How Sony Convinced Willem Dafoe to Return in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Actor Willem Dafoe has recently revealed exactly how he was convinced to reprise his role as the Green Goblin in the upcoming blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way Home. Dafoe originally donned the Goblin mask back in 2002's Spider-Man, which was the first film in the trilogy helmed by Sam Raimi and staring Tobey Maguire. While Dafoe's performance in the film was met with much acclaim, most fans never expected to see Dafoe in the role again, as his character meets his end in the climax of the film after he is impaled on his own glider.
With that being said, Spider-Man: No Way Home has seemingly done the impossible, and brought Dafoe's character back anyway. Since the release of the new film's first trailer in late August, it was revealed that the film's plot would revolve heavily around the Spider-Man multiverse. Due to a spell gone wrong cast by Doctor Strange, characters from many different iterations of the Spider-Man universe find their way into the new film. Alongside Dafoe, the film will also see the return of Alfred Molina as Doc Ock, and Jamie Foxx as Electro.
In a recent interview on the Spider-Man official YouTube page, Dafoe has revealed exactly what it took to convince him to return to the franchise. According to Dafoe, it all came down to the pitch. Dafoe confessed that his initial reaction to returning was that it was "pretty nutty", however he went on to state that after speaking with director Jon Watts, he thought the idea "sounded like a lot of fun". The actor finished by mentioning that what really drew him to returning for the film was that there was going to be a new spin on his character. It wouldn't just be a rehash of what was done in the 2002 film. See his full quote below:
"But it was really the pitch. And, like Jamie, I know Amy's history. She walked me through it, and then Jon, the director, kind of pitched the whole idea before I read a script and it sounded like a lot of fun and a good solution. And then when we went deeper into it, I liked the idea that I was returning to something that was same but different."
During the same interview, both Doc Ock actor Molina and Electro actor Foxx confirmed they felt the same as Dafoe about the pitch for the new film. Molina described the pitch as "just excellent" while Foxx mentioned that he felt honored to be sharing the screen with such renowned actors. Molina also pointed out that it had been 20 years since Dafoe's first appearance in the franchise, and seventeen since his own, which he jokingly described as the longest options ever exercised on actors.
Many fans have been highly anticipating the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home since the release of the first trailer, desperate to see some of their favorite characters appear on the big screen once again. With such high praise from so highly acclaimed actors, it seems likely that fans will not be disappointed with what the film has in store for them. With Dafoe himself stating that the characters will be different than fans may remember them, there's no telling what to expect when Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 15th.
Source: Sony