Nosferatu and Spider-Man’s Green Goblin have one key similarity

Understandably, Nosferatu and Spider-Man aren’t two movies you’d ever put together. But according to Green Goblin star Willem Dafoe, the similarities are just beneath the surface.

We’ve got a long way to go until Spider-Man 4 hits screens, but there’s likely something for fans to enjoy in new horror movie Nosferatu. For those unaware, the Dracula retelling follows the mysterious Count Orlok in 1838, trying to regain control of a woman who once awoke his spirit.

It all sounds incredibly creepy (and it is) and a world away from Spidey, but the obvious link comes in the form of Willem Dafoe. We see him play Albin this time around, a man who has dedicated his life to studying the occult – and absolutely nobody believes him.

He might not be the outright supervillain we’re used to seeing Dafoe play, but Albin is a complex man nonetheless. In fact, his time in Nosferatu is remarkably similar for one very specific reason.

Spider-Man’s Green Goblin is a social outcast like Nosferatu’s Albin

In an interview with Dexerto, Dafoe explained the main similarity between Albin and the Green Goblin is the fact society “doesn’t see” characters like these.

Sony Pictures

“He’s an eccentric, he’s an outsider,” he said of both roles. “But I always like those characters because they give you a view sometimes that is not a familiar one. It’s not one that we’re constantly reminded of by society. So I always lean into those guys because they play with thinking about the way things could be, rather than leaning into the way things are or the way things are perceived.”

It’s been 22 years since we saw Dafoe take on the role of the supervillain, but you only need to look to more recent movies like Poor Things to see how the same strand of character appears across his work.

“Every time you do a film, a different kind of performance is required,” the actor added. “You look around, you see the world, you fold into it. You see what the mechanisms are. You see what the triggers are for your imagination.

“There’s so much stemming from the fact that I felt like in the writing, Robert [Eggers] had a really good time with this. Albin has a different perspective. He also has a sense of humor that some of the others don’t. His relationship with Ellen nobody else has. So there was something special about it.”

Nosferatu is in US cinemas on December 25, and on UK screens on January 1. In the meantime, check out the scariest horror films based on true stories, the best horror anime, and horror movies for kids to get into. You can also catch up with more new movies out this month.