If Spider-Man 3 is going to bring back many past cast members of previous Spider-Man movie, how can pass on Willem Dafoe? His performance as Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin totally mesmerized me as a kid. At the time, I thought he captured everything about the character that made him who he was. He was chilling, intimidating, vindictive, and even sympathetic at times. In all honesty, he scared the daylights out of me as a kid. When he was just Norman Osborn, he was the arrogant and ambitious businessman. When he was affected by the Goblin gas, he brilliantly showed how he was slowly becoming a victim to the Green Goblin persona. And when he was the Green Goblin himself, he showed how he lost his sanity and became the ultimate psychopath.
Heck, he even nailed the defining villainous trait of Norman Osborn as the neglectful father to his son Harry. All of these deplorable character traits is what makes Norman Osborn the villain we know him to be and Willem Dafoe captured all of those perfectly. Such a great actor to give a fitting performance for the archenemy of Spider-Man.
Personally, I always thought Willem Dafoe was very under appreciated as an actor.Yes, he’s made a name for himself and he’s been nominated for some Academy Awards. However, he’s not nearly as popular as he should be. When was the last time he was in a big Hollywood blockbuster? It’s been a long time, but he’s given us some phenomenal performances in some underrated movies. From his early days in Platoon, to his more bizarre roles in Shadow of the Vampire, to his more recent roles in The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe is a unique and rare kind of talent.
I know I’m raving about this guy, but that’s because he’s earned it. So let’s talk more about his role as the Green Goblin. He was great, no question about it, but did any of us ever expect him to reprise the role? Heck, did anyone really expect Jamie Foxx to come back as Electro? If Marvel is willing to bring him back for a more forgettable villain, why not bring back Willem Dafoe?
Now since we’re on the subject of casting more characters in the MCU, who else would’ve been a good choice for Norman Osborn? A popular casting choice throughout the years has been Gary Oldman. If that were to happen, I’d be all for it. I mean, come on, when was the last time you saw a bad Gary Oldman performance? Never, that’s when. What stands out about Gary Oldman is that he’s known for playing terrifying bad guys, but he can play good guys just as well. You want an example? Go watch Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Yes, I remember the days when he was James Gordon.
So Gary Oldman has been a popular fan choice for the MCU’s Norman Osborn. It’s good choice, but for those who kept up with Willem Dafoe’s career, you’ll know that he’s on par with Gary Oldman. Just like Gary Oldman can play the good guy as well as the bad guy, Willem Dafoe can do the same. They both have more experience playing villains and they’re both fantastic at it, but when they play the hero, they can kill it just the same. In Dafoe’s case, and in one of his best performances, he played Sergeant Elias in Platoon. He was a mentor to Charlie Sheen’s character and met a bloody end that made us all cry.
Willem Dafoe has the acting chops to play Norman Osborn, as he evidently did. Perhaps Gary Oldman can deliver a performance just as good and if the MCU was truly trying to stray away from those past movies, I would gladly take Oldman as the new Green Goblin. However, as the recent news on Spider-Man 3 suggest that history will indeed repeat itself. Call it fan service, but we hardcore fans view it as a plan Sony has to give us a live-action Spider-Verse movie.
How many of you want to see Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man again? I know for people like me who grew up on his Spider-Man films, they have a special place in our hearts. Sony knows this and so does Marvel. If the rumors are true, which they sound like they are, they’re not just stopping at Tobey Maguire. They want Kristen Dunst back, as well as Alfred Molina. Boy, are we hopping on the big nostalgia train. If they are coming back, I can imagine that Sony doesn’t intend to stop with them. No Spider-Man of any universe’s rogues gallery would be complete without a Norman Osborn. In the case of the MCU Spider-Man, it’s very possible that Willem Dafoe will once again be a Green Goblin to another Spider-Man.
I find all of these rumors interesting, because we all remember that his character died. Yeah, so did Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus. And also Jamie Foxx’s Electro died as well. Two dead villains from two different universes and yet, they’re both returning. That sounds like an odd move, but it’s the one Sony and Marvel is going with. Hey man, it’s the world of comic books. Weirder things have happened.
If we’re getting back dead characters who were popular in past movies, then Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin has to be one of them. I actually read an article this morning from WION that seemingly confirmed it. Granted, their source was an anonymous one, but it apparently leaked the whole plot of Spider-Man 3. In their description of the leak, it claims that Willem Dafoe will indeed be the Norman Osborn of the MCU. What’s more interesting is that he’ll be the one who hires Mysterio to destroy Spider-Man. Come on, did anyone really think Mysterio was really dead?
However, it was not clear if Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn was the same one we saw in Sam Raimi’s movie. The supposed leak made it sound like he was getting the same treatment as J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson. At the end of Far From Home, we saw J.K. Simmons reprise his brilliant performance as JJ from the Saim Raimi movies. However, he wasn’t the same exact JJ from those movies. He was already the JJ existing in the MCU, but apparently Sony and Marvel loved his performance so much, they decided to bring him back. He wasn’t from another universe, he was already from that world.
You know what? We’re not complaining. Just like Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons killed it as his Spider-Man character. Sony and Marvel agreed and that’s why they wanted him back. If that’s the case for Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, then he technically already exist in the MCU. He won’t be the Sam Raimi version, but he’ll still be Willem Dafoe playing the Green Goblin. Maybe this time he’ll be getting his more comic-accurate costume. Either way, I’m all for him returning to the role. At this point, it’s hard to imagine another actor taking over.
What are your thoughts, Spider-Man fans? If Spider-Man 3 doesn’t spark your interest, I’d say you’re not keeping up with the news.
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