The latest stills from Spider-Man: No Way Home tease an unexpected connection between Doctor Octopus and Iron Man. The worst-kept secret in the MCU for months was confirmed via the first trailer for the incoming threequel, showing Alfred Molina is reprising his role as Otto Octavius from 2004’s Spider-Man 2. With many of the movie’s other cameos still under wraps, Ock is becoming the poster villain for the film, with some new stills showcasing his battle with Tom Holland’s Spidey.
You’d think these pics wouldn’t give any spoilers away, as we’ve already got a glimpse at this scene in the trailer, but fans have noted that Otto’s mechanical arms have a different color scheme in these photos. Instead of their classic chrome look, they now have red and yellow detailing. And that’s leading folks to imagine some sort of link to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. See for yourself in the tweet below:
What If… Iron Man is about to meet Doc Ock?
While it’s fun to imagine Downey dropping by in No Way Home, folks have worked out a much more plausible, but still very cool, theory. Rather than Iron Man, fans think Ock gets his upgrades from Peter Parker’s Iron Spider suit.
It’s clear from these photos that Octavius gets the better of Peter, so what if he strips the suit of its nanotech and applies it to his arms?
Destroying the Iron Spider would be a neat way of portraying Ock as a formidable foe, given how all-powerful the suit has previously been portrayed as.
If this is the case, this means the Iron Spider suit is about to be written out. This could explain the two other suits we know Peter will wear in the movie.
That’s a pretty compelling theory the internet’s come up with, but let us know if you have another in the comments. In the meantime, Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on Dec. 17.