WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home

Willem Dafoe opens up about why he insisted on doing his own stunts for Spider-Man: No Way Home, discussing the opportunities to do action sequences. Dafoe reprised his role as the Green Goblin from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy in the conclusion to Jon Watt's MCU Spider-Man saga. The actor returned alongside Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Rhys Ifans, and Hayden Thomas Church as villains from across the multiverse.

Pulled into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe shortly before his death by Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) spell, Norman Osborn grapples between his true self and the Goblin persona in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Learning that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) hopes to cure the villains, Norman works alongside him, only for the Goblin to re-emerge to save his own existence. Assuming dominance once more, the Goblin strikes, ruining Peter's plans, scattering the other villains, and killing Aunt May (Marissa Tomei). Drawn back to the role by the stuntwork, Dafoe's Green Goblin once more proves himself as one of the deadliest foes of Spider-Man put to screen through his gleeful cruelty and brutality, and the actor has opened up about why he was drawn to action sequences.

Related: One Small Detail Shows How Dafoe's Norman & Green Goblin Are Different

Speaking to GQ Magazine about his social media presence, acting process, and wider career, Dafoe opened up about the conditions he set for his Spider-Man: No Way Home return and why he made them. Dafoe revealed that he enjoyed the opportunity to work on larger, more action-oriented sequences that couldn't be done outside of his usual, small-scale film projects. He elaborated by stating he enjoyed stunts due to the genuine, grounded nature of the process, as well as being able to physically do the work himself. Check out Dafoe's full response below.

“It's fun to do the action sequences, it's fun to have resources. I make a lot of budget-challenged movies. So it's nice to have all the technical stuff to work with. It's really fun to do those things because they're pure. They're pure because what you're doing is what you're doing. And your heart and mind follow.” 

Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin in Spider-Man No Way Home

As well as wanting an action-filled role, Dafoe aimed to avoid becoming a meme in his much-anticipated Spider-Man return. Despite his performance in Raimi's trilogy instantly being beloved and becoming the origin for many memes in recent years (such as the phrase "I'm something of a scientist myself"), Dafoe wanted his role to be more substantial rather than just a cameo paired with throwback lines. As such, when approached by Watts and Sony producer Amy Pascal, the actor requested a more central role, complete with proper action sequences.

With discussions of practical stunt work versus computer-generated imagery occurring more and more from those in the industry and audiences, it's interesting to hear Dafoe's thoughts on the matter. As the actor touched on recently when discussing his original Goblin costume, he puts his all into his roles, and the scenes where he and Holland's Peter Parker trade blows are some of Spider-Man: No Way Home's more emotional moments. As such, the practicality and dedication Dafoe delivers not only brings him joy, but makes his performance as the Green Goblin one of the MCU's most threatening and impactful villains.

Next: No Way Home's Green Goblin Is A Villain (But Norman Osborn Isn't)

Source: GQ Magazine

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