Sam Raimi gave comic book fans some lifelong memories with his Spider-Man films, none more so than Alfred Molina slaying it as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Raimi is making his return to Marvel as the director for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But more surprisingly, Molina is about to appear as Doc Ock once again in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home.
While we still have no proper explanation for why this villain from another Spider-Man film appears in the current MCU series, it seems no one is more excited to see it happen than Sam Raimi, who was asked by SYFY WIRE how he felt seeing his creation come to life again in the trailer for No Way Home.
“That was beautiful,” the filmmaker said. “He looks great; the animation’s great. I’m assuming it’s not puppeted because when we did Doc Ock, we had puppets and animation for his octopus tentacles. But it was smooth and powerful, and I loved his costume they kept [from the original]. I think it’s gonna be a great movie.”
Of course, Raimi would point out the practical nature of his films compared to the CGI-heavy current Spider-Man movies, but the director is overall happy to see Molina back into the Spidey fold. However, When pressed for more details about his upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, the filmmaker was tight-lipped, stating: “They won’t let me say anything. I guess not… I’m sorry.”
If rumours are to be believed, Molina’s Doc Ock won’t be the only character from Raimi’s Spider-Man films returning in No Way Home, but unless the marketing drops any spoilers, we’ll have to wait until December for confirmation on the likes of Tobey Maguire’s Spidey and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin.
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: No Way Home sees Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home) directing Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Zendaya (MJ), Marisa Tomei (Aunt May), Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), Tony Revolori (Flash Thompson), Jamie Foxx (Electro) and Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus).
Spider-Man: No Way Home is set for release on December 17th 2021.