Michael Keaton discusses his Marvel and DC movie roles, highlighting Willem Dafoe’s performance as Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man.
DC and Marvel actor Michael Keaton reveals his thoughts on Willem Dafoe’s performance as Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Michael Keaton pioneered the modern superhero movie with his work on Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman. Almost thirty years later, Keaton returned to the superhero genre as Adrian Toomes a.k.a. the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming — a role he reprised in Morbius‘ infamous post-credits scene — before going back to where it all started in The Flash, where he played Batman once again. The DCU is leaving Keaton’s Batman behind and Vulture’s future in Marvel’s upcoming movies is up in the air, but Michael Keaton takes the time to look back on his comic book roles.
In an episode of GQ‘s iconic roles series of videos, Michael Keaton highlights his admiration for Willem Dafoe, particularly due to his outstanding performance the first installment of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Keaton explains, “you watch Willem Dafoe (…) in Spider-Man, he’s unbelievably good. I mean, he’s unbelievably good.” Watch the full interview below:
Why Michael Keaton Is Right About Willem Dafoe’s Spider-Man Performance
Note: At 64 years of age, Willem Dafoe insisted on doing his own stunts for Spider-Man: No Way Home .
How Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin Performance Stacks Up Against Other Spider-Man Villains
Like Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina made his Doctor Octopus a tragic antagonist with sympathetic origins but driven by his lowly desires. Thomas Haden-Church, although having much less screentime than previous villains, captured Sandman’s regret and heartbreak perfectly. Jake Gyllenhaal also stands out for successfuly transforming Mysterio, a rather absurd Spider-Man villain, into a serious antagonist without losing his comic book charm. And of course, Michael Keaton stole the spotlight with Vulture’s intimidating presence and surprisingly honest morals. However, Willem Dafoe’s unparalleled performance as Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man simply left the bar too high.
