Marvel Studios has nearly half a dozen Phase 4 projects deep in production as the franchise's first new project in 18 months, WandaVision, continues its run on Disney+. Some series premiering on the streaming platform later in 2021 are already completed while others are only partially done in terms of filming and production. And on top of that, the blockbuster studio is also well underway with Phase 4's big-screen movies as well.
Perhaps the most anticipated movie of this year is Marvel Studios and Sony's Spider-Man 3, which boasts one of the most impressive casts of any MCU solo flicks to date. Tom Holland's young web-slinger is set to team up with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange in a continuing introduction of Marvel's multiverse after teases potentially come in WandaVision.
This multidimensional plot point will bring in a host of heroes and villains from Spider-Man's cinematic history, laying the foundation for an absolute epic of the movie. In a recent video chat, one of the returning stars from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy seemingly set one of the villainous appearances in stone for the MCU's third Spidey film.
ALFRED MOLINA'S DOC OCK CONFIRMED FOR SPIDER-MAN 3
In a virtual chat for Variety's Actors on Actors series, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home actress Zendaya confirmed that Alfred Molina will be included in the cast of Marvel and Sony's untitled Spider-Man 3. This confirms the earlier report that Alfred Molina would be reprising his role as Doctor Octopus from the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man films.
Upon mentioning Molina, Zendaya let a big smile break while saying "Who's so nice, by the way!"
The full clip can be seen below:
DOC OCK MEETS THE NEW MJ
Reports had pointed to Alfred Molina joining the MCU as Doc Ock for the last few months, although there have been no official confirmations on his appearance from neither Marvel nor Sony. With that in mind, Zendaya mentioning how nice he is seems to confirm that they are in the movie together, which would make this the first film they have ever worked on together.
After Jamie Foxx was confirmed to be returning as Electro, hope began to rise for Molina to join the multiverse fray as well — much of that hope coming from right here at The Direct. Molina's portrayal of Otto Octavius is regarded as one of comic book movies' most excellent villain portrayals, so it's particularly exciting to see him with the opportunity to go against more than just Tobey Maguire's wall-crawler.
It's still unknown how expansive Molina's role will be in Spider-Man 3, as is the case for the other rumored villains, but his presence in any capacity will add to the quality of the MCU's Spidey saga. Whether a full on Sinister Six team forms against Spider-Man or not, the four-armed mechanical menace will be a force to be reckoned with in his second Marvel movie.
Molina will be part of an overwhelmingly large cast of characters which is rumored to include Electro, Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Thomas Hayden Church's Sandman; they will be joined by an equal level of heroic firepower with Tobey Magurie and Andrew Garfield rumored to complete a Spidey trio alongside Tom Holland. MJ's story will surely fill out more in this threequel as Zendaya takes on her third MCU movie, and it will be incredible to see how she helps her new boyfriend with his multiverse of trouble.
Spider-Man 3 is currently filming and will release in theaters on December 17, 2021.
