Earlier this year, it was confirmed that acclaimed actor Willem Dafoe would be joining DC Entertainment's live-action film franchise as Nuidis Vulko -- a loyal assistant to Aquaman/Arthur Curry -- in both "Justice League" and "Aquaman." It marks the second time the acclaimed actor joined a comic book cinematic universe, having put in a memorable performance as Norman Osborn in Sam Raimi's 2002 "Spider-Man" film. Recently, Dafoe spoke with >The Guardian about what it's like going between Oscar-caliber art house films and bombastic summer superhero blockbusters.

"'Justice League' is very particular because it’s an ensemble movie and my character is being introduced here in order to be a principal role in 'Aquaman,'" Dafoe said. "These films are a different experience. They have different responsibilities, different resources and different intentions. It’s nice to go between those worlds if you can. They serve different impulses."

Reading between the lines, it would seem that, like the brief shots of The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman featured in this year's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," Dafoe's Vulko will probably show up only briefly in next year's "Justice League" before becoming a more pivotal character in "Aquaman." Almost nothing is currently known about just how Vulko will figure into the overall DC's film universe, but if the comics are any indicator, he might be the reason Arthur Curry heads back to Atlantis in the first place.

Audiences will finally get to see Dafoe in action when "Justice League" drops on its scheduled release date of Nov. 17, 2017, and even more so when "Aquaman" debuts, scheduled for July 27, 2018.