Entertainment
Willem Dafoe MCU Return Is A Huge Mistake
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Willem Dafoe played the most iconic Spider-Man villain long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe even existed. As Green Goblin, he menaced our titular hero in Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film, and he later returned to the role to haunt Tom Holland’s Spidey in No Way Home. Recently, the actor confirmed that he’d be willing to come back yet again (“I could come back,” he told Entertainment Tonight), but the blunt truth is that Willem Dafoe returning to the MCU would be a huge mistake.
Willem Dafoe In The MCU
This isn’t a slight against Dafoe himself. He is a magnificent actor and long ago earned his status as a Hollywood legend. Frankly, it was a real coup for Raimi to cast the man for his original Spider-Man film, and the veteran actor managed to channel equal amounts of pathos and mania in his performance as Peter Parker’s greatest foe. Willem Dafoe’s acting skills have never been in question, but if he were to return to the MCU, it would signal once and for all that Disney is running out of original ideas.
At this point, even the biggest Marvel fans are starting to admit that the House of Ideas has… well, run out of ideas. After superhero fatigue played a part in transforming The Marvels into a historic box office bomb, Kevin Feige and crew decided to play a safety and inexplicably cast beloved Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, the Avengers’ next Big Bad. Now, there are reports that Chris Evans will also return in Avengers: Doomsday, making it clear that Disney’s entire plan is to bring everyone’s favorite performers back and simply hope this puts butts in seats.
Various Variants
And as cool as Willem Dafoe’s MCU premiere was in No Way Home, it’s important to note that all the storytelling about Variants is a symptom of Marvel’s larger narrative problem. While the comics have given us great stories built around alternate universes and Sony’s Spiderverse has demonstrated how well this can work in film, the MCU has historically relied on Variants as a simplified way to appeal to fanboy nostalgia. After all, why should you take the time to write a good story if audiences will mostly care about whether they get to see Patrick Stewart as Professor X again?
At the risk of sounding like an old crank (get off my lawn, younger fans!), audiences need to remember that every time a Variant is used as a storytelling crutch, it is because an overpaid Disney writer didn’t want to come up with a memorable new villain or an engaging story. This is why all the old-school cameos are the worst part of No Way Home; it’s fun to see multiple Spideys team up onscreen, but there is narratively no purpose in Tom Holland’s webhead fighting bad guys from another universe whom he never encountered.
While it was fun to see Willem Dafoe in the MCU, he’s arguably the worst example of this. Instead of Holland’s Spidey getting a memorable new villain like Vulture or Mysterio, he got Tobey Maguire’s leftovers. Emotionally, the only way this movie changed Peter Parker is by killing off his aunt, something that could have been done by any bad guy. No Way Home was generally well-received by fans, but it’s a movie powered by member berries, and outside of our nostalgia for these vintage Sony heroes and villains, there’s not much there there for our actual hero and his world.
Willem Dafoe has expressed an interest in returning to the MCU, and he’d probably act his heart out if given even half an opportunity. But he shouldn’t ever return because Disney needs to learn to stop leaning on nostalgia and multiversal shenanigans to compensate for their inability to offer us anything new. It’s time for the House of Mouse to throw the member berries out like an old pumpkin bomb and try doing the kind of original storytelling that made the Marvel Cinematic Universe one of the most popular franchises in the world.
Source: ET Online
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
