The following contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a superpowered magnet for cameos and callbacks, with even the most far-removed entries seemingly dealing with a biological imperative to include at least one obscure reference for the sake of survival. But while some might feel a bit put off by the ever inward-facing focus of the gargantuan franchise, many others are just as happy after the 70th Easter egg as they were when seeing 2012's The Avengers for the first time. There's a reason these movies and shows have remained so popular, after all.
But even after the unprecedented crossover event seen in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, it seemed like the Marvel bosses still wanted to keep cranking the dial. The result was Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw the return of fan-favorite characters from several different Spider-Man versions, all the way back to Sam Raimi's early 2000s trilogy. Naturally, one such inclusion was Alfred Molina's return as Doctor Otto Octavius (or Doc Ock) even after sacrificing himself at the end of 2004's Spider-Man 2. Molina seemed to have a lot of fun with the role, but can fans expect to see him again?
Well, according to the man himself, he can't really see the point of coming back after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Molina recently appeared on the Household Faces with John Ross Bowie podcast, and naturally, the subject eventually moved to his time as Doc Ock. "Here we see the full redemption, certainly of Doc Ock, which makes me think that maybe they may be putting him to bed," he said, referring to his character's completed story arc in No Way Home. "Because I don't think you can be a good person with a moral compass who turns into a villain, and then comes back to being the decent person he was and then [back again]. I don't think that would happen. But it's been an extraordinary experience and one that… I would never sort shortchange it, cause it kind of made my career here."
Molina's insight makes sense. Otto's original appearance in Raimi's Spider-Man 2 did end with his redemption, but he sacrificed himself in the process. Now, essentially getting the chance for a do-over in No Way Home, he's sent back to his own universe with a clearer mind and some satisfying closure with Tobey Maguire's version of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Even considering how this version of Doc Ock has always been a much more sympathetic villain than many others in the Spider-Man rogues gallery, that's far more than the character could have ever expected in the first place. So with that, and the likelihood that he may not even survive back in his own realm (given how things ended up last time), asking for anything more would just be overkill.
Still, Molina continues to hold endless reverence for his time in the role. "Ever since I've been living in the States, I came here in the very early '90s, I wanted to live and work in America, I wanted to be part of the industry here," he elaborated. "I applied for citizenship as soon as I could. And it's been a wonderful, wonderful experience to work on these films, it really has. And the fact that there were 17 years between the two iterations [of Doc Ock] always makes me laugh, because I always tell people that must be among the longest options any studio's ever had on an actor. But then I stopped making that joke when I found out that Willem [Dafoe] was coming back for the movie as well because his option was even longer. Like 20 years or something."
So as sad as it may be that audiences might never see Molina's Doc Ock again, it's worth thinking back on just what made his performance so memorable. He took the role seriously, helping to usher in the current world where comic book movies can easily range from goofy schlock to Oscar-worthy dramatic exhibitions. That's certainly more than enough.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now available on digital platforms.
Source: Household Faces with John Ross Bowie (via CinemaBlend)