New reports suggest Willem Dafoe is reprising his role of Green Goblin in Spider-Man 3, but that could pose a huge problem for the MCU's future. It's fair to say that Spider-Man has a bit of a complex legacy on the big screen. Director Sam Raimi's first two films helped set the standard for superhero blockbusters to come, while his third has become infamous for trying to fit too much into one movie, as well as spawning dozens of memes about Peter Parker's "emo" phase.
After Raimi and Tobey Maguire left, Sony wasted no time in crafting a reboot, with The Amazing Spider-Man performing well enough, although earning criticism for rehashing the hero's origin so soon. The Amazing Spider-Man 2, however, was enough of a dud that Sony finally threw up their hands and did what many fans had wished they would've done years prior: team up with Marvel and get Spider-Man into the MCU. The result was Tom Holland's version of the character, starring in two solo films that have both earned raves.
With the MCU's still untitled Spider-Man 3 set to explore the multiverse though, characters from past Spider-Man franchises will reportedly appear, such as Jamie Foxx's Electro, an odd move, as that version wasn't exactly beloved. The prospect of Dafoe's Green Goblin also appearing has naturally piqued fan interest, but beyond a quick hit of nostalgia, may not be for the best.
Dafoe's Green Goblin Could Cause The MCU A Huge Problem
Notably, Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin/Norman Osborn was one of only a select few characters to appear in all three Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, albeit as a hallucination haunting his son Harry in the sequels. It remains to be seen how exactly Dafoe's Goblin could return for the MCU's Spider-Man 3, as even if the two universes did intersect, Norman is dead, presuming there isn't time travel involved as well. As fun and cheer-worthy as it would be to see Dafoe's villain interact with Tom Holland's Spider-Man, it's how he's used that could present a potential problem.
Dafoe's Green Goblin portrayal is one of the most iconic villain performances in superhero cinema, and anyone eventually cast in the role within the MCU would immediately be judged against his work. This will be multiplied tenfold if Dafoe is brought in for a glorified cameo, or small supporting role in the plot, only to make way for a "real" Green Goblin to enter the MCU afterward. The only real way around that would be to actually cast Dafoe as the MCU's Norman Osborn, as was done with JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson.
That said, considering how often Dafoe works and the quirky indie roles he often takes, it remains to be seen whether he would even be interested in playing a large ongoing role within the MCU. Most major MCU actors rarely have the time to do many projects not affiliated with Marvel Studios during their tenure with the company. If Dafoe can't somehow become the MCU's true Green Goblin, which would probably be premature since Harry Osborn isn't even Peter's friend in this universe yet, teasing fans with his presence and then taking him away will just ultimately lead to annoyance, disappointment, and a huge shadow it would be hard for any other actor cast to escape.