Fans have been reacting to the news that Alfred Molina will reprise the role of Doctor Octopus in the upcomingSpider-Man 3and let’s just say, they’re very happy about it. Rumors of Molina’s return have been circulating for some time, and according to multiple reports Doc Ock will indeed be back to torment our friendly neighborhood wallcrawler. For a lot of fans, this is the greatest news to happen to anyone ever.
Alfred Molinafirst played the role of scientist Otto Octavius who, through a tragic accident in his laboratory, becomes the supervillain Doctor Octopus way back in 2004’s seminal comic book sequelSpider-Man 2. While some fans resort to screaming their excitement towards the sky, others quite rightly feel that is the universe making up for what has been a not-so-brilliant year.
Of course, Molina’sDoctor Octopusis not the only Spidey villain due to return in the MCU’sSpider-Mansequel, with Jamie Foxx’s Electro also reportedly locked in to make an appearance. Understandably, this has led many to believe thatSpider-Man 3will revolve around the multiverse.
Multiple villains being brought in from differentSpider-Manoutings have in turn led to even more rumors and rampant speculation thatprevious Peter Parkers Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfieldwill also be added to proceedings, and thus birth the Spider-Verse in live action.
These rumors beget more rumors, with fans left wondering when the return of Willem Dafoe’sGreen Goblinwill be announced.
Now, while the excitement over such a stacked cast is palpable, there are those who have entered the debate to slowly drip cold water onto the idea, believing that all these roles will be mere cameos within a wider story.
Following a series of delays due to the ongoing global situation, production onSpider-Man 3is now well underway. While specific plot details remain under wraps, it was recently revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch’sDoctor Strangewill join Spidey on his latest adventure, with the character set to take on the mentor role previously held by Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man. While that may not be too surprising an addition, the Doctor Strange sequel is set to follow the Master of the Mystic Arts as he tackles the multiverse, opening up the possibility thatSpider-Man 3will be a continuation of this theme and ultimately lead to all kinds of comic book craziness.
Should the theories concerning the multiverse prove to be false, it’s anyone’s guess how the likes of Molina’s Doc Ock and Foxx’s Electro will be introduced. Considering that both characters were killed off in their respective franchises, even bringing them back via alternate universes still proves a little bit of a problem.
Unfortunately, it will be some time before we see how all the pieces fit together. Originally,Spider-Man 3was set for a release date of June 19, 2025, as part of the much-anticipated Phase 4 of the MCU. Due to the ongoing global circumstances, the entire Phase has now been dramatically reshuffled withSpider-Man 3now scheduled to swing into UK and US cinemas on June 22, 2025. The news of Alfred Molina’s return was first reported byThe Hollywood Reporter.
