Describing it as Hollywood's worst kept secret, Golden Globe-nominee Alfred Molina (Promising Young Woman; Solar Opposites) has officially confirmed his return as Doctor Otto Octavius in Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' highly-anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home.
“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, but, you know, it’s all over the internet. I actually described myself as the worst kept secret in Hollywood!”
While the vast majority of Marvel stars often choose to remain tight-lipped about their involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Molina was more than happy to share the news with Variety and even opened up about his experience reprising his iconic role after nearly two decades.
“It was wonderful. 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.”
As for how he returns, well, that's a little murky, especially when you consider that his character died in his last appearance. However, when director Jon Watts told him, "In this universe, no one really dies.,” the plan was set in motion and Molina was fully on-board.
He didn't divulge much else, but he did reveal that Doc Ock's story will pick up immediately after "that moment" in the river when he sacrificed himself to save Peter (Tobey Maguire), Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), and all of New York City.
The rumor mill has pointed toward a multiversal element in No Way Home along with potential time-travel and diverging timelines, so it sure sounds like Watts and producer Kevin Feige have some big plans for Spidey 3. The story's complexities weren't necessarily Molina's biggest concern with coming back, though - it was his age.
When expressing his concerns to Watts, he was assured that he'll look good. "He just looked at me, and said, ‘Did you see what we did to Bob Downey Jr. and Sam Jackson?"
He joked, “They made Robert De Niro’s face younger, but when he was fighting, he looked like an older guy. He looked like an old guy! That’s what worried me about doing it again. I don’t have the same physicality that I had 17 years ago. That’s just a fact.”
It wasn't until he remembered what it was like actually playing Doc Ock that he relented, as it doesn't really require that much physicality on his part.
"I then remembered that it’s the tentacles that do all the work!”
He sat up straight in his seat. “My basic physical move as Doc Ock, as the actor, is just this,” he said as he glared intensely at the Zoom camera and made a menacing noise. “I just do that a lot, and the arms are doing all the killing and smashing and breaking. I’m just going —” he glared again — “with a kind of mean look on my face.”
“It was fantastic.”
Tom Holland will headline the feature with a confirmed supporting cast that will consist of Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange; with Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina reprising their roles as Electro and Doctor Octopus, respectively, from the earlier Spider-Man films.
Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Kirsten Dunst, Emma Stone, and Charlie Cox have all also been rumored to reprise their roles from the previous Spider-Man movies and the Daredevil TV series, respectively, although nothing has been confirmed just yet.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is tentatively scheduled to swing into theaters worldwide on December 17.