Willem Dafoe on why the Green Goblin Mask was destroyed in Spider-Man: No Way Home

SPOILERS for Spider-Man: No Way Home, although these particular spoilers were all revealed in the trailers for the film. As we know, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back a variety of characters from previous Spider-Man movies, including the iconic Green Goblin played by Willem Dafoe. Some of these characters underwent a few changes and Willem Dafoe explained one of those changes to The New York Times: the choice to destroy the Green Goblin mask.

Although Green Goblin entered Spider-Man: No Way Home largely as he appeared in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Norman Osborn destroyed the Green Goblin mask early on. Willem Dafoe told The New York Times that the choice was made at least partly because of the criticism that the mask has received over the years.

I must be honest, I am aware that there was some criticism of that mask in the original one. We heard it enough that it was probably a consideration, to change it up a little bit. I don’t think about that because I don’t think about emoting with my face. My face follows my heart. It’s just an expression of what you’re feeling.

While the Green Goblin mask certainly had its critics back in the day, I think most fans had accepted it. Mask or not, it was quite the treat to see Willem Dafoe back in action as the Green Goblin. The actor added that he wanted to make sure his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home wasn’t just a glorified cameo. “I wanted to make sure there was something substantial enough to do that wasn’t just a tip of the hat,” Dafoe explained. “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.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray and let us know what you thought of the film as well.