brought back. He played three main role in the comics. One was killing Gwen... which Harry did. Another is masterminding the Clone Saga... which is unfilmable because it's so overly long and convoluted and could only happen as a TV show. The third is taking over SHIELD and fighting Iron Man... who Sony doesn't own the rights to.
So what purpose would Norman fill in the plot of a future film? His whole role in the comics was taken over by Rod Kingsley who becomes Hobgoblin. For as much as I'd rather see Sony sell the rights back to Marvel Studios, it's more productive to hope that Sinister Six finishes the story of Green Goblin and Rhino while Black Cat uses Shocker, Tombstone or Hammerhead as a professional criminal to serve as the bad guy.
TASM3 should be the black costume saga that concludes with Venom debuting post-credits and the bad guy is either Scorpion who's created to be a better Spider-Man or Hobgoblin who buys out a large chuck of Oscorp and gains access to their armor and technology. Alternately, it can be a faithful adaptation of The Death of Jean DeWolff. Regardless, Peter needs to ruin Brock's life to give him a reason to want revenge.
Venom Carnage should be about Venom starting out as a villain before getting arrested and his cellmate goes on a killing spree which causes Venom to have to become a hero to defeat him, even if that means working with Spider-Man.
Point being, Spider-Man has plenty of villains. We don't need Norman again when we have Doc Ock, Mysterio, Vulture, Kraven, Rhino and Green Goblin in one film, potentially Shocker, Hammerhead or Tombstone a year later, Scorpion, Sin Eater or Hobgoblin in TASM3 and then Venom should have Carnage as a bad guy. There are plenty of villains to use aside from Norman. Bringing him back is the absolute dumbest move Sony can do.
