Willem Dafoe wouldn't mind playing the Green Goblin again

(Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios)

Willem Dafoe wouldn't mind suiting up to play Green Goblin again.

"If everything was right, sure," Dafoe told Inverse. "I mean, 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."

Dafoe first played the scientist-turned-villain Norman Osborn in 2001's Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire, and turned the arguably goofy comic book baddie into one of the most terrifying villains ever seen on screen. Twenty years later, Dafoe would reprise the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Maguire return as the web-slinger alongside Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield.

"I really didn't want to do a cameo," Dafoe told The Mary Sue, speaking of his decision to return to the role decades later. "I wanted to make sure there was something substantial enough to do that wasn’t just a tip of the hat. And the other thing was, I said I really want there to be action — I want to take part in action scenes. Because that’s really fun for me. It’s the only way to root the character. Otherwise, it just becomes a series of memes.”

The actor has several movies in post-production, including Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, The Legend of Ochi, Poor Things, Gonzo Girl, Finalmente l'alba, And, and Pet Shop Boys. He is currently filming Nosferatu, the Robert Eggers-directed horror starring Bill Skarsgard and Lily-Rose Depp.

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.