Willem Dafoe was one of the first Marvel villains. Other than the memorable and on point performance from Ian McKellen as Magneto in the first X-Men, Dafoe's rendition of Norman Osborn in Spider-Man gave Marvel a formidable on-screen foe. I can still see the moment Dafoe discerned Peter Parker's identity in my head, a scene that tied knots in the stomach's of those watching the film. Now, Dafoe is set to star in DC's Aquaman as Vulko, one of Atlantis' most powerful political advisors. The storied actor sat down with CinemaBlend to compare working for Marvel and DC.
"They are different," he claimed. "They're very different - because they have different aims. They're working with different materials, their working with different intentions. But that's okay! I like to mix it up because that way you don't get stuck. You don't start to believe that there's only one way of doing things, and you don't start believe there's only one way of living, and you don't start to believe there's only a certain kind of film that's worth making. It keeps you loose." He continued on to compare Marvel and DC to working in theater and film.
"It's beautiful, and it's a privilege to be able to have those different experiences," Dafoe explained. "And I don't value anything in judging one against the other. I have some preferences, but I don't lean on them. It's like my relationship with theater and film. I love doing theater, but when I'm doing theater I miss film a little bit. When I'm doing film, I love it, but I miss theater! I guess it's human nature."