Willem Dafoe Compares ‘Aquaman’ To Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’

Willem Dafoe is no stranger to superheroes. The actor turned to Marvel years ago when he played Norman Osborn in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The star is looking to DC Comics now since Dafoe was cast in Aquaman earlier this year. And, if you ask the star, he will say his stint on Aquaman reminds him of his Spider-Man days.

Collider had a chance to speak with Dafoe about his recent work, and the actor admitted he thinks Aquaman‘s director is similar to Raimi.

“[James Wan’s] enthusiasm reminds me, very much, of Sam Raimi’s enthusiasm,” Dafoe said.

“When I made Spider-Man with Sam Raimi, one of the most impressive things was that it didn’t feel like an industry film. It felt like a personal film,” the actor continued.

“It felt like Sam Raimi was getting to fulfill a fantasy of his. He was so connected to that Spider-Man mythology that he really infused it with great love and great playfulness, and I love that. James Wan is very similar.”

The actor continued and went so far as to say Wan’s attention to detail is what impresses him the most.

“He really knows exactly what he wants, which is particularly a great asset when you’re making a movie that’s so technologically complicated,” Dafoe explained. “He can be very clear, and it’s fun to play the game of having him give you an ask and trying to satisfy that ask. He gives you some things to play with and a good story.”

If you are not familiar with Dafoe’s role in Aquaman, you have a bit of history to catch up on. The actor was cast to play Vulko, a longtime adviser to Aquaman and Atlantean politician. In the comics, the pair are often allies. Dafoe is expected to debut his take on Vulko in Justice League later this year, so fans will get to see exactly how the character aligns himself with Aquaman then.

Justice League currently has a 4.16 out of 5 ComicBook.com User Anticipation rating making it the third most anticipated upcoming comic book movie among ComicBook.com readers. Let us know how excited you are for Justice League by giving the movie your own personal ComicBook.com User Anticipation Rating below.

Justice League opens in theaters on November 17, 2017.