Zack Snyder's 'Justice League Part One' Casts Willem Dafoe in Mystery DC Role

Zack Snyder's follow-up to this year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is already filming, and aside from its superheroes, there are a few other big names attached -- and that now includes Willem Dafoe! In the latest casting news from Justice League Part One, the man who played the Green Goblin has now gone over to DC -- and he's joining fellow Spider-Man alum J.K. Simmons!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy Award-nominated actor is the latest addition to the DC superhero team-up, but his role is still being kept under wraps. Unlike his previous role in the Sony/Marvel Spider-Man film trilogy, he'll be playing one of the "good guys."

Dafoe is one of the most interesting character actors out there, often working on indie films, including two stints on Wes Anderson movies: The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou and most recently Grand Budapest Hotel. Dafoe's pretty busy these days, with six films currently in different stages of production, all coming out between 2016 and 2017.

Cinema Blend suggests seven different DC characters Dafoe could be playing in Justice League: Oliver Queen, one of Steve Trevor's descendants, Henry Allen/Jay Garrick, Tom Curry, Martian Manhunter, Desaad and the original Joker (that is, if Jared Leto's really is the former Robin).

It's probably a coincidence, but it's pretty peculiar to see not one but two of the most iconic actors from the original Spidey live-action movies, both of whom were highly praised for their roles. In the years since Tobey Maguire's last outing as Peter Parker, Simmons has voiced J. Jonah Jameson in multiple animated series, while Dafoe hasn't played the role outside of the trilogy.

Still, with so many movies of this genre going on, it's not rare to see actors going from one role in a superhero movie to starring in a different, competing franchise, like how Ryan Reynolds went from Green Lantern to Deadpool and, famously, how Ben Affleck played Marvel's Daredevil over a decade before he was Bruce Wayne/Batman on this year's Dawn of Justice.

Justice League Part One will hit theaters on November 17, 2017.