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Chris McPherson

Aidan Kelley

Published Aug 7, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

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The **Pierce Brosnan **era of James Bond is certainly an unusual one, with its hard pivot to sci-fi tech and over-the-top CGI set pieces certainly giving them their own identity for better or worse. One thing that can’t be disputed, though, is that Brosnan was an excellent James Bond, and his villains weren’t too shabby either. The rogues’ gallery of Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), Renard (Robert Carlyle), and Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) are all formidable foes, but there’s one other villain who made a big impact despite not being in the movies, and he was played by none other than Norman Osborn himself, Willem Dafoe. From the Green Goblin to countless psychologically unsettling antagonists, the Oscar-nominated actor has spent decades proving he can command the screen as the bad guy and, while he’s technically already crossed Bond once before, he’s now weighing in on the prospect of facing the new 007 on screen.

Speaking with Collider’s Aidan Kelley while promoting his upcoming films Late Fame and The Birthday Party, Dafoe opened up on his history with Bond that very few people are even aware of, and the prospect of joining the franchise once again. For those who may not know, Dafoe actually played villain Nikolai Diavolo in the 2004 video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, starring opposite **Pierce Brosnan **in what is technically the former Bond’s final portrayal as the character. Rather amusingly, Dafoe admits the process of joining the James Bond universe in the way that he did was an unusual one, explaining that video game acting was still in its infancy and the entire process came together remarkably quickly.

“I did. And, you know, I think I never even saw it. I enjoyed doing it, but that was very early when people were making video games. Very, very early. I remember it was a very quick recording session. I kind of invented an accent on the spot. It was very loosey-goosey. But many people have told me they really enjoy it, so it’s a case of sometimes it’s good to jump in and play it loose and fast. Sometimes that has a spirit that may not be precise, but it has a spirit that really brings the character to life.”

While Dafoe has already left his mark on Bond in the gaming world, he made it clear that a live-action role would certainly interest him. Although he was careful not to fuel speculation, he admitted the franchise has been part of his life since childhood, even if his earliest memories of it were slightly awkward.

“I don’t want to send a little headline out there, but, you know, in the right situation,” he continued. “I mean, when I was a kid, I remember seeing From Russia with Love and Goldfinger when I was really young, like uncomfortable. I was young enough that the sex scenes, for example, or the romance scenes or whatever you call them, were not cool. They were uncomfortable for me because one of my sisters was babysitting me and couldn’t get me lost and had a date, and they took me along. And I remember I suffered through it. [Laughs] Then, I’ve watched Bond films through the years. They’re a particular thing. Yeah, it is something that might be fun to do, and I’d really check it out if they came my way.”

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

The next era of James Bond is officially underway following Amazon MGM Studios’ appointment of Denis Villeneuve as director. The acclaimed filmmaker behind Dune, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 is set to helm the next 007 adventure, with producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman overseeing the franchise’s creative future.

Dafoe is currently promoting two very different projects. In Late Fame, he stars as a celebrated poet whose quiet retirement is upended when a much younger admirer resurrects his forgotten work, forcing him to confront legacy, ambition, and the cost of artistic recognition. Meanwhile, The Birthday Party sees him lead an ensemble psychological drama centered on a lavish birthday celebration that gradually unravels into a tense and unsettling examination of family secrets and long-buried resentments.

*Late Fame *is in theaters now, and The Birthday Party premieres in theaters on August 14. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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