The Spider-Man 3 Marvel movie will bring back the best villain from the original trilogy

Spider-Man 2
(Image credit: Sony)

Alfred Molina is reprising his role as Doctor Octopus – or 'Doc Ock' – as the cast for the next Marvel Spider-Man movie expands, in a move sure to send shivers down fans' cybernetically-augmented tentacles.

Doc Ock was the primary antagonist for 2004's Spider-Man 2, and is widely seen as a high point of Sam Raimi's trilogy – before the bloated pile of villains that appeared in the trilogy's conclusion.

We saw another interpretation of Doc Ock's character in the recent Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse animated movie, of course, with Doctor Olivia Octavius, brilliantly portrayed by Kathryn Hahn (Parks and Recreation).

But it seems like the next MCU Spider-Man movie is set to draw inspiration – and cast members – from numerous past Spidey films. 

We expect to see Jamie Foxx reprise the role of Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, while Benedict Cumberbatch will be appearing as Doctor Strange – suggesting the various iterations of Spidey villains may have something to do with the Multiverse of Madness of Doctor Strange's upcoming 2022 Marvel movie.

There is certainly a growing number of doctors attached to Spider-Man 3, which we know will feature the word 'home' in the title, as with Homecoming and Far From Home. Perhaps Spider-Man: Home Call?

Spider-Man 3 is slated to launch on December 17, 2021.

Multimedia of madness

The Spider-Man mythology is certainly having a moment. Marvel and Sony are both continuing to put out cinematic projects, and a Spider-Verse sequel expected to release in late 2022, along with Venom 2, Morbius, and Madame Webb films all reportedly in the works.

In the world of games, the exclusive availability of Spider-Man in Marvel's Avengers has caused some controversy, but the web-slinging fun of Spider-Man: Miles Morales on the newly-launched PS5 is enough to keep us happy.

Via Variety

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.