Alfred Molina Confirms Rumors of His Return as Doc Ock for “No Way Home”

When it comes to Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, if they don’t want you to know details about an upcoming release, you probably won’t find out. Marvel is pretty good at keeping everything they don’t want to be revealed yet under wraps.

Alfred Molina, however, didn’t seem to mind casually confirming one of the biggest MCU rumors: he’ll be reprising his role as Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home: Alfred Molina Teases Doc Ock Return, De-Aging |  IndieWire

Molina, who played Doc Ock in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, confirmed his involvement with No Way Home in an interview with Variety. “When we were shooting it, we were all under orders not to talk about it, because it was supposed to be some great big secret,” he said. “But, you know, it’s all over the internet. I actually described myself as the worst kept secret in Hollywood!”

He even detailed the practical aspects of the return and what it was like to come back and play the villain after such a long time. “It was very interesting going back after 17 years to play the same role, given that in the intervening years, I now have two chins, a wattle, crow’s feet, and a slightly a slightly dodgy lower back.”

“I don’t have the same physicality that I had 17 years ago. That’s just a fact,” Molina continued. “I then remembered that it’s the tentacles that do all the work!”

Molina also mentioned that production will use digital de-aging effects since his return will pick up from his last scene in Spider-Man 2, which is when he supposedly dies in the East River. 

Fun Fact: The scene where Doctor Octopus dies involved very little CGI,  Alfred Molina actually sunk to the bottom of the river during this scene.  Spider-Man 2 was his final film. :

“In this universe, no one really dies,” No Way Home director Jon Watts told him when Molina brought up that Doc Ock already died in Sam Raimi’s trilogy.

Marvel's Spider-Man 3 will bring back Jamie Foxx as Electro - Polygon

While reports of Molina’s return have been going around since last year, this is the first time anyone involved has actually explicitly confirmed it. Jamie Foxx is reportedly also reprising his role as Electro, which he played in The Amazing Spider-Man series directed by Marc Webb, in the third installment. This will be the first time all three Spider-Man universes we’ve seen on the silver screen will meet.

Spider-Man: No Way Home will premiere on December 17, 2021.

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