Rumor: Who Or What Is Willem Dafoe Playing In 'Justice League'?

Willem Dafoe has one of the most interesting faces in the history of cinema. Capable of showcasing extraordinary kindness and demonic malice, his distinct look has allowed him to play everyone from Jesus Christ to the Green Goblin. The man is a treasure and his presence in any movie is gift.

So him being cast in Zack Snyder's Justice League (alongside fellow national treasure and fellow Spider-Man alum J.K. Simmons) is only a good thing. No matter how this film turns out, it will still have had the good taste to have cast Dafoe and that's something. But we have gathered here today because a few details about the role Dafoe is playing in Justice League have come to light. So, who or what is he playing?

Birth Movies Death has the story, but there's not much to go on right now. However, the site claims that Dafoe's mystery character will be directly connected to Jason Momoa's Aquaman:

According to my sources Willem Dafoe is playing an Atlantean. That's all I got for you. Start your speculation machines on which Atlantean he could be, although keep in mind that initial reports have him as a "good guy."

This is where I run into a wall with my comic book knowledge – I will never pretend to be an Aquaman expert. While I can rattle off the names of a few of his friends and foes, I can't even muster an educated guess about which member of Aquaman's supporting cast Dafoe could be taking on (and if you have a guess, please chime in and let me know). He could be playing a completely new character who doesn't even exist in the comics. However, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to learn that Dafoe's role in this movie is small and that he'll have more to do in the Aquaman solo movie. After all, that's what they're doing with Simmons' Commissioner Gordon.

The Birth Movies Death story also contains a few other interesting tidbits, like how Snyder is using an elaborate rig and a green screen to simulate the underwater sequences in Justice League. Considering the number of jokes that were made about how Momoa was clearly holding his breath during his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, this could be a sign that Snyder and his team have actually listened to some of the criticism on their last outing and are looking to course correct. The article also notes that the solo Aquaman movie is currently undergoing a page-one rewrite, so take from that what you will.

Justice League is filming right now for a November 17, 2017 release date.