Spider-Man: No Way Home Concept Art Reveals Doc Ock's Alternate Look

Some new (unused) concept art from Spider-Man: No Way Home shows off alternate looks for Alfred Molina's Doc Ock, who made his triumphant Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, after first stealing the screen in Spider-Man 2. The last time we saw Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus in live-action onscreen, it was the year 2004; so naturally, the not-so-good doctor needed a stylistic makeover for modern times. The end product looked pretty good onscreen, and as you can see below (and might agree), there are variations on Doc Ock's No Way Home look out there in the multiverse that are worse! 

How about that 'ski lodge' version of Doc Ock in the second piece of concept art? feeling robbed that we didn't get that one?

In all seriousness, The first piece of concept art looks like some classic Doctor Octopus – which may be exactly why it wasn't the best choice for No Way Home. There's just not enough about it that is distinguishable from Alfred Molina's Doc Ock costume in Spider-Man 2. The look we did get in the theatrical cut of No Way Home definitely felt more like modern interpretations of Doctor Octopus, with the black clothes and all-around darker aesthetic to the costume (see: Spider-Man comics and video games). That piece of concept art with the ski lodge Doc Ock just looks like it's purely in the spirit of Alfred Molina – just with four mechanical arms attached to him. 

Alfred Molina was one of the first actors in the Spider-Man: no Way Home to totally let the cat out of the bag when it came to the epic secrets of the callback casting Marvel Studios and Sony were putting together. Molina (who has spent his post-Spider-Man years well away from major comic book franchises) had no idea how to handle the media attention being in an MCU brought him – poor guy was spilling major secrets to any outlet that talked to him before Marvel Studios media training team swooped in. In many ways, Molina started toppling dominos that led all the way to actors Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire – and everyone else involved or not even involved – having to spend a year dodging, denying, or outright lying to the media. Good times. 

It was all worth it, though: Spider-Man: No Way Home has made $1.7 billion dollars (and counting) at the worldwide box office. More importantly, it's rekindled fan interest in Molina's character and franchise to once again exist. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters.