The Pierce Brosnanera 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 Brosnanin 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.”
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
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.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
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.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
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 don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
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.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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.
![Pierce Brosnan’s Final James Bond Villain Officially Reveals Franchise Return Potential [Exclusive]](https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/goldeneye-pierce-brosnan.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop "Pierce Brosnan’s Final James Bond Villain Officially Reveals Franchise Return Potential [Exclusive]")
