The doctor will see you now: Alfred Molina returns as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 3
A fan favorite is returning in all his eight-tentacled glory. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Alfred Molina is reprising his role as villain Otto Octavius, a.k.a Doctor Octopus, in Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man sequel. He’s the next Spidey alum—after Jamie Foxx—to tie together multiple generations of the franchise to the latest iteration, which stars Tom Holland.
The rumors of Molina’s return began last month when GWW noted his reported presence on the film’s set. Molina originally donned the mechanical limbs in the Sam Raimi’s 2004 Spider-Man sequel starring Tobey Maguire. Alongside Foxx, who played villain Electro in the subsequent Amazing Spider-Man series with Andrew Garfield, Molina will help tie together all three generations of the franchise, though it is still unconfirmed as to how this will play into the overall arc. As THR notes, Foxx even hinted at the possibility of three different Spider-Men coming together in a now-deleted Instagram post.
The third installment is already shaping into a promising event with the return of Far From Home director Jon Watts and the inclusion of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. Holland, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, and Tony Revolori are set to return for the presumably final sequel, which Sony currently has scheduled to premiere on December 17, 2021 (though that can very easily change, as everything does these days). Marvel nor Sony has made an official comment on Molina’s return.