Spider-Man: No Way Home Star Teases Intense Fight With Willem Dafoe's Goblin

Tom Holland reveals that both he and Willem Dafoe collapsed on the set of Spider-Man: No Way Home

By Klein Felt Posted:
Willem Dafoe Spider-Man No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home will debut in just a matter of days, and the world cannot wait. The release of the Multiversal adventure will serve as a breath of fresh air for both the cast and crew on the project. This is not just because they will no longer have to be crushed under the weight of keeping Marvel's well-guarded secrets, but also because all the hard work of making a movie will be done. 

No Way Home marks the ending of Tom Holland and Jon Watts' first MCU trilogy, and it also celebrates the deep history of the wall-crawler as it seeks to incorporate villains (and possibly heroes) from Spidey's cinematic outings into a Marvel Studios project. 

Of these returning villains, Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin has been one of the biggest surprises. The actor previously portrayed Norman Osborne and his evil alter-ego in the Sam Raimi trilogy, making his debut as the character way back in 2002. Now, nearly 20 years later, Dafoe is back and working harder than ever. 

Dafoe and Holland Collapse After Fight Scene

Green Goblin
Marvel

In a recent interview with ColliderSpider-Man: No Way Home star Tom Holland revealed that he and Willem Dafoe collapsed on set while filming a fight scene between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. 

Holland went into detail on the "incredibly tough and physical" nature of making these Marvel movies:

“I mean when I say there’s blood, sweat and tears, I’m not exaggerating. Making these films is incredibly tough and physical. Especially when you’re playing a character like Spider-Man. We all believe so much in these characters, and we give it 110%."

The Spider-Man star also shared a story about the day they filmed the fight scene between himself and Dafoe. The young MCU star then revealed that upon director Jon Watts yelling 'Cut!', the two actors "collapsed to the floor" in exhaustion:

"I know in my fight scene with the Goblin, I bust my hand up, my knuckles were all bloodied, and we were really going for it. We were putting everything into it. And I remember on the last day of shooting that fight scene when Jon said ‘cut!’ Willem and I just both collapsed to the floor. We were exhausted, and we had given him everything. I remember just chugging Red Bulls to like try and keep my energy going.”

Putting in 110% on No Way Home

While nobody should ever work to the point of true exhaustion, something that is likely not happening here, it is very cool to see just how invested both Holland and Dafoe were in the making of this movie. Holland mentions bloodied knuckles and a busted-up hand as well, and he surely was not the only actor on set sustaining these kinds of injuries.

Dafoe coming back for a role like this could have been seen as simply cashing a paycheck, but it seems like anything but. The veteran actor is working alongside the young and spry Tom Holland and seems to be keeping up.

Now, this should be nothing to worry about for fans. It doesn't mean the actor was hurt or was on the verge of a serious injury. As Holland said, these actors are giving it 110% until the director yells 'Cut!'

And it is not just physical fight scenes where instances of this have happened. One can almost guarantee something similar happened in some of the emotionally heavy scenes that have been promised in No Way Home. Acting in any form can be draining, and this was just the case of two people leaving it all on the set and then letting out a huge exhale when it was all over. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home can be seen in theaters worldwide on December 17. 

- In This Article: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release Date
December 17, 2021
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Klein Felt
Klein Felt is a Senior Editor at The Direct. Joining the website back in 2020, he helped jumpstart video game content on The Direct. Klein plays a vital role as a part of the site's content team, demonstrating expertise in all things PlayStation, Marvel, and the greater entertainment industry.