Spider-Man 3: No Way Home: Green Goblin Actor Willem Dafoe Plays Coy on Mystery Role

By Pierre Chanliau Updated:
Willem Dafoe Green Goblin Spider-Man No Way Home

It's been quite the wild ride for Spider-Man fans for some time beginning with the shocking announcement that Jamie Foxx would be returning as Electro in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It got even crazier when Benedict Cumberbatch was reportedly added the cast, which many assumed had to be related to Foxx's Electro returning in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Then it was rumored that Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus would be returning too as would multiple other former Spider-Man villains. This was capped off with the potential return of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin.

Dafoe even mentioned recently that he had filmed multiple films this year that he wasn't inclined to talk about, one of which could have been Spider-Man: No Way Home.

WILLEM DAFOE DOESN'T FOLD

Willem Dafoe Spider-Man
Marvel

In an interview with Collider, Willem Dafoe was asked what he'd been filming recently as well as what he'll be doing later this year. Dafoe said that he performed in Germany for Vasilis Katsoupis's Inside and "other things" he'd prefer not to disclose for now:

"The other things that I've been doing lately? I'd prefer to wait until we're ready for them to come out."

The only other unreleased movies that Dafoe has filmed are Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things and Giada Colagrande's Tropico. Given that there's little reason to hide his involvement in these projects, it seems very possible that Dafoe is referring to his rumored role as Norman Osborn and the "main villain" of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

DOCTOR OCTOPUS AND GREEN GOBLIN TOGETHER 

All of this would be so unbelievable if not for Alfred Molina's confirmation that he will return as the eight-limbed supervillain. This is in addition to the fact that the same outlet that originally broke the news of Molina's return also reported that Dafoe was seen on the set of No Way Home filming scenes, presumably as Norman Osborn.

Filming for production overall started in October 2020 and ended in March 2021, which lines up with this potentially being one of Dafoe's undisclosed projects. It's crazy to imagine that most of what has been rumored regarding No Way Home thus far may actually be true, including Charlie Cox as Matthew Murdock, who is likely to defend Peter Parker in court.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently scheduled to release in theaters on December 17, 2021.

- In This Article: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release Date
December 17, 2021
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Pierre Chanliau
Pierre Chanliau began as a news & feature writer for The Direct at the site's launch in 2020. As a longtime reader of superhero comic books, Pierre's knowledge of Marvel and DC is extensive, informing his reporting and editorial pieces regarding the MCU and DCU.