Willem Dafoe is a fan favorite after having portrayed several iconic villains in his decades-long career in the film industry. Yet it is his portrayal of Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man that has been widely hailed as one of the best roles he has ever done.
From his chilling blue eyes to his menacing smile that can go from warm to blood-curling in the flash of a second, Dafoe is one of those actors who was bound to play a villain. And his portrayal of Green Goblin is no short of a cinematic wonder, for such great was his acting, that even Tom Holland got horrified while filming Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Willem Dafoe Terrified Tom Holland With His Green Goblin Portrayal
Willem Dafoe, much to the delight of fans, returned as Green Goblin for MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. In spite of several iconic villains, some incredible characters, and three Spider-Mans, Dafoe stood out not because his character was written this way but because of his portrayal.
Still as terrifying and disturbing as ever, fans were left dumbstruck when the real Goblin came out in the end, and those fight scenes with Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker stand as a testament to why Dafoe’s Green Goblin is so legendary.
Yet, during one of these fighting scenes, Dafoe was so alarmingly eerie that the crew and Holland were left terrified. In the behind-the-scenes of the fight, Jackson Spidell, the fight coordinator, stated Willem is a demented evil character while explaining how good Dafoe’s expressions were while Spider-Man had him cornered against a wall.
“He’s got Goblin against the wall and he’s just giving it all he can. Willem is just doing this incredible reactions with his face and then just stops… gives the Goblin laugh… like a cackle… and everybody on set just stopped. It kind of made your hair stand on end.”
Stated George Cottle, the 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator, also spoke about the Spidey-Goblin fight. While Dafoe is a known expert when it comes to spooky laughter, to witness it must understandably be too much for the actor and crew to bear. Even Holland had to remark that it was so scary.
And it’s no wonder why fans want Dafoe to return to the universe once again as the Green Goblin.
Why Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin Portrayal is Legendary
When Sam Raimi‘s first Spider-Man was released, the movie earned immense praise and was a huge success. Not only did it brilliantly showcase that comic book movies have an audience but laid the groundwork for the genre. However, in the midst of praise and acclaim for Raimi and Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man, it was the movie’s antagonist who stole the limelight.
Even now, Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of Green Goblin has been heralded as one of the best ever in the whole genre. From his terrifying smile to his villainous laugh, Dafoe balanced the evilness and ferociousness of the character with incredible finesse, a feat that can even be seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Despite the decade-long gap, Dafoe’s Green Goblin was unchanged but somehow even more intimidated without the mask. While shooting his fighting scenes with MCU’s Tom Holland, it is no wonder that the crew and Holland were left stunned after hearing Dafoe’s chilling laughter.
Spider-Man: No Way Home can be streamed on Disney+.
