Earlier this year, it was revealed that Willem Dafoe would portray Nuidis Vulko in next year's Justice League. Since Vulko is one of the most frequently recurring supporting characters in the Aquaman comics, many assumed that the two-time Academy Award nominee would come back for the King of the Seven Seas’ first standalone movie.
However, we couldn't be sure about Dafoe's return in the James Wan venture, as his character could have died in the Zack Snyder flick. But now, we should have no doubt on the matter, as the actor himself has confirmed that he will reprise Vulko in Aquaman. And that's not all"¦he suggests that the character will have a major role in the July 27, 2018 release! In a recent interview with The Guardian, Dafoe says:
Well, Justice League is very particular because it's an ensemble movie and my character is being introduced here in order to be a principal role in Aquaman. These films are a different experience. They have different responsibilities, different resources, and different intentions. It's nice to go between those worlds if you can. They serve different impulses.
While Willem Dafoe's statement makes it clear that he will return in Aquaman, it also seems to indicate that he might not have a bigger-than-cameo role in Justice League. But we wouldn’t mind that, would we? The 61-year-old actor already dwells in the hearts of comic book fans for his portrayal of Norman Osborn, aka Green Goblin, in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. It would have been unwise to hire such a big actor to play a supporting character in just one movie.
During the same interview, Dafoe also compares Justice League with Spider-Man. While he claims that Snyder has "a heavy stamp" on the upcoming movie, he does admit that Warner Bros. is "trying to play around" with a formula. On the other hand, the 2002 flick was "very personal…and…dear" to Raimi. He didn't have a formula.