Green Goblin actor Willem Dafoe addressed the chances of coming back to his role after his MCU introduction in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Norman Osborn exploded onto the MCU scene in 2021 along with four other Multiversal villains, opening up the possibility of Variants invading the MCU. This led to Dafoe delivering a truly terrifying take on the Green Goblin, giving Tom Holland’s Peter Parker all sorts of troubles upon his accidental arrival on Earth-616.
After No Way Home ended with the Goblin and the other villains being cured, Dafoe’s story seemingly came to an end, as his villain was sent back to his universe sans his evil alter-ego.
But with the Multiverse Saga expanding to new heights as Spider-Man’s journey preps for its continuation, many are wondering if the Goblin’s MCU tenure could be extended as well.
Willem Dafoe's Condition for MCU Spider-Man Comeback
Speaking with Inverse, Spider-Man: No Way Home star Willem Dafoe discussed the idea of returning to play the Green Goblin for the fifth time on the big screen.
While he loved the experiences he's had playing the role, he noted that "if everything was right," he would consider stepping onto the glider once more:
"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."
Right when No Way Home debuted in 2021, Dafoe spoke with Yahoo about his appearance in the movie, noting that he returned under the condition that it wouldn't be some kind of cameo after being worried that he "wouldn't have something to do:"
"I just was concerned about how contrived it was or whether it was just like a power cameo. I really was worried that I wouldn’t have something to do."
He also explained that it was important to him to do as many of his own physical stunts as he could, speaking with director Jon Watts and producer Amy Pascal about wanting to do the action whenever he could:
"To do this physical stuff was important to me. One of the first things I said to Jon and Amy, basically when they pitched it to me, before there was even a script, was, ’Listen, I don’t want to just pop in there as a cameo or just fill in in close-ups. I want to do the action because that’s fun for me."
Could Willem Dafoe Return in the MCU?
As the old trope says, nobody is ever truly dead or gone in a comic book movie, which could bode well for Dafoe in a possible comeback to his Green Goblin role.
Doc Ock star Alfred Molina already completely avoided answering that very question about his own return after No Way Home, but with the Multiverse Saga continuing to expand, the door could be open for both him and Dafoe someday.
The most logical place for Dafoe to return would likely be in a movie like Avengers: Secret Wars, for which Marvel is looking to bring as many legacy stars as possible back in an effort to make the biggest comic-book movie of all time. Whether Norman Osborn would still have his superpowers is a mystery, but with so many Variants out there for the choosing, he could come back in at full strength.
As for Dafoe himself, he clearly understands the ramifications of bringing back a villain that's so popular for another round thanks to his experience with the Spider-Man trilogy as well as both Aquaman movies in the DCU.
And with the actor approaching his 68th birthday this year, he stays ready to do whatever he can to bring a fantastic performance to the big screen in roles such as this.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now available for home viewing.
