Spider-Man: Willem Dafoe Isn't Ruling Out A Green Goblin Return

Willem Dafoe is a busy actor, having churned out six feature films in 2023 alone. The list includes heavy hitters like Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" and indie projects like Sony Pictures Belgium's "Inside," which tracks since Dafoe enjoys switching between big-budget and indie movies. He doesn't appear to be slowing down either, because the "Lighthouse" star is geared up to drop plenty more projects in the years to come. With such a packed dance card, it's both exhausting and exhilarating to know that he's always saving a little time for Marvel, just in case.

During a 2023 interview with Inverse, Dafoe admitted that he's willing to don the ghoulish garb of the Green Goblin again, so long as the stars align for a quality production. "If everything was right, sure," he said. "That's a great role. I liked the fact that it's a double role both times. Twenty years ago, and fairly recently, both times [were] very different experiences, but I had a good time on both."

The phrase "if everything was right" encompasses a wide, literally endless, breadth of potential hurdles, too many to form a legitimate basis for speculation. What we can say with certainty, however, is that no one brings Norman Osborn to life quite like Dafoe. And why would Sony or Marvel recast someone who's already perfect, who still harbors an interest in the role, and who fans love to see on-screen?

Since "Spider-Man: No Way Home" sees Norman Osborn sent back to his own branch of the ever-growing Multiverse, the most likely way for the character, as well as Willem Dafoe, to return would be the long-awaited, long-gestating, and long-sidelined "Spider-Man 4." Will it ever happen? We don't know. But we do know that the sheer volume of rumors circulating about a potential fourth film for Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man — along with a third for Andrew Garfield's — spiked to immeasurable heights after both Peter Parkers appeared in Tom Holland's "No Way Home."

It's not totally clear what's going on with the rights to "Spider-Man" right now, what with Disney and Sony acting as curious co-parents, but Sony's talent seems eager to continue doing the good work. In 2023, Maguire expressed a vocal interest to Marvel in regard to his continued collaboration with the franchise, saying, "If these guys called me and said ... 'Would you show up to do this movie or read a scene or do a Spider-Man thing?', it would be a 'yes!' Because why wouldn't I want to do that?"

Thomas Haden Church and Kirsten Dunst have also expressed a willingness to return. J.K. Simmons, for his part, already has returned, multiple times, so most of the original gang's still invested. But as long as Maguire and Dafoe are present, the bones for something spectacular are there.