Willem Dafoe: I Almost Played Batman

He’s known for his villainous role as the Green Goblin in the “Spider-Man” franchise, but Willem Dafoe told MTV News he was once up for the role of another spooky comic book character.

“Very early, they talked to me about playing Batman,” the “Antichrist” and “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” star told the site of Tim Burton’s 1989 film, which went on to star Michael Keaton.

Willem spoke out about the former attachment after a rumor appeared on his IMDB page that he’d been linked to the part of The Joker – the role that went to Jack Nicholson.

“I hate to spread these things because unless you remember it well, you’re stoking the fires of bulls***. But I remember [it]. I’ve had my brush with these things,” he said.

Though he never got to play the Caped Crusader, a decade later, Willem donned a different mask in another comic book universe as Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis the Green Goblin and his secret identity, businessman Norman Osborn.