Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to make fans' dreams worldwide come true when the film hits theaters in a couple of weeks. The Tom Holland-starring MCU project sees not only the return of everyone’s favorite wall-crawler, but also that of villains from previous installments of the franchise - enemies like Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro.
Spidey’s rough gallery has always been a staple part of the character. It's up there with the Dark Knight when it comes to containing some of the most well-known villains.
But what makes a great bad guy? Is it a lust for power? A misguided attempt to help people? A genuinely psychotic force of evil? Well, Electro actor Jamie Foxx has now shared his thoughts on what he thinks the key quality is.
Jamie Foxx Reveals What Makes A Villain
Spider-Man: No Way Home recently had a panel at CCXP focused on the returning villains, with actors Alfred Molina, Willem Dafoe, and Jamie Foxx in virtual attendance.
At one point, the trio was asked which villain out of the three was the most terrifying and, in extension, villainous. Foxx came forward first, noting how "when something is personal... there's nothing that beats that" - something which he claimed Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin excels at:
"I mean it's crazy because, like I said, we just been watching Willem, and it seems personal. Because with Electro it's to the world. The world did me wrong. But when something is personal, and you can go all the way back to Shakespeare, when something is personal, [like jealously], there's nothing that beats that. No matter what costume you put on. No matter what you say. So when [Willem] speaks, he has the power... anytime you can get a character to be personal in the movie, it has the most weight."
Is Green Goblin the Best Spider-Man Villain?
Jamie Foxx certainly isn't wrong when he talks about the best Spider-Man villains being the ones whose motivations are personal. As great as Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin is, he's far from the only bad guy to fit that criterion.
Michael Keaton’s Vulture had a vendetta against Spider-Man for constantly undermining his operations. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio couldn't believe that Stark would give his life’s work to a child. Even Foxx’s Electro was specifically aiming for Spidey.
None of these words are meant to take away from Dafoe’s Goblin, however. He’s fantastic, and clearly a fan favorite for a reason. He's been right next to Alfred Molina as fans' favorite live-action Spider-Man villains for nearly two decades.
It will be great to finally be reunited with some old antagonistic faces when Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 17.
