Chris Diamantopoulos Wants To Play Marvel's New Green Goblin And I Promised Him I Would Write This Article Saying So [Exclusive]
When I spoke to actor Chris Diamantopoulos about his work in the upcoming Peacock science fiction series "Mrs. Davis," I did not intend to talk about superhero movies. But the intimidatingly busy character actor and voice over artist (whose roles include everything from the guy who tried to steal Pam in "The Office" to Disney's current Mickey Mouse) is no stranger to the genre — he's voiced Aquaman, Steve Trevor, and Green Arrow across various animated projects, in addition to a role in Prime Video's "Invincible." He knows what's up. And he knows exactly who he wants to play next.
While deep into a segue about his turn as a bonafide action hero in the underrated and under-seen alien action movie "Man Vs." (the full interview, which runs soon, is wide-ranging, to put it mildly), I asked Diamantopoulos if he was interested in playing more leading men, more action hero types. After all, the current Hollywood formula seems to involve taking inherently funny actors like him and sending them to the gym for six months. And you know what? You've got to respect a man who knows exactly what he wants. Diamantopoulos told me:
"Look, I'll tell you this, of course, it's something I've wanted to do. I mean, I'm an audience member of these projects and I'm a father, and I grew up in the '80s and '90s, so for me, I wanted to be Harrison Ford when I grew up. So, should the opportunity present itself, I would be all over it. My son recently said to me, 'Dad, you know what you should do? You should find a way to do a streaming mini-series called 'Goblin,' where you play Norman Osborn. It's like the origin story of Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin.' I was like, 'Now, that's a good idea.' So, if anyone out there is listening and they have the rights to the Green Goblin and Marvel wants to make it, I'm your man."
Cast Chris Diamantopoulos as the next Green Goblin, you cowards
It's one thing for an actor to say they want to play Batman or Superman or even a new Iron Man. But this is a brilliant, chameleonic character actor with a pitch that actually feels ... Well, actually achievable! Chris Diamantopoulos is the exact kind of actor you'd want in a role like Norman Osborn. It's easy to imagine the actor behind Russ Hanneman in HBO's "Silicon Valley" nailing Marvel's trademark snarky comedy, and even easier to imagine the actor who once crawled out of a horse carcass on Bryan Fuller's "Hannibal" to bring the right level of darkness and menace to the part. And with Willem Dafoe retired from the part following the events of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and Spidey's corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a state of quasi-reboot, there's no time like the present.
Anyway, I told Diamantopoulos as much on our call, and found myself making a promise:
"Look, they've officially retired Willem Dafoe from the part after the last movie. I think the doors are wide open."
"There you go."
"Let's do this. If they're going to do a Green Goblin, they're going to cast you, I'm going to make sure of this. I'll make some calls."
"All right, Jacob. I'm holding you to it. I'll call you if it doesn't happen."
And I'm a man of my word. Marvel, Chris Diamantopoulos is waiting for a phone call. I promise you he'll pick up.
Cast Chris Diamantopoulos as the next Wolverine, you cowards
And because I am nothing if not weak-willed, I found myself once again (and easily) talked into having his back for another superhero role. This one is a bit bigger:
"You know what I would be great as Jacob? I'd be a great Wolverine. When time has passed and they want to cast a shorter guy who's Canadian, I'm ready, Jacob. I'm very hairy and I'm quite angry."
"All right, you know what? We'll make it happen. I'll see what I can do."
"All right, let's do it, pal."
So there you go, Marvel. You have your options. Chris Diamantopoulos wants to play either Norman Osborn or Wolverine, iconic berserker warrior of the X-Men. The choice is yours. I have done my part. My debt is paid.
In the meantime, Diamantopoulos can be seen in "Mrs. Davis," which debuts on Peacock on April 20, 2023. Until then, you can watch him in about a million other movies and TV shows. Trust me. He's everywhere. Why not put him in the MCU?