Summary
- Willem Dafoe’s return as Green Goblin in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” surprised fans.
- Marvel’s exploration of the multiverse brought back past villains alongside different Spider-Men.
- Dafoe expressed openness to appearing in “Spider-Man 4,” hinting at the possibility of revisiting his iconic role.
After being involved in three movies, Willem Dafoe is notorious with the Spider-Man franchise. He first appeared in 2004 as part of Spider-Man 2 and reprised his role of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin three years later for Spider-Man 3. Most presumed that his time in that character and the Marvel world was over until his surprise appearance in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, as he entered the universe created for Tom Holland’s version of the popular web-slinger.
The movie saw multiple former villains return alongside Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, who played their versions of Spider-Man within the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time. The multiverse was cracked wide open for the film, which proved to be a popular decision as audiences loved seeing the various characters from different timelines and realities interact in what was a jam-packed action movie. However, whether or not they will all be returning for Holland’s next adventure in Spider-Man 4 remains to be seen, but Dafoe is at least open to the possibility of it.
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Dafoe spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the prospect of appearing in Spider-Man 4, “We’ll see. We’ll see. I could come back. Tom was great to work with, and the whole series of Spider-Man films that I did were great fun.”
Of course, Dafoe didn’t give a clear and definitive answer about whether or not he would be appearing in Spider-Man 4, which is to be expected. Marvel Studios likes to keep big surprises as secretive as possible, and any potential cameos from characters such as the Green Goblin would fall into that category. However, the fact that he’s open to the idea of donning the costume once again will no doubt get many fans excited, considering how popular his character is as a villain.
Once again, Dafoe showcased his ability to balance the different personalities of Osborn and the Goblin within Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is something he always thrived at during his original appearances with Maguire’s Spider-Man. The character is a complex one with a detailed backstory, and he has kindness and humanity within him despite his complexities. That was shown in his most recent appearance as Holland’s Spider-Man appeared to have removed the Goblin aspect from Osborn’s life before sending him back to his own timeline. That’s something that Marvel could follow up on, connecting Osborn with Peter Parker in a non-villainous way for a change in a bid to continue the story and prove the impact that was made wasn’t just a one-off.
Considering the multiverse within the MCU right now, anything is possible when it comes to surprise appearances from actors who are connected to Marvel and have been involved previously. Spider-Man: No Way Home proved that bringing back characters who weren’t even part of the MCU initially could be a hit. Audiences still care about those characters, and weaving them into the broader storyline has taken place since it is a great fan service. However, details about Spider-Man 4 remain scarce; therefore, Dafoe’s potential appearance is very much up in the air.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of the biggest names in entertainment today. The superhero first appeared in the Marvel comic Amazing Fantasy #15 before becoming a leading figure in the Marvel comic-book universe.
Spider-Man has also featured in numerous films and a plethora of video games, most notably Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.