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Willem Dafoe is one of the few stars who have appeared in both Marvel and DC franchises, notably portraying Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manand Nuidis Vulko in James Wan’sAquaman. The actor initially never thought he’d go down the path of superhero movies, but now, most people know him as a Spider-Man villain.
He was not a total comic book fan, admitting he was quite skeptical about Raimi’s planned project. Dafoe mostly appeared in arthouse and independent films, but he’s also a popular choice for diverse roles in mainstream media. Interestingly, he didn’t think highly of superhero movies at the time.
Willem Dafoe wasn’t sure about the success of 2002’sSpider-Man
Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manfranchise paved the way for what we now callcomic book movies, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for that matter. The director made people believe it was possible to bring to life those colorful pages we only used to read, and somehow, this was a surprise forWillem Dafoe.
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Playing Norman Osborn, or Green Goblin, in the firstSpider-Manmovie oppositeTobey Maguirewas not in the actor’s timetable. The filmmaker managed to convince him to join in the project after Raimi showed incredible enthusiasm about the concept, which he told Dafoe over a two-hour phone call.
Because of this, he saw the vision and dedication of the director towards making a film about a web-slinging hero. Prior to this, Dafoe was very doubtful that it would work. In his conversation viaVariety’s Actors on Actors, he said:
When Spider-Man was proposed to me originally it was like, ‘Really, you’re going to make a movie from a comic book?’ It was like I was slumming it, you know? I didn’t see it that way, but some people were like, ‘Really?’
Spider-Manbecame a critical and commercial success, earning a staggering current score of 90% onRotten Tomatoesand grossing over$822 millionworldwide against a budget of $139 million. It proved to the world—and Dafoe—that comic book films have a place in Hollywood, and they were yet to make a wave.
The success of the franchise allowed for two more sequels, although the final installment in the trilogy failed to capture the essence of the first two films.
Willem Dafoe ensured Green Goblin has a major role inSpider-Man: No Way Home
While Dafoe ended up loving his role as Green Goblin, he had reservations about reprising the role inTom Holland’sSpider-Man: No Way Home. He didn’t want to be just a special appearance character; he wanted to be integrated into the story. While speaking onThe Jonathan Ross Show, he said he told the studio, “Don’t make it a stupid cameo. If you want me back, I really wanna do something, and I want to do some action stuff.”
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Like his first outing in Raimi’sSpider-Manfilm, the final installment inJon Watts’ franchise became a major commercial success for both Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.
Spider-Manis currently available to watch on Disney+.
Ariane Cruz
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3532
Ariane Cruz is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 3,000 articles published. Her love for pop culture and the creative arts fuels her passion to deliver engaging and informative stories. Her daily consumption of films, shows, and books keeps her energized for the day, along with her mission to serve as the bridge between fans and their favorite franchises.
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Sam RaimiTobey MaguireWillem Dafoe
