Willem Dafoe Returned As Green Goblin Because He Was Allowed to Do Stunts

Willem Dafoe says he returned to play the Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home because he was allowed to do his own stunts. The actor first portrayed the iconic villain in Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie, where the character died at the end. But thanks to No Way Home incorporating the multiverse into its ambitious storyline, Dafoe was able to reprise the role nearly two decades later, alongside several other antagonists from the earlier Spider-Man film series.

A key component of Dafoe’s portrayal is the maniacal energy he brings to the character, gleefully chewing scenery in dialogue scenes. However, the Goblin also takes part in a number of action sequences. When filming 2002’s Spider-Man, Dafoe actually performed a majority of his own stunts. But now, with the actor 66 years old, it would have been easy for the No Way Home filmmakers to use a stunt double for Goblin in set pieces. However, Dafoe was adamant he handle the physical component of the character, which is part of the reason why he came back.

The official Spider-Man movie Twitter account shared a post from user WilliamD1123, which featured a video clip of Dafoe discussing his return to Spider-Man. In the sound bite, Dafoe says he agreed to reprise Norman Osborn because he’d get to do his own stunts. This was important for him. Read his comments in the space below:

“To do this physical stuff was important to me. In fact, one of the first things I said to Jon [Watts] and Amy [Pascal] when they pitched it to me before there was even a script was, ‘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. And also, it’s really impossible to just add any integrity or any fun to the character if you don’t participate in these things. All that action stuff informs your relationship to the characters in the story. And also makes you earn your right to play the character.”

This illustrates Dafoe’s commitment to all of his performances, whether it be a major studio blockbuster like No Way Home or a smaller character drama such as The Florida Project. It’s great to see the actor was so dedicated to performing the stunts and action himself after all these years. Spider-Man is a bit of a departure from Dafoe, as outside a few exceptions (John Carter, Aquaman), he’s largely steered clear of big-budget fare throughout his illustrious career. Acting in a superhero movie gives Dafoe the opportunity to do something different, so it isn’t surprising he’s so enthusiastic about the stunt work. Since it’s part of the appeal for him, it’s easy to understand why he wouldn’t have been willing to return if he was told he couldn’t do the action.

Fortunately, director Jon Watts and producer Amy Pascal were on the same page and they agreed to let Dafoe do the stunts. It’s hard to imagine No Way Home without the Goblin’s involvement. While he’s one of a handful of villains who appear, he has a larger role in the story than some, and if Dafoe passed on the project, it would have created a massive void to fill. Luckily, everyone was game, and Dafoe was able to deliver another well-rounded, memorable performance as one of his most famous characters. And it’s great for audiences to know that whenever Goblin is onscreen, it’s likely Dafoe.

Source: Spider-Man

About The Author

Chris Agar
(5540 Articles Published)

Chris Agar is a news editor for Screen Rant, also writing features and movie reviews for the site as one of Screen Rant’s Rotten Tomatoes approved critics. He is a graduate of Wesley College’s Bachelor of Media Arts and Master of Sport Leadership programs. In 2013, Chris was hired to write weekly box office prediction posts in conjunction with the Screen Rant Underground podcast’s Box Office Battle game and his role expanded over the next few years. In addition to covering the latest news and hottest movie topics daily, Chris has attended numerous media events for Screen Rant, including San Diego Comic-Con, delivering content his readers care about. He credits Star Wars and Toy Story with launching a lifelong fascination with movies that led to his career, and now he has a wide range of cinematic tastes, enjoying the latest Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar contenders, and everything in between. Chris’ favorite film genres include sci-fi/fantasy, crime, action, and drama.

More From Chris Agar

See also  2001 Best Picture: 2 Films That Didn't Deserve The Nomination (& 8 Replacements)