Spider-Man 3 Is Bringing Back Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus

It looks like Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have locked in another big grab for its next Spider-Man movie. After set rumors went live, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed another star from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films is hopping to the MCU. Alfred Molina is returning as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 3 after wowing fans with his portrayal back in Spider-Man 2.

This new report confirms rumors which popped up earlier this fall. It was initially reported that Molina was spotted on the set of Spider-Man 3, but no official casting news was given from either studio. Now, the Hollywood trade has confirmed the sequel Otto Octavius is back, and his return is prompting more clamor about a Spider-Verse storyline joining the MCU.

At the time of this report, Marvel and Sony had no comment about the casting. However, this comeback is just the latest that ties together generations of the Spider-Man films. Spider-Man 3 has already confirmed the return of Jamie Foxx as Electro following his debut in Andrew Garfield’s second outing as the masked hero. The actor even teased this MCU sequel will include multiple versions of Spider-Man in a now-deleted post on Instagram, and this evidence has led fans to speculate a Spider-Verse scenario is being cooked up by studio heads. And as expected, this new announcement about Molina has netizens convinced former Spider-Man stars Toby Maguire and Garfield will also star in this movie somehow.

Currently, Spider-Man 3 is slated to debut on December 17, 2021. The film will welcome back Tom Holland as Peter Parker with director Jon Watts overseeing the sequel as director. It was announced that Doctor Strange will appear in Spider-Man 3 courtesy of Benedict Cumberbatch, but his role in the film has been kept quiet. Other stars like Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Marisa Tomei will also star in this much-anticipated sequel.

What do you make of this new casting update? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.