Michael Shannon Replaces Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin In New Spider-Man Movie Fan Art
General Zod actor Michael Shannon is no stranger to playing bad guys. Even in movies like "Take Shelter" or on shows like "Boardwalk Empire," his leading characters still come across as dangerous and unpredictable, which is why it's so easy to imagine the performer taking on other sinister and villainous roles. Case in point, digital artist Subi Özil (@subi.ozil) has dream cast Shannon as one of Spidey's number one antagonists, Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin.
While this look at the prolific character actor as the devious criminal is already impressive, what really makes it stand out is all the small details. Any fan of Spider-Man will know that Osborn slowly loses his mind as his fading mental faculties allow the Green Goblin to take over, and this is shown in the fan art through a shattered mirror motif. Half of the picture is in color, with Osborn wearing a purple suit, and half is in black and white, suggesting his splintering psyche and the dissonance between his two selves.
The fan art takes some pointers from the classic design
The reason the mirror motif seems especially appropriate is that the most famous version of the character, the one played by Willem Dafoe, memorably speaks to himself in the mirror while losing his mind in "Spider-Man." Meanwhile, in Subi Özil's fan art, the demonic Goblin mask and a clawed green hand can be seen breaking up the image.
While Dafoe's Green Goblin is almost completely green in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy, Özil seems to have taken some pointers from the classic design, which "Spider-Man: No Way Home" also nods to with the villain's purple hood and cowl. This comes through in the fan art by way of Özil's choice to give the suit a dark purple color that helps complete the look.
Though we may never see Michael Shannon in the role of the Green Goblin, art like this shows that the actor would be a great fit as the "Spider-Man" villain. Who knows? We could still see him join the dozens of other big names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that is, if they can find the right role for his intense and intimidating style.