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Norman Osborn (2002 film series character)

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Norman Osborn
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002)
First appearanceSpider-Man (2002)
Last appearanceSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Based on
Norman Osborn
by
Adapted byDavid Koepp
Portrayed byWillem Dafoe
Voiced by
In-universe information
AliasGreen Goblin
SpeciesHuman mutate
Occupation
Weapon
  • Pumpkin bombs
  • Razor bats
  • Goblin trident
  • Sleeping gas
  • Wrist blade
ChildrenHarry Osborn (son)
OriginNew York City, United States

Norman Osborn, also known by his alter ego The Green Goblin, is a fictional character portrayed by Willem Dafoe in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Based on the Marvel Comics character Norman Osborn, he is introduced in Spider-Man (2002) as a scientist and the CEO of Oscorp who tests a performance-enhancing serum on himself. The serum gives him superhuman strength and a deranged alternate personality, and he begins terrorizing New York City, which brings him into conflict with Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a magical spell backfires, allowing Osborn to travel through the multiverse and encounter different versions of Spider-Man.

Concept and creation

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The Green Goblin was originally a comic book character created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964) as a character without a human identity like other Spider-Man villains.[1] However, the comic suggested his identity would be revealed in the future, and at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man #39 (1966), the Goblin revealed himself as Norman Osborn.[2] The Goblin became one of Spider-Man's most popular enemies during the 1960s and eventually died in the second part of "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" storyline (1973). The character resurfaced in The Clone Saga and has been adapted into other media beyond comics.

While rewriting Spider-Man from a "scriptment" by James Cameron, David Koepp made the Green Goblin the primary antagonist and Doctor Octopus the secondary villain.[3] After Scott Rosenberg was brought in to rewrite Koepp's material, director Sam Raimi asked him to cut the Doctor Octopus storyline so the plot could focus on the surrogate father-son theme between Norman Osborn and Peter Parker, which had appeared in recent Ultimate Marvel comics.[4][5]

Portrayal

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Nicolas Cage, Jason Isaacs, John Malkovich and Billy Bob Thornton were considered for the role of Osborn, but all turned it down.[c] Willem Dafoe had been seeking a role in an action film, and when he heard that Raimi was directing Spider-Man, he reached out to him.[10][11] Dafoe was cast as Osborn in November 2000.[12] He viewed Osborn as a complex character, and said he could relate to Osborn's "ambition and his desire for perfection and how that perverts so much of his relationship to people."[10] Raimi gave Dafoe a copy of the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to prepare for the role.[13]

Willem Dafoe particularly enjoyed shooting a scene in which Osborn talks to his Goblin persona in a mirror.

While Dafoe enjoyed playing the Goblin persona, he found playing Osborn's human persona even more interesting, partly because the performance could switch from comedic to dramatic in a heartbeat.[14] One way Dafoe differentiated the two personas was by wearing dental prosthetics while playing Osborn to give him straight teeth, while using his naturally crooked teeth when portraying the Goblin.[13][14] Dafoe came up with the idea of reintroducing Osborn in Spider-Man 2 through a hallucination that haunts his son Harry. Dafoe compared this hallucination to the ghost of Hamlet's father. Dafoe portrayed the hallucinated Osborn in both Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 (2007).[15] For Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dafoe was digitally de-aged so he would resemble the Osborn of Spider-Man.[16] To prevent his involvement with the film being made public, Dafoe was required to wear a long cloak on set.[17]

Costume

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In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Osborn appears both with and without the Goblin mask.

The first version of the Green Goblin mask designed for Spider-Man was created by Amalgamated Dynamics. It was animatronic, and allowed for the expression of a full range of emotions. Dafoe described it as a "silly looking" Halloween mask.[18] It was ultimately scrapped due to technical problems and because it was deemed "too creepy" by studio executives.[d] Dafoe insisted on wearing the new, uncomfortable costume himself, as he felt a stuntman could not convey the character's necessary body language. The 580-piece suit took half an hour to put on.[22] Dafoe wanted the costume to be flexible enough for him to do the splits; costume designer James Acheson said Dafoe was likely the most flexible actor he had ever worked with.[23][22] In No Way Home, the Goblin costume was changed to make it more closely resemble the suit from the comics.[24][25]

Characterization

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Adam Holmes of CinemaBlend described Osborn as a character with a split personality: Norman could present himself as normal to other people, before turning into the "unhinged" Goblin who kills without mercy.[13] James Whitbrook of Gizmodo has drawn contrasts between Peter and Osborn regarding the ways they exercise power in the Raimi film series. According to Whitbrook, Peter learns that power comes with responsibilities, while Osborn is driven by a fear of losing power. When he is ousted from Oscorp, Osborn seeks a new type of power through the Goblin, attacking his former colleagues and the people he cares about, namely Harry and Peter, while descending into insanity.[26]

Appearances

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Spider-Man (2002)

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Main article: Spider-Man (2002 film)

Norman Osborn, a scientist and the founder and CEO of Oscorp Industries, meets Peter Parker, the best friend of his son Harry, and is impressed by Peter's intelligence. At Oscorp, Osborn learns that some test subjects of a super-soldier serum project have gone insane, and that Oscorp may lose the chance for a military contract. Desperate, Osborn tests the serum on himself. It gives him enhanced strength and an alternate, deranged personality, which later comes to be known as the "Green Goblin". Osborn kills one of his scientists, then steals an Oscorp glider. He arrives at a test facility of Oscorp's rival, Quest Aerospace, where he kills scientists and military officials. After Oscorp's board of directors votes Osborn out as CEO, Osborn kills them, but retreats after being confronted by Spider-Man.

Osborn becomes horrified about what he has done as the Goblin, but is unable to overcome his alternate personality. In his search for Spider-Man, he attacks the Daily Bugle editor-in-chief J. Jonah Jameson, who employs Peter. Spider-Man arrives and is kidnapped by Osborn, who offers him a partnership. During a subsequent encounter, Spider-Man fights Osborn and refuses his offer.

Once Osborn deduces Peter that is Spider-Man, he attacks Peter's aunt May. He then kidnaps Peter's love interest Mary Jane Watson, as well as a Roosevelt Island Tramway car full of children. After Peter saves everyone, Osborn takes him to an abandoned building and brutally beats him. When Osborn threatens to kill Mary Jane, Peter finds the strength to fight back and gains the upper hand. Osborn then reveals his true identity and begs for mercy. While Peter is distracted, Osborn attempts to impale him with his glider, but Peter dodges the attack and the glider skewers Osborn instead. Before dying, Osborn begs Peter not to tell Harry that he is the Goblin.

Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007)

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Main articles: Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3

In both films, Harry Osborn is haunted by a hallucination of his father demanding to be avenged.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

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Main article: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Osborn arrives in a parallel universe after Dr. Stephen Strange casts a magical spell which backfires. Seeking to banish his Green Goblin persona, Osborn breaks the Goblin mask in an alley and seeks refuge in community center, where he meets May Parker and a new version of Peter Parker, dubbed "Peter-One". Osborn goes with Peter-One to the New York Sanctum, where he learns about the multiverse and encounters other villains from previous Spider-Man films. Dr. Strange imprisons Osborn and prepares to use a magical device to send him and the others back to their original timelines; if Osborn is sent back, he will die in a fight with Spider-Man.

Peter-One traps Strange in the Mirror Dimension and takes the villains to Happy Hogan's apartment, where he intends to cure them of their afflictions. However, the Osborn succumbs to the Goblin and he fights with Peter-One. Osborn summons his glider and blows up the apartment building, fatally wounding May before he flees.

The other villains are cured by Peter-One and two other Peter Parkers from other universes. Osborn destroys Strange's device, which causes the barriers between universes to break. As Strange tries to seal them, Peter-One defeats and nearly kills Osborn, but is stopped by the Peter of Osborn's universe, "Peter-Two". Osborn stabs Peter-Two in the back, before Peter-One injects Osborn with a serum that cures him of his Goblin persona. Osborn is horrified when he sees Peter-Two lying on the ground. Strange casts a spell that returns Osborn, the other villains, and the other Peters to their respective timelines, giving Osborn a second chance at life.

Video games

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Dafoe reprises his role from Spider-Man in the 2002 video game adaptation of the film.[27][28] The game Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (2007) explores an alternate timeline in which the Spider-Man film villains survived their deaths. Osborn is voiced by Roger L. Jackson and is a playable character in the game.

Reception

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Critical response

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Willem Dafoe at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019

Following the 2002 release of Spider-Man, Jack Mathews of New York Daily News felt Dafoe put the "scare in archvillain", while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian thought Dafoe created a strong supporting character.[29][30] Conversely, A. O. Scott of The New York Times called Dafoe's performance in Spider-Man "uninspired and secondhand", while IGN's Richard George described the Goblin's armor and helmet as "not frightening" and "almost comically bad".[31][32] In retrospective articles looking back at the Raimi trilogy before the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Steven Scaife of Vice called Dafoe's Goblin the ideal superhero villain,[33] while Tom Chapman of Radio Times called him the best film supervillain of all time.[34]

Brett Price of the Ohio student newspaper The Lantern praised Dafoe's performance as being "on another level" in No Way Home. Price felt that Dafoe's ability to portray the character without the mask made him even more intimidating than he was in Spider-Man.[35] Amelia Emberwing of IGN and Peter Travers of Good Morning America applauded Dafoe's performance in No Way Home, with Travers calling it "delicious".[36][37] Adam Rosenberg of Mashable called Dafoe's Goblin the best Spider-Man villain. He said that Dafoe's portrayal of the Goblin was central to the success of Spider-Man, and that the "emotional journey" of No Way Home relies heavily on Dafoe as well.[38] Carrie Wittmer of Rolling Stone said that Osborn's return to his Goblin persona late in No Way Home is "peak camp" and one of the film's best moments. She said Dafoe's performance illustrates that he is "one of the best actors we have, in this or any universe."[39] Osborn's line "you know, I'm something of a scientist myself", which he utters in both Spider-Man and in No Way Home, became an Internet meme.[e]

Accolades

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See also: List of accolades received by the 2002–2007 Spider-Man film series and List of accolades received by Spider-Man: No Way Home

Dafoe has received several nominations, mostly in a "Best Villain" category, for his portrayal of Osborn. His only win was a Critics' Choice Super Award in 2022 for his No Way Home performance. For years, Dafoe and Maguire held the Guinness World Record for "the longest career as a live-action Marvel character."[42][43]

Year Film Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
2003 Spider-Man MTV Movie Awards Best Villain Willem Dafoe Nominated [44]
Best Fight Willem Dafoe[f] Nominated
2022 Spider-Man: No Way Home Seattle Film Critics Society Villain of the Year Willem Dafoe Nominated [45]
Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Villain in a Movie Won [46]
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Villain Nominated [47]

Notes

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  1. ^ Spider-Man (2002 video game)
  2. ^ Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (2007 video game)
  3. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[6][7][8][9]
  4. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[19][20][21]
  5. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[39][40][41]
  6. ^ Shared with Tobey Maguire.

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Stan; Ditko, Steve (w), Ditko, Steve (a), Simek, Art (let), Lee, Stan (ed). "The Grotesque Adventure of the Green Goblin!" Amazing Spider-Man, no. 14 (July 1964). New York City, NY: Marvel Comics.
  2. ^ Lee, Stan (w), Romita Sr., John (p), Demeo, Mickey (i), Simek, Artie; Rosen, Sam (let), Lee, Stan (ed). "How Green Was My Goblin; Spidey Saves the Day! Featuring: The End of the Green Goblin" Amazing Spider-Man, no. 39–40 (August–September 1966). New York City, NY: Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ Gross, Edward (May 2002). Spider-Man Confidential. Hyperion. pp. 208–209. ISBN 0-7868-8722-2.
  4. ^ Subtitled Factoids: Weaving the Web (DVD). Sony. 2002.
  5. ^ Brodesser, Claude (June 16, 2000). "Spider-Man snares scribe". Variety. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
  6. ^ Ethan Aames (September 18, 2004). "Interview: Nicolas Cage on National Treasure". Cinema Confidential. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  7. ^ Jbindeck2015 (July 13, 2017). "Jason Isaacs Auditioned for Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Billy Bob Thornton Says He Turned Down Spidey; Won't Wear Funny Hats". MTV. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023.
  9. ^ Chau, Thomas (November 6, 2000). "Malkovich Says No To Spidey". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
  10. ^ a b Rentilly, J. (June 8, 2002). "Webbed Feat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  11. ^ Hottram, James (May 9, 2002). "Willem Dafoe". BBC. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  12. ^ KGB (November 17, 2000). "More Spider-Man Casting News: Dafoe Is Green Goblin". IGN. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c Holmes, Adam (February 19, 2019). "Willem Dafoe Really Loved Playing The Green Goblin In Spider-Man". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Willem Dafoe Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ (video). February 15, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2022 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ Otto, Jeff (June 25, 2004). "Spidey 2 Talk". IGN. Archived from the original on May 18, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
  16. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 7, 2022). "How Spider-Man: No Way Home VFX Team Brought Back Villains From the Multiverse". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  17. ^ Perine, Aaron (November 23, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Star Tom Holland Reveals How They Kept Willem Dafoe's Role a Secret". ComicBook.com. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  18. ^ B. Vary, Adam (April 28, 2022). "'Spider-Man' at 20: How Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures Rescued the Superhero Genre and Changed Hollywood Forever". Variety. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  19. ^ Parker, Ryan (July 8, 2017). "Spider-Man: Willem Dafoe's Original Green Goblin Mask Was Amazing". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  20. ^ Lammers, Timothy (July 9, 2017). "Spider-Man's Green Goblin Mask Was Originally Far More Comic Accurate". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  21. ^ Hutchinson, Sam (June 1, 2020). "Spider-Sense: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Details Of Sam Raimi Trilogy Fans Never Knew". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  22. ^ a b David Hughes (2003). Comic Book Movies. London: Virgin Books. pp. 235–241. ISBN 0-7535-0767-6.
  23. ^ Dretzka, Gary (May 3, 2002). "Dafoe's Role as Green Goblin Isn't the Stretch It Might Seem". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  24. ^ Sternberg, Sabrina (December 5, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home: New Footage Gives Closer Look at Willem Dafoe's New Green Goblin Suit". Collider. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  25. ^ Zinski, Dan (December 20, 2021). "No Way Home Concept Art Shows Hidden Details Of New Green Goblin Costume". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  26. ^ Whitbrook, James (August 2, 2020). "Sam Raimi's Spider-Man is a Cautionary Tale About the Power Men Wield". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  27. ^ Stone, Sam (May 1, 2019). "Spider-Man: Why the 2002 Video Game Is A Secret Marvel Masterpiece". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2022. While it wasn't Spider-Man's first 3D game, this tie-in to director Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man film starring Tobey Maguire expanded the world of Raimi's trilogy significantly. It also firmly built on the foundation for all future 3D titles starring Spider-Man and featured Maguire and Willem Dafoe reprising their roles from the movie.
  28. ^ West, Josh (February 19, 2022). "10 best Spider-Man games of all-time, ranked". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022. ...Spider-Man: The Movie was a surprisingly good time. You get Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe reprising their roles as Spider-Man and Green Goblin, ...
  29. ^ Mathews, Jack (May 3, 2002). "What A Wondrous Web They Weave". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  30. ^ Bradhsaw, Peter (June 14, 2002). "Spider-Man". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  31. ^ Scott, A. O. (May 3, 2002). "Muscles Ripple, Webs Unfurl, Hormones Race". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  32. ^ George, Richard (April 19, 2007). "Spider-Man in Film: Volume One". IGN. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
  33. ^ Scaife, Steven (December 4, 2017). "Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin Was the Best Superhero Villain, Actually". Variety. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  34. ^ Chapman, Tom (May 3, 2022). "Spider-Man's Green Goblin is still the best on-screen supervillain 20 years on". Radio Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  35. ^ Price, Brett (December 26, 2021). "Movie Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home Showcases A Genuine Understanding Of What It Means To Be the 'Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'". The Lantern. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  36. ^ Travers, Peter (December 17, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home review: Tom Holland is better than ever in this thrill-a-minute whirlwind". Good Morning America. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  37. ^ Emberwing, Amelia (December 14, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  38. ^ Rosenberg, Adam (December 19, 2021). "Willem Dafoe is and always was the best Spider-Man movie villain". Mashable. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  39. ^ a b Wittmer, Carrie (December 18, 2021). "All the Campy Cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  40. ^ Russell, Bradley (December 15, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Easter eggs: the 25 biggest Marvel references". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  41. ^ Sandwell, Ian (December 18, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home's best Easter eggs and MCU references". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  42. ^ Ridgely, Charlie (January 27, 2022). "Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe Break Guinness World Record With Spider-Man: No Way Home". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  43. ^ Atwal, Sanj (October 6, 2022). "Patrick Stewart retakes record for longest Marvel career". Guinness World Records. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  44. ^ "2003 MTV Movie Awards". MTV. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  45. ^ "The Power of the Dog Leads the 2021 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  46. ^ Davis, Clayton (February 22, 2022). "Critics Choice Super Awards: Spider-Man, Justice League Among Film Nominees; Evil, Midnight Mass Lead TV". Variety. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  47. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (June 5, 2022). "MTV Movie and TV Awards Full Winners List: Zendaya, Tom Holland Win Top Honors". Variety. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
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