The Spider-Verse continues to expand: Alfred Molina to return as Doc Oc

Alfred Molina as Doc Oc.
(Image credit: Sony Pictures)

The Spider-Verse continues to expand, this time with Alfred Molina's Doctor Octpous joining the Sony/Marvel partnership in the new Spider-Man film. Molina joins Jamie Foxx's Electro in the second-chance film that's beginning to look more and more like a gateway to Marvel's Sinister Six story.

Spider-Man 3 will be once again directed by Jon Watts, with Chris McKenne and Erik Sommers penning the script. Returning characters include Zendaya's Mary Jane, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, and Jacob Batalon as Peter's best friend Ned. And, of course, Peter Parker himself - Tom Holland. 

While Holland's Spider-Man has always been unique in the sense that he signifies a groundbreaking partnership between Marvel and Sony, this expansion of the Spider-Verse remains hugely noteworthy as well. Each new chapter of Spider-Man, of which Holland's version makes the third, has completely ignored the one before it. After the success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, bringing in multiple old favorites seems like an obvious move to continue to get more butts in seats, but it doesn't pull away from the surprise that they're actually taking the risk in a live-action film. 

These continued announcements - and the parallels to the Spider-Verse - beg the question of whether or not we have the potential to see Toby Maguire or Andrew Garfield reprise their roles. Maguire portrayed the webslinger back in 2001-2007, with Garfield taking on the role in 2012-2014.

Amelia Emberwing

Amelia is an entertainment Streaming Editor at IGN, which means she spends a lot of time analyzing and editing stories on things like Loki, Peacemaker, and The Witcher. In addition to her features and editorial work, she’s also a member of both the Television Critics Association and Critics Choice. A deep love of film and television has kept her happily in the entertainment industry for 7 years.