Spider-Man: No Way Home

Warning : Spoilers forSpider - Man : No Way Home

The Green Goblin refund inSpider - Man : No Way Home , but while he ’s largely seen without his trademark masque , there are several very in effect understanding for that decision . No Way Homehas egress as the hit of the 2021 holiday season , continue the story of theMCU ’s Peter Parker(Tom Holland ) . At the same time , No Way Homealso taps heavily into nostalgia for pastSpider - Manmovies , by way of opening the Multiverse . However , despite Willem Dafoe ’s performance in Sam Raimi ’s original movie becoming an iconic part ofSpider - Manlore , No manner Homeopts for a noticeably unlike physical representation of the persona .

InNo Way Home , Peter incidentally alter a spell to erase the world ’s knowledge that he ’s Spider - Man being frame by Doctor Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) . This have various fiber from other universes who screw Spidey ’s cloak-and-dagger identity to be bring over into the MCU . Among them is the adversary of   Sam Raimi ’s firstSpider - Manmovie , Norman Osborn a.k.a the Green Goblin , with Willem Dafoe reprising the use .

Spider-Man No Way Home Poster

While Norman Osborn initially arrives in his full Goblin courtship , he later shatters the mask in a back alley while trying to get his bearing on the unusual novel world he ’s in . The decision for Dafoe ’s   Norman to go mainly maskless inNo Way Homecan partially be explained by the Goblin masque itself . While Dafoe ’s portraying ofNorman Osborn and his Goblin personainSpider - Manwas widely praised , the rigid , unexpressive nature of Goblin mask ( which is really more of a helmet ) receive its share of criticism , soNo way of life Homewas probably trying to ward off a repetition of that . However , while the original mask had its plowshare of problems , there are other reasons why remove it ease not only the drama of Dafoe ’s performance , but also more subtle aspects of the Osborn / Goblin character .

A fundamental condition is   the fact that Norman , after his lab experiment inSpider - Man , was smite with the Goblin image that now dominates his mind . No Way Homeleans heavily into this , showing Norman agitate an intragroup fight in his read/write head against the Goblin . Despite Norman ’s feat to stay in ascendancy , the Goblin take complete control over his mind during Peter ’s effort to   remove the unlike villain ’s powers for ship them home without each meet his demise , specifically Jamie Foxx ’s Electroand Alfred Molina ’s Doc Ock . It would be a lot harder to carry a genial struggle between Norman and the Goblin with his masquerade on at all metre , so leaving the mask aside aid show what he ’s croak through much well .

That also leads to the third likely reasonableness for the Green Goblin masquerade party being destroyed early in the film , which is Willem Dafoe himself . Dafoe has a very expressive boldness , and as seen in both the originalSpider - ManandNo Way Home , is capable to switch from Norman to the Goblin with just the subtle of facial contortions . Dafoe is equally adept at change his vox to   mean whether he ’s play Norman or the Goblin at any give import .

Willem Dafoe Goblin no mask

While the Goblin mask service its intent inSpider - Manof hiding Norman ’s identity element , there ’s no material need for him to do the same withthe villain ’s purpose inNo Way Home . unite with how chilling Dafoe is in Goblin style and how powerfully he can show that with his expression and representative , Norman move without his Goblin mask better shows how sinister a villain the Goblin is , and how even Norman has become a dupe of the persona . Norman might have needed his Green Goblin mask in his origin story , but forSpider - Man : No Way Home , he ’s a much stronger baddie without it .

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

Spider-Man: No Way Home