Willem Dafoe Would Love To Play The Green Goblin Again

Willem Dafoe would love to return to play Marvel’s Spider-Man arch nemesis, The Green Goblin, “if everything was right.” Dafoe is an iconic actor. He’s been in several films that surely made his mark, like The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Platoon (1986), At Eternity’s Gate (2018), American Psycho (2000), John Wick (2014) and several others. He’s done so much in the film that he’s practically unforgettable, and we love the actor for it.

To see him play as Norman Osborn, aka The Green Goblin, was a joy to see especially for fans of Marvel’s Spider-Man. To see such a talented actor take on that villainous role in the 2002 film was a real treat, even if he looked like a villain from The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He was so good at it that even when his character died in the first film, he still returned to reprise his role in two other sequel films.

This is not the only comic book role that he has done. He’s also in the DC Universe as Nuidis Vulko, who has been seen in Aquaman (2018) and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).

When we heard reports that he would be returning to play the role of The Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), I got excited about what director Jon Watts had planned for him. And when we did see him, his performance was outstanding. We wonder if we’ll ever see him back in the role again.

Willem Dafoe Wants To Play The Green Goblin Again

READ MORE: Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher Reportedly In Spider-Man 4

In an interview with Inverse, Willem Dafoe told the outlet that he would love to return to the role. He revealed while promoting his latest film, Inside:

If everything was right, sure. I mean, that’s a great role. I liked the fact that it’s a double role both times. Twenty years ago, and fairly recently, both times [were] very different experiences, but I had a good time on both.

It’s fantastic that Marvel was able to pull off what they did, getting many of the previous actors from past versions of Spider-Man films to come back. Even though many of them have died in the films, Marvel was able to give a proper story on how they were able to return.

Seeing the return of Dafoe as The Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home was nothing short of incredible. It looked so seamless to him to return to the role of Norman Osborn’s dual personality.

The future of Willem Dafoe returning as the Green Goblin is still a possibility when you think about it. It’s not impossible now that Marvel has unlocked the multiverse. Actually, practically any character can now show up in the MCU, even if their character was dead in any Marvel universe.

Will Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin Return?

Credit: Sony Pictures

READ MORE: Christian Slater Reportedly In Talks To Star In Spider-Man 4

If Avengers: Secret Wars does return Spider-Man, it would be interesting to see The Green Goblin return again. If so, will we see a version that he survived the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, or would it be a completely different evil variant? Or maybe both.

It’s going to be a challenge for Marvel if they plan to have a new Green Goblin in the MCU since that person will be compared to Dafoe. Even when I saw Dane DeHaan’s portrayal as the Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) or even James Franco in Spider-Man 3 (2007), they’re just not as memorable as Dafoe’s version.

Will we see Dafoe again in the role of The Green Goblin? That’s up to Marvel to decide. But it’s good to know that he will want to come back if the opportunity arises.

Dafoe has his hands full with several upcoming projects. He’s going to star in titles that are still in production. We will see him in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, and he is also currently filming a remake of Nosferatu.

What do you make of Willem Dafoe wanting to return to play The Green Goblin? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages! And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcast, The Small Screen Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts!