It’s been rumored before, but now it’s essentially confirmed. The Hollywood Reporter shared today that Alfred Molina is reprising his role as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 3. The British actor – who memorably played Otto Octavius opposite Tobey Maguire’s wall-crawler in Spider-Man 2 – is just the latest legacy star of the franchise to return for the threequel. And it’s fair to say that Marvel fans are losing it over the news.
For one thing, Molina’s Doc Ock is among the most beloved supervillains in the genre, so it’s amazing to hear that we’ll be getting more of him. Not only that, but it’s also exciting for the character to return as part of the bigger tapestry of the live-action Spider-Verse that seems to be unfolding. In fact, can’t be long until we find out for certain that Maguire and Andrew Garfield are coming back, too.
For now, though, you can check out just some of the reactions to the news of Molina joining the pic down below.
https://twitter.com/mattlovescinema/status/1336390998646198273
We’re all glad this is a thing.
https://twitter.com/RobotRunner55/status/1336384414620803073
A lot of fans are already trying to figure out just how his return is going to work.
Didn't Alfred Molina's Doc Ock redeem himself at the end of Spider-Man 2? I wonder how spider-verse this truly is.
— Bone Jam 🔞 (@BoneJam1) December 8, 2020
Remember, Ock’s not only redeemed, he’s dead, too. Same as Jamie Foxx’s Electro.
Reminder these two are dead so it would have to be new version of Doc Ock and Electro pic.twitter.com/c6X7L71tz2
— Protocol 36 (@protocol_36) December 8, 2020
Alternatively, there’s this interesting theory…
https://twitter.com/Cruelfilm/status/1336391550381686784
More on set musical moments of Molina with his extra arms, please.
Alfred Molina is really in the MCU now
We're gonna need all the 'Spider-Man 3' behind-the-scenes shots 😂https://t.co/YCZ9Log02b
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) December 8, 2020
It’s only a matter of time.
we got Jamie Foxx back as Electro and we got Alfred Molina back as Doc Ock
it’s really only a matter of time before Andrew and Tobey are confirmed and that Spider-Man 3 is gonna be Spider-Verse related. pic.twitter.com/iJqkItsoXe
— Luke (@qLxke_) December 8, 2020
Willem Dafoe must be sitting by the phone right now.
LIVE reaction of Willem Dafoe reading the SPIDER-MAN 3 casting news pic.twitter.com/nOocS5AGd1
— Shaurya Chawla (@_ShauryaChawla) December 8, 2020
But there’s one iconic character that we’re all waiting on still…
If they’re bringing back Alfred Molina and Jamie Fox in Spider-Man 3, they gotta bring this god back too pic.twitter.com/qB6ry4koSw
— angel 🌞 (@angleperra) December 8, 2020
Reports are now pouring in pointing to Garfield and Maguire being in talks to suit up once again as their versions of the web-slinger to share the screen with Tom Holland, while it’s also being said that both Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone will be back, too, as Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy. Who knows how everyone is going to fit into a single movie together, but it’s looking like we should be getting ready for the Avengers: Endgame of the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man 3 is shooting under lock and key right now, ahead of its planned theatrical release next December, but as soon as we learn more about the hugely anticipated threequel, we’ll be sure to let you know.
