Alfred Molina was recently seen on the set of Marvel Studios' Spider-Man 3, and rumors are spreading that he could be playing Doctor Octopus once again. Molina portrayed Doc Ock in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, so fans are wondering whether or not he'll be playing the same version of the character in the new film.
Notably, Jamie Foxx will be playing Electro in the movie, just like he did in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but it's not going to be the same iteration of the character. However, that doesn't mean Molina will do a new version of his iconic character. In fact, Molina's Otto Octavius should be the same one fans saw back in Raimi's film for two reasons. One, it's time to properly explore the multiverse concept in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Two, unlike Foxx's Electro, who was disliked by many, Molina gave fans one of the best comic book villains on screen.
In 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to delve deeply into the concept of the multiverse. In order to do that without massively confusing audiences, it will be a good idea to introduce it gradually. WandaVision can lead the charge starting in January 2021, and Spider-Man 3 can follow suit in December of the same year by bringing in characters that are new to the MCU but familiar to fans of the larger Marvel movie canon.
Benedict Cumberbatch is set to reprise his role as Doctor Strange in Spider-Man 3, so it would seem wasteful to not exploit the opportunity and have at least a couple of Marvel characters make appearances from past live action movie franchises. Fox's X-Men, the Blade Trilogy, the Ghost Rider movies and the two previous Spider-Man franchises have an abundance of characters to choose from, and Doctor Octopus is undoubtedly amongst the best of them. What better way to establish the multiverse as a concept than by having him somehow cross paths with Tom Holland's modern day version of Spidey, courtesy of Strange's multiverse shenanigans.
Molina was flawless as the character, both before the accident that made him Doctor Octopus and as the villain himself. He managed to be nefarious and genuinely threatening, while also being sympathetic and warm-hearted, which few villains have managed to do that in comic book movies. Furthemore, while not being the most comic-accurate villain, Molina makes the character his own in the best way.
The MCU has been hit or miss in the villains department, with a plethora of underwhelming baddies like Whiplash, Malekith and Ronan amidst a smattering of good ones. Thankfully, it's gotten its act together in recent years, introducing the likes of Helmut Zemo, Killmonger, Vulture, Ego, Mysterio and Thanos. Alfred Molina's Doc Ock, as one of the best comic villains in film, would therefore fit into the franchise nicely, bringing another iconic baddie to the MCU and expanding the multiverse even more.
Directed by Jon Watts, the currently untitled sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jamie Foxx and Benedict Cumberbatch. The film arrives in theaters Dec. 17, 2021.