Over the years, Netflix has garnered something of a reputation amongst subscribers for canceling promising series after a single season, sometimes even in the face of obvious popularity and acclaim. The platform hasn't been guilty of the tactic that much regarding the 2026 TV schedule thus far - more on that below - so I'm genuinely shocked that The Boroughs has become the latest one-and-done Netflix Original.

That's right, the 2026 Netflix release executive produced by Matt and Ross Duffer won't be returning for a second season, as Deadline reports that the company chose not to continue any early development on future story arcs for The Boroughs. On the one hand, it's surprising, but on the other, Netflix is gonna Netflix.

Why The Boroughs' Cancellation News Is Surprising

Stranger Things' success was such that one could believe anything the Duffers touched would be kept around Netflix for as long as possible. Especially for a show that won over critics in a big way, while also keeping the majority of viewers happy. And one with a cast that boasts Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Clarke Peters, Geena Davis and Bill Pullman.

What's more, Deadline confirmed that the Season 2 writers room was open, with ideas being bandied about. Which, to be sure, is fairly common for shows of larger statures, even without early renewals. As well, the outlet says there were allegedly talks about filming a second and third season back to back. (Possibly due to the main cast all being actors of certain ages, but that's not confirmed.)

Why The Cancellation News Isn't So Surprising

Unfortunately, for all the positive word-of-mouth, The Boroughs didn't zip up the list of most-watched streaming series during the all-too-important initial viewing window. During its debut weekend, the sci-fi horror brought in 5.6 million views, and ended its first week with a promising total of 9.5 million. But things faltered from there.

Its second week on the service only brought in 3.7 million views, and that data didn't get any bigger afterward. It's hard to know how many people would have needed to watch to guarantee one or two more seasons, but this certainly wasn't it.

The caveat here is that The Boroughs was crafted in such a way where the ending ties up just enough to keep viewers satisfied, while still leaving some unanswered questions to gnaw on that don't necessarily NEED to be answered. Even if we'd still take them if Season 2 were happening. In that way, it may not match up with other shows whose early cancellations still feel like crimes, even if it'll keep hurting in the short run.

The Boroughs marks the fifth show that I could find that was canceled in 2026 after only one season had aired. (Even if the airing wasn't in 2026.)

2026 Series That Netflix Canceled After A Single Season

• The Abandons
• Terminator Zero
• Star Search
• Strip Law
• The Boroughs

For now, The Boroughs is available to stream in its entirety via Netflix subscription. Maybe if the show can double its viewership in the weeks after the cancellation, Netflix will reverse its decision. And maybe it will then order a docuseries about flying pigs and ear-laden worms.

The Boroughs brought together a stellar cast of veteran actors and told a story that will certainly top my future list of best sci-fi shows on the 2026 TV schedule. I was ready to shower it with the same praise many other critics gave it, right up until I learned that the creators are broaching the idea of continuing the story with another season.

Yes, it would appear creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews are angling for new stories set within The Boroughs universe, and given the acclaim and popularity of the show, I can imagine we'll see Season 2 with our Netflix subscription within the next few years. While I wish them both nothing but success, I have to speak out about how strongly I feel that the series shouldn't get a follow-up adventure.

The Boroughs Ending Opens The Door For More Adventures, What The Creators Told Us

The Boroughs has a strange moment at the end of Season 1 involving Alfred Molina's Sam. Sam is seen "glitching" at the end of the series, suggesting he has some link to Mother despite never drinking her blood and the supernatural entity being dead. CinemaBlend's Riley Utley asked the creators if they could explain that, and they balked at explaining:

And there it is. If anyone didn't figure it out by watching, Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews made that ending because they have a bigger story to tell in The Boroughs. Don't get me wrong, I loved The Boroughs, but given the current television climate, I'd sooner see Matthews and Addiss focus their efforts on something new rather than wait to see another season.

Why I'd Be Fine If We Never See Another Season Of The Boroughs

Deadline did an article on the "Stranger Things effect," which highlighted that the wait for new seasons of scripted shows has nearly doubled in the first half of this decade. Shows now generally have shorter episode counts, big budgets, and a ton of pressure to perform.

While a part of me wants Season 2 of The Boroughs, the logical part of my brain reminds me that it could take years before we ever see a follow-up arrive on Netflix. It took two years for the Duffer Brothers to finish Season 5 of Stranger Things, and they're EPs on this show as well.

Let's say, conservatively, it takes two and a half to three years to make Season 2. Will I feel the same way about The Boroughs that I feel now? Will there be any scheduling difficulties with the all-star cast? A lot can happen in that time, which leaves creatives at the mercy of life and forced to alter plans on the fly.

As it stands, I think The Boroughs works great as a one-off sci-fi story with an ambiguous ending. So many great sci-fi shows are canceled before having a true finale, and for once, I'd love to see one quit while it's ahead. Sure, Sam's glitching was weird at the end, but can't it just be sci-fi's version of the ending to The Sopranos? I'd be down for that, though I admit I may be in the minority.

The Boroughs is available to stream on Netflix right now, and we don't know for sure right now if it will return for Season 2. CinemaBlend will continue to monitor the situation and keep readers up to date on what is happening in television and movies in the meantime.

Spoilers for The Boroughs (and Season 1 of Stranger Things) are ahead! You can stream both shows with a Netflix subscription.

Before The Boroughs even premiered on Netflix’s 2026 schedule, I thought it had big Stranger Things energy. Of course, I knew the Duffer Brothers were executive producers on it, so that helped forge the parallel alongside both projects being about groups of friends (one of old folks and one of kids) trying to solve a mystery and fight a monster. Now, there are questions about whether the two shows are related. While they aren’t in terms of the stories being literally connected, one of the creators did tell me how their show directly parallels and pays homage to Season 1 of Stranger Things.

When I interviewed The Boroughs co-creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, we spoke a lot about the glitches, what they mean, and what that final glitch at the end of Season 1 could allude to. Or, more accurately, I tried to ask what that last glitch Sam had meant. They wouldn’t answer that question; however, Addiss did tell me that those final seconds where Alfred Molina’s character glitches in the mirror were a direct parallel to Stranger Things’ Season 1 ending:

After he told me this, I immediately knew what he was talking about, and I couldn’t believe I didn’t put two and two together.

Of course, at the end of The Boroughs, it seems like the bad guys have been defeated, the monsters and Mother are at peace, and the gang is going back to their normal lives. But then Sam glitches while looking in the bathroom mirror, and new questions arise. Is he OK? Why is he glitching now? Is there a new threat? Is the old threat fully defeated? Hopefully, these are questions that get answered in Season 2.

Meanwhile, in the final seconds of Stranger Things’ first season, Will excuses himself from his family’s dinner. He goes into the bathroom, throws up a slimy thing, and then the bathroom flashes between the right side up and the Upside Down, signifying to the audience that whatever happened to him while he was missing was very much still impacting him. However, he returns to dinner like there’s nothing to worry about.

See, it’s such an obvious parallel between the two shows, as these characters realized something was wrong while looking at themselves in a bathroom mirror. Plus, it’s a super cool way to pay homage to the fact that Stranger Things and The Boroughs do share DNA thanks to the Duffer Brothers and the projects’ similar concepts.

Considering all this, I hope that the parallels continue. That’s because in Season 2 of Stranger Things, the world and the mystery expanded as we learned more about what was haunting Will. I need the world to expand in The Boroughs, and I’m desperate to know why Sam was glitching, so hopefully they get renewed so they can pick up just like the megahit did all those years ago.

One of the things I love about good sci-fi is the way it can stretch the bounds of our imagination while also tapping into some of the most basic things about being human. Maybe that's why I ended up loving The Boroughs. The new Netflix series from Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews blends sci-fi with a bit of horror, mystery, thrills and adventure, all centered around a group of seniors living in a retirement home. I liked so much about the 8-episode first season, but there's one line, spoken in the finale, which really stuck with me.

🛑 Big spoiler warning - if you're not caught up on The Boroughs Season 1, I recommend making good use of your Netflix subscription and checking it out before reading it any further.

"Time is a gift."

Throughout The Boroughs, Sam (Alfred Molina) flashes back to his wife Lilly's (Jane Kaczmarek) stroke and death. The memories are a mixture of devastating and scary for him, as it's clear he still hasn't processed the loss and the helplessness he felt when it happened. Near the end of the season finale, just after Mother has exploded, killing Blaine (Sam Numrich) in the process, Sam is given the opportunity to reunite with his wife. It's almost like a flashback, as it's in his mind, but as Lilly explains, "She's saying thank you." Mother has gifted them this bit of time to share one last dance together.

"Time is a gift" is what Lilly tells Sam in this scene, and it's that line that's sticking with me, particularly as the rest of that scene plays out. As if to drive the point home, when Sam asks her how much time they have, she asks him if he's going to stand there asking questions or dance with his beautiful wife. He chooses the latter, and the two share a touching moment together before Sam returns to the present reality in the cave.

An EW article featuring an interview with The Boroughs showrunners, Will Matthews and Jeff Addiss, talks about the intention of that scene, as well as the scene where Blaine and Sam face off against one another in front of Mother. The topic of time is relevant here, as the article points out. While Lilly calls time a gift, Blaine -- a man trying to live forever -- sees time as a thief. As Matthews points out:

It's definitely something to think about, and I'm truly struck by how beautiful the subject and value of time factors into the story. Grief and time are undoubtedly and intensely linked -- the time we had with the person we loved, and the time we feel we've lost in the days and years we live without them. Time really is linked to everything, and for many of us, it takes literal years or decades to fully appreciate that. Perspective is also crucial, which gets me thinking about the scene in Sam's mind with Lilly, and what they say to one another. Sam says:

To which Lilly responds,

I do believe the tense usage was intentional, especially when considering Addiss is quoted (in EW's article) as saying this about the fight between Sam and Blaine, and the dance between Sam and Lilly:

Sam -- as someone living in the present and looking ahead-- speaks in the future tense. Lilly -- as someone who has died and exists out of time -- speaks in the present tense -- or perhaps in the "always" tense. At least, that's how I interpret the choice of wording there.

I also like to think that dancing with Lilly to "Thunder Road" is a way of returning happiness to the song for Sam. His last memory of it was when Lilly had a stroke, but now, maybe he'll be able to hear it and remember the gifted moments he and Lilly had to dance together one more time.

Time Is Everything...And So Is Perspective

A lot of what unfolds in The Boroughs feels like the kind of sci-fi adventure we might see a group of kids caught up in for a movie or show. Considering it's executive produced by Stranger Things masterminds The Duffer Brothers, that's not surprising. However, rather than focusing on a bunch of kids coming together to save their community amidst mind-boggling conspiracies and terrifying monsters, this new series focuses on people in a later stage of life, one that comes after decades of highs and lows, loves and losses, and a wealth of collective knowledge from years of life experience. That in itself is a perspective I absolutely love and hope we continue to see more of in TV shows like this and movies like Thursday Murder Club (also available on Netflix). I also think it's a necessary perspective for a story so focused on time.

As someone who's lived through a handful of decades already, I can still remember how infinite time seemed when I was young, and how fleeting it feels now as I navigate through middle age, headed toward my own senior years, should I be so fortunate. Appreciating the value of whatever time we get on this earth is something that often comes with age. I like that this series embraces that with its characters.

I don't know if I'd say that I need a second season of The Boroughs, as Season 1's ending was so satisfying, but I'd certainly watch one. I would love to see more from these characters with another season and a new adventure, and from those glitches at the end, it seems like there's more story to tell. While critics leaned positive with their reviews, I'll be curious to hear more reactions from fans as people finish Season 1.

SPOILERS for The Boroughs are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the show with a Netflix subscription.

The Boroughs was executive-produced by the Duffer Brothers and shares some DNA with Stranger Things. It’s a sci-fi mystery centered around a group of friends, and it ends on one wild and ambiguous cliffhanger that could expand the world in a very unexpected way, much like the Netflix megahit was known to do. That cliffhanger in this new show on the 2026 TV schedule comes after it seems like everything is good again, as Sam, one of the main characters, glitched, indicating that all is not well.

So, what does that glitch mean? Well, while the cast wouldn’t tell me any sure answers, they did explain their theories.

Alfred Molina Shared His Take On What Sam’s Glitch Could Mean

Now, when it comes to the glitches that happen throughout The Boroughs, we know they're, as co-creator Will Matthews told me, “a manifestation of transmissions gone awry” from Mother. For example, when Sam sees his dead wife, she glitches. However, Sam’s not dead, and at the end of Season 1, after Mother is saved and Blaine is defeated, Sam is the one who glitches.

Obviously, I had to ask Alfred Molina, who plays Sam, what it meant for his character to glitch, and he told me:

He turned out to be kind of right; the glitches were transmissions gone awry from Mother, who was trying to communicate with the old folks in this community. So, to that point, Molina told me that if the glitches signified something/someone observing them, Sam glitching at the end must mean they’re still being watched:

So, while it seems like everything is all fine and dandy at the end of The Boroughs, according to Molina, this glitch could signify that someone is still watching them. However, he wasn’t the only cast member with a theory.

Geena Davis, Clarke Peters And Denis O’Hare Have A Great Theory About What Sam’s Glitch Could Allude To

When I posed this question about Sam’s glitch to Geena Davis, Clarke Peters and Denis O’Hare, who play Renee, Art and Wally, respectively, in the show on Netflix’s 2026 schedule, they had a different take on that last glitch. First of all, they made it clear they don’t actually know what is happening there, and then they tried to dive into one very interesting theory:

• Clarke Peters: You know, that’s funny you should say that, because we don’t know.
• Geena Davis: But say what you said about maybe that scene isn’t even real.
• Denis O’Hare: Did I say that?
• Geena Davis: Yes, I thought you did.
• Clarke Peters: See, this is what happens when you work with old people.

After that fun back-and-forth, O’Hare proceeded to explain the theory they’ve developed around this final scene involving Sam’s glitch. They think this dinner party they're all at at the end of the season is far too idyllic to be real, considering they all are acting like nothing happened, when in reality, they just went through a very traumatic and otherworldly experience. So, when Sam glitches, it could be signifying that this last scene is not real, as the Wally actor explained:

Davis also added that Renee and Wally were talking about traveling, and Wally is a “terminal person,” which is “interesting.” So, how would he be able to travel?

Overall, I totally see what they’re saying. Maybe they aren’t in reality anymore. Mother was able to manipulate time and reality, and Sam got to see his dead wife because of that. So, it seems reasonable that this final scene might not have been real.

Now, to see if these theories turn out to be right, we’ll have to hope The Boroughs gets renewed for Season 2.

The Duffer Brothers don’t seem to have taken much time off to bask in the end of Stranger Things, continuing their working relationship with Netflix as the executive producers of Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 (the animated spinoff that they also created) and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Now, a third series is hitting the 2026 TV schedule that boasts Matt and Ross Duffer as EPs — The Boroughs —, and while it has a high Rotten Tomatoes score, there's one thing viewers should keep in mind regarding the new horror series.

The Boroughs stars Alfred Molina as the recently widowed Sam Cooper, who moves into the titular retirement home and must team up with his fellow residents to stop an otherworldly threat. The show has garnered 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is impressive, but most of these positive scores seem to come from critics who think the show is pretty good but not great. David Opie of Empire, for instance, rates it 3 out of 5 stars and says:

The Boroughs’ cast is certainly outstanding, with Hollywood vets like Alfre Woodard, Geena Davis, Clarke Peters, Bill Pullman and Denis O'Hare. In fact, Saloni Gajjar of AV Club says the show benefits from centering on aging adults who challenge authority, rather than angsty pre-teens. Alfred Molina, in particular, is “so gosh darn adorable,” Gajjar says. The critic gives the series a B, writing:

Cheryl Eddy of Gizmodo says the new series created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews fits right in with A Man on the Inside and The Thursday Murder Club (both of which can also be streamed with a Netflix subscription), and even if you’ve got a good idea of where the story is going, getting there is an “absolute pleasure.” Eddy continues:

Aimee Hart of Polygon notes how refreshing it is that The Boroughs treats aging as something to be celebrated amongst its characters rather than reducing them to punchlines and eyeroll-worthy stereotypes. So while comparisons to Stranger Things are inevitable, it’s actually what’s different from that series that makes this one so special. Hart writes:

Angie Han of THR thinks the cast of The Boroughs is done a disservice by the series’ dull plot. That said, however, the critic still encourages Netflix subscribers to give it a chance, writing:

That high Rotten Tomatoes score probably deserves an asterisk due to the reviews noting its clunky and predictable elements, but even with those issues, critics are charmed with Alfred Molina and his co-stars enough to recommend The Boroughs anyway.

If you want to check it out, all eight episodes of The Boroughs are available to stream now.

Major spoilers for The Boroughs are ahead! Read with caution, and watch the series with a Netflix subscription.

The Boroughs centers itself around mysterious monsters and the problems they cause in a retirement community. Or, actually, it’s the humans using the monsters who cause the problems. However, before our main gang of retirees figures that out, they have to deal with a lot of odd happenings, including seeing people glitch. I was particularly fascinated by why these glitches were happening, so I asked the creators about it.

Throughout all of The Boroughs, which was just released on Netflix’s 2026 schedule, the main character, Sam (Alfred Molina), has a lot of moments where he thinks he sees his late wife, but then she glitches. It’s unclear why it’s happening until the end, when we meet Mother, the being who is controlling the monsters who have been running around the community all season. It turned out, she was trying to send a message to Sam, and the glitches were that message “gone awry,” as co-creator Will Matthews told me:

The someone Matthews is referring to is Mother. While she seemed to be a villain for the first part of the show, toward the end, it becomes clear that she’s a victim of the people who are running The Boroughs and using her to be immortal. So, she starts sending messages to the old folks living there to try and get help.

That’s partially why Sam keeps seeing his dead wife. Mother is trying to send him a message. However, when she does that, as Matthews pointed out, sometimes her transmissions go wonky, as a radio can, and they glitch. Speaking to that point, Jeffrey Addiss, the other co-creator of this 2026 TV schedule entry, added:

Well, that certainly explains a lot. However, it does not answer all my questions about the glitches. That’s because Season 1 ends with Sam himself glitching, and when I asked the creators about that, they told me they couldn’t answer that question. So, we’ll have to cross our fingers for Season 2.

Notably, The Boroughs was executive produced by the Duffer Brothers, and it features some parallels to Stranger Things for sure. With the way Stranger Things expanded its seasons every year based on the questions raised in the previous installment, I’ve been thinking a lot about the question Season 1 of this new show left me with regarding glitches, and the ways in which said answers could expand this sci-fi world.

So, I feel like there’s more to these glitches. However, the creators' explanations are certainly helpful, and now we know that they are, at their core, “transmissions gone awry.”

Among the highly anticipated book-to-screen adaptations to arrive on the 2026 movie schedule, Remarkably Bright Creatures had a lot to live up to. Fans of the book and newcomers to the story alike caught the new Netflix movie when it arrived this weekend, and there are big reactions about the emotional story, including a lot -- I mean, a lot -- of tears.

Olivia Newman's Remarkably Bright Creatures is based on the massively popular 2022 novel by Shelby Van Pelt, and is a blend of drama, mystery and magical realism, following the crossed paths of a grieving woman, a man searching for his father, and an observant octopus living in captivity at an aquarium in Washington state. The story is emotional, to say the least, so it's unsurprising that some of the internet's biggest reactions are tears. We know what the critics have said about the movie, now let's look at what the internet thinks:

A Lot Of Tears

Listen, I read the book, so even though there were some big changes with the movie, I knew where the story was going, and was still a crying mess toward the end of the movie. Not only do I not judge the people who checked in about their tears online, I'm honestly grateful not to be alone:

• "when i was watching remarkably bright creatures earlier and got to this scene my sister walked in on me f***ing Crying my eyes out and i was trying so hard to act cool about it like there weren’t tears actively streaming down my face." -- @doveyblues on X (about the scene on the dock near the end.)
• "Already read the book, which was great. But the movie of Remarkably Bright Creatures was so full of emotion, and had me sobbing just like My Octopus Teacher. 🐙" -- @deedotk.bsky.social
• "Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, go watch Remarkably Bright Creatures right NOW! BEST movie I've seen in many years! I won't lie, I cried so hard and ugly I was snorting. But I'll tell you this, I want to watch it again and again (it's that incredible😭😭😭😭)" -- @jennibean74 on Threads. 
• "Watched "Remarkably Bright Creatures" with my mom. So good! 😭🐙" - @heybleau.bsky.social
• "Well Sally Field has done it again. I'm sobbing after watching @netflix Remarkably Bright Creatures. Such a good movie. I love the life lessons of this movie. Lewis Pullman is so good in it too. I will definitely be watching this again and maybe not go through a box of tissues!" -- @whobugs on X
• "If you have Netflix, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a must watch…..make sure you have the tissue box close by." -- @cheeto61 on Threads
• "Well, this movie f---ing wrecked me. 😭" -- @wieloch2 on Threads

Book Fans Weighed In

Remarkably Bright Creatures has more than a million ratings on GoodReads, and presently holds a 4.36. If you're a regular on GR, you know that this is a very impressive score, especially given the enormous amount of ratings it's received. Suffice to say, the bar was set high for this film. As I mentioned, there were plenty of differences between the book and the movie, and while some seemed to love the movie, others were not impressed:

• "Absolutely loved Remarkably Bright Creatures, read the book first, Sally Field is perfect." -- @fisheyeview.bsky.social
• "@netflix you absolutely butchered Remarkably Bright Creatures 😒it's so out of sequence and choppy. The magic of the book wasn't captured 😟 So disappointing." -- @goducksgirl on X
• "I just saw the Netflix movie Remarkably Bright Creatures. I did really like the movie but the book was so great. I knew it would be a tall order to try to adapt the book and especially Marcellus into a movie. I would recommend the movie to any movie fan. I would recommend the book to every human." -- @claymiller12.bsky.social
• "Remarkably bright creatures was my favorite read of 2025 and I just watched the movie and it does the book right. Sobbed through both. Just delightful 10/10" -- @Bran_John99 on X
• "Everyone should go and watch “Remarkably Bright Creatures” on Netflix. I ready the book, loved it, and the movie is - gasp - better. It’s perfection. It will make your day." -- @Kgadi_yaMoloto on X

Reactions About The Cast

The scene between Tova and Cameron on the dock solidified my opinion that the movie was perfectly cast. Sally Field and Lewis Pullman really had to share the weight of that scene in perfect balance for it to hit as hard as it did, and as far as I'm concerned, they nailed it. Viewers had thoughts on their performances, along with Alfred Molina's voice performance as Marcellus:

• "God I love Sally Field. Remarkably Bright Creatures is a great movie." -- @lonelyzoner on X
• "Alfred Molina as Marcellus is sublime! When I read Remarkably Bright Creatures, I thought of his voice! And Lewis Pullman and Sally Field, perfect for Cameron and Tova respectively." -- @RealKathJL on X
• "No, you're crying at a film featuring a CGI octopus with an internal monologue voiced by Alfred Molina. Films that feel like a warm hug seem to have become rare since the 90s but Remarkably Bright Creatures fills that gap wonderfully. Sally Field is an angel. Lewis Pullman is beautiful." @bradflint.bsky.social
• "Really enjoyed “Remarkably Bright Creatures” on Netflix tonight. Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Alfred Molina (Marcellus the Octopus), heck-the whole cast really- all so good. Lovely movie." -- @henriettahaystack on Threads

I really loved Field, Pullman and Molina's performances, but I'll close this out by shouting out the supporting cast, including Colm Meaney, Kathy Baker, Joan Chen, Sofia Black-D'Elia and the great Beth Grant. Each of them brought something wonderful to this adaptation.

Following 2022’s Where the Crawdads Sing, director Olivia Newman is back with another book-to-screen adaptation — Remarkably Bright Creatures. The drama was adapted from Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel of the same name and is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription. Critics screened the movie ahead of its release, and the same word keeps coming up in the reviews.

Sally Field stars as Tova, a widow who confides in the octopus Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina), who lives at the aquarium where she cleans at night. Tova forms an unlikely bond with Lewis Pullman’s Cameron, who has his own issues to overcome. This one will hit you right in the feels, if the Remarkably Bright Creatures trailer is any indication, and pretty much all of the reviews I’ve read come with a warning to keep tissues nearby. They also keep using the word “warm” to describe the new Netflix movie.

‘Warm And Rather Wonderfully Old-Fashioned’

Pete Hammond of Deadline praises the cast of Remarkably Bright Creatures, which hit the 2026 movie calendar on May 8, saying that Sally Field balances some heavy emotions with a light, maternal touch opposite Lewis Pullman, while Al Molina is the perfect voice for the octopus. The special effects are remarkable in their own right, resulting in a flick that’s both “warm and rather wonderfully old-fashioned.” Hammond says:

Not that we have to be told that Sally Field is an amazing actress, but the critics did anyway!

‘Sedate And Traditionally Heartwarming’

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert says Sally Field is so strong that in her most vulnerable scenes, even her fellow castmates seem awestruck by her performance. The movie is “sedate and traditionally heartwarming” — like a Hallmark movie about people healing their psychic wounds — earning 2.5 out of 4 stars from the critic, who writes:

Hmm, I never thought about an octopus slithering before. With that many legs?

‘Warmly Funny, Tearfully Touching’

Angie Han of THR notes that while Sally Field and Lewis Pullman are great on their own, they’re “even more winsome together.” Their chemistry is “crackling,” turning this imperfect flick into a “warmly funny, tearfully touching” experience. Han says:

These reviews of Remarkably Bright Creatures are really making a movie night in sound great. The critics continue…

‘Like A Warm Hug’

Molly Freeman of ScreenRant calls the adaptation a “quirky, deeply heartfelt film,” with Sally Field capturing both her character’s detached persona and bone-deep grief. With Lewis Pullman’s endlessly charming Cameron and Al Molina making Marcellus an utter delight to watch and listen to, Remarkably Bright Creatures is “like a warm hug.” More from the review:

Having an octopus narrator does seem to separate the movie from the pack a bit, though critics note the use of plenty of clichés.

‘Enjoy A Little Cry And A Warm Hug’

Megan Lachinski of Next Best Picture rates Remarkably Bright Creatures 7 out of 10, calling it “engaging and heartwarming,” with the human leads’ scenes together being the best in the movie. Lachinski continues:

There are lots of promises of cozy feels, warm hugs and even some hot chocolate that have me excited for a Netflix movie night. The movie overall has a 71% Rotten Tomatoes score, so the majority of reviews seem to be positive.

If you want to check out Remarkably Bright Creatures, the movie is available to stream now on Netflix.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most iconic action movies ever made. It cemented Harrison Ford as a movie star and further guaranteed that Steven Spielberg would be one of the greatest directors of all time. It also made movie history in another small, but important way by launching Alfred Molina's career.

The man who would go on to star as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 and get nominated for three BAFTAs appeared in front of the camera for the first time in his career in a small role in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Molina is only in the movie for a few minutes, but apparently his friends all thought his role was much bigger because he was all over the movie’s trailers. Speaking on the Still Here podcast, Molina said…

While studios didn't take quite the same stance to prevent spoilers as they do today, obviously nobody wanted to give too much of Raiders of the Lost Ark away. Luckily, the entire opening sequence is only about introducing the character of Indiana Jones, and doesn't impact the main plot, so it could be used to promote the film without worry.

It’s certainly true that it’s easy to miss Alfred Molina in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s also easy to not even realize that it is Molina in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The actor wasn’t famous when he made the movie, so if you saw it when it first came out, and then saw Molina again later after he’d made a bigger name for himself, it would be easy to not even remember you’d seen him before.

The actor says that’s happened with a lot of people who discovered his first role only after seeing some of Alfred Molina's best movies, even if they’d seen Raiders before. New people also discover the Indiana Jones movies every day. It may not have been a large role, but it was a memorable one in one of the most influential movies of all time. Of the part, now Molina simply says…

It’s hard to see it as anything but that. There aren’t many who can say they started their career in a Steven Spielberg movie, and then actually went up from there. Alfred Molina has built a career that includes award-winning drama and blockbuster comic book movies, and he’s received critical praise the entire time. His friends may not have understood how small his Raiders of the Lost Ark role was, but he may not have understood quite how big it would be.

There’s no denying that the extraordinary talent in the Marvel movies look incredibly fit. I mean, they’d have to if they’re going to make use of their kickass skills against evil. A fan asked on social media “Who has the best physique in the MCU” and you’ll never believe who was picked.

Actors go through plenty of training in order to look buff in their superhero suits and their steamy shirtless scenes. Chris Hemsworth sure enjoyed the weight training workouts he did for Thor, and Ryan Reynolds did 3 a.m. gym training for Deadpool and Wolverine. With all of the hard work that MCU actors have gone through to look as good as they do, who do you think has “the best physique in the MCU?” @scarlazywitch made sure to ask that question on X. Scroll below the post at the comments to see who the internet picked:

With all of those ripped bods in full view, how can anyone make a choice? @stephentomwest's pick was certainly unexpected seeing a winner in Tom Holland's Peter Parker!:

Don’t get me wrong, Tom Holland isn’t the least bit scrawny as we’ve seen in many shirtless Peter Parker scenes. However, he doesn’t have bulging vein-surging muscles like his Avengers chums do. And yet, his “physique” is clearly winning fans over. @NSalguod64938 mentions who their first pick was before Spider-Man’s MCU debut with Captain America: Civil War:

Okay, so looking at Tom Holland taking his shirt off on repeat is satisfying to see. But, I still thought fans would be quick to pick Chris Evans. After all, he did win People’s Sexist Man Alive in 2022. MCU actors had hilarious responses in their Avengers group chat about the Captain America actor’s hands-behind-his-back pose for the cover. More actors chimed in their classic responses pulling jokes about America’s Ass taking the crown.

But if Tom Holland keeps winning MCU fans over with his “physique,” People may have a new Sexist Man in the form of the British actor. @Mandalorian_Dan joked around about the idea of their own “Peter” winning “best physique” and it’s not who you think it is:

The “Peter” you’re seeing in the post is not Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, but Rob Delaney’s Pete Wisdom in Deadpool & Wolverine. As Pete is just an ordinary guy who first joins Deadpool’s X-Force team in Deadpool 2, you won’t expect this average Joe to be a buff superhero. But his addition to the “best physique” X thread shows that the body of an everyman can still impress an MCU audience. An MCU character picked by @AceRumble shows a “dad bod” that’s got me chuckling:

It looks like Alfred Molina’s got some sex appeal going on with his “dad bod” playing Doc Ock. He’ll surely wrap his metal tentacles around you baring chest and all! Who knew villains had so much charisma despite having no care for destroying a city? Now let’s get back to a body we all enjoy looking at in @hconnor’s tweet:

Now, that’s more like it! Chris Evans’ sweaty body breaking apart a log is always pleasing to the eyes. After we had to endure looking at “Skinny Steve” in the first part of Captain America: The First Avenger, seeing the frail man physically transform during World War II into a super soldier after being injected with a powerful serum certainly kept our attention. Here’s another obvious MCU pick we can’t stop looking at and neither can @BeastDaddyBaku:

That would be none other than a shirtless Michael B. Jordan playing Black Panther antagonist Erik Killmonger. No amount of scars on those abs can hide his “best physique” for sure, but the intense process the Creed actor went through in the makeup chair having those scars put on was no picnic for him. The prep involved hours of getting prosthetics put on him with glue and sealer, with each dot representing the number of people the Wakanda native killed. With an estimated 2,200 marks on the actor’s ripped body, his sex appeal is still glaring in those shirtless scenes.

If we can learn anything about who fans believe has “the best physique in the MCU,” the answer isn’t always the most obvious picks like Chris Evans or Michael B. Jordan. Some swoon at “dad bods” like Doc Ock’s, a little tummy action from Pete Wisdom, and teenage hero Peter Parker’s ab work. To continue seeing more of your favorite superheroes kick ass in all body types, the Marvel movies are available for streaming on your Disney+ subscription.

The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Based on the reaction of what seems like everybody with a Disney+ subscription, Star Wars: Skeleton: Crew is shaping up to be one of the best, if not the best of the live-action Star Wars series so far. We’re only three episodes in, but the 'Star Wars meets The Goonies' story of a group of kids trying to navigate their way through a hostile universe has been incredible fun with some equally incredible moments.

The newest episode of Skeleton Crew, titled ‘Very Interesting, As An Astrogation Problem”, has two different moments that are worthy of note. One was a major twist involving one of the series’ main characters, and the other you might have missed unless you have a particularly good ear.

Jude Law’s Skeleton Crew Character Isn’t Who We Thought

The big twist that came in Episode 3 of Skeleton Crew is that Jude Law’s apparent Jedi character isn’t who he appeared to be. While everything we knew about Skeleton Crew implied the character was a Jedi, it seems that was all a misdirection. While he introduced himself as Ja Na Nawood, he could seemingly use the Force, and he was dressed in robes like a Jedi, the episode didn’t take too long to confirm that he was actually somebody else.

Law is actually playing Captain Silvo, the pirate captain from the very first scenes in Skeleton Crew. Silvo gets taken down by a mutiny after the treasure that he was after turns out not to be on board the ship his crew takes. It seems rather than simply being killed, Silvo was imprisoned by his former crew.

What makes the twist especially interesting is that not only does the episode reveal the twist to the audience, but before the episode is over, the reality is also revealed to our other main characters. The series could have used the truth as a major source of tension, but instead, the show will be focused on how the titular crew work together knowing they’re not quite working toward the same goals.

There are still plenty of additional questions about Law’s character, not the least of which is how and why he can use the Force. Perhaps Silvo isn’t technically a Jedi, but one wonders if he may have been raised as one before the Republic fell.

Skeleton Crew’s New Episode Had A Surprising Cameo You Probably Missed

Still, the truth behind Jude Law’s character in Skeleton Crew may not have been quite as surprising as the character who revealed the truth to us. According to the episode credits, the character, an alien named Benjar Pranic was voiced by Doc Ock himself, Alfred Molina. It's amazing Molina didn't spoil the appearance.

His name is buried late in the credits so it’s pretty easy to overlook it, which makes it pretty funny that such a significant actor had such a minor role. Still, it’s actually par for the course with modern Star Wars. Many major names who haven’t taken leading roles have instead taken nearly invisible cameos. Daniel Craig famously appeared as a stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but since you never see his face, you might never know.

Now I’ll certainly be checking the credits of all future Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes to see if anybody else we’d recognize might be hiding in plain sight. It’s just another reason to keep watching the excellent new show.

Even though Spider-Man has seen a lot of big-screen iterations across the past two decades, Tobey Maguire's version of the character is most definitely counted among the best Spider-Man movies we've ever seen. To pay tribute to the first trilogy of movies starring the beloved Marvel Comics character, here are the best quotes from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies from the '00s.

“Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.” - Uncle Ben, Spider-Man

There's of course no quote more iconic for the Spider-Man character than this one. The phrase was first used in the Spider-Man comics in a 1962 issue written by Stan Lee as part of the last panel of the comic, initially without ties to Uncle Ben. The connection of the quote with Peter and his uncle came later. And, Michael Sheen made the quote especially unforgettable in the first 2002 movie when he imparts some wisdom about growing up to Peter just hours before his untimely death. The quote ultimately helps create Spider-Man.

"I believe there’s a hero in all of us. That keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally, allows us to die with pride. Even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 2

Rosemary Harris' Aunt May established herself as a particularly perspective figure in the first movie, but her best quote comes in the middle of Spider-Man 2. In the plot line that has Peter Parker giving up his role as Spidey, May gives the hero a pep talk, without even knowing it. The powerful moment happens when Peter's young neighbor asks Peter where Spider-Man is and if he'll come back while helping Aunt May move.

"You know, I guess one person can make a difference." - Stan Lee, Spider-Man 3

There were a lot of great Stan Lee cameos during his lifetime, but one of the most special has to be when he crosses paths with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker during Spider-Man 3. The creator of the comic book character has had a lot of funny appearances in Marvel movies over the years, but this is one of the most earnest of them as he says, "One person can make a difference."

“You know who I am. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man

"Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man" is a famous phrase the hero says in the comic books, and in 2002's Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire's version gets to say it himself. In a scene where he saves Mary Jane Watson for the first time at the Thanksgiving Parade, she asks him who she is and this is how he responds.

“Being brilliant is not enough, young man. You have to work hard. Intelligence is not a privilege, it’s a gift. And, you use it for the good of mankind.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

Early in Spider-Man 2, the movie establishes Alfred Molina's Otto Octavius as a brilliant mind who Peter Parker looks up to. Prior to the nuclear physicist becoming the movie's villain, he meets with Parker for a college paper he is writing. During their first conversation, he imparts wisdom about how it's not enough to be a smart person, one has to use their gifts for good things.

“If he doesn’t want to be famous, I’ll make him infamous!” - J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man

In the Spider-Man universe, J. Jonah Jameson is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, who is content with painting Spider-Man as a villain, likely to sell more papers. In one particularly memorable quote from the first 2002 appearance of the comic book character played by J.K. Simmons, he declares he wants to make Spider-Man "infamous." The character is so beloved he returned for Tom Holland's version.

“The cunning warrior attacks neither body nor mind. The heart, Osborn! First we attack his heart.” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

In the first Spider-Man movie, the hero faces a formidable foe in Norman Osborn's Green Goblin. The fantastic Willem Dafoe plays the character almost like a rendition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In one scene, as Norman realizes Peter Parker is Spider-Man, the Green Goblin instructs that he defeats the hero by going after his "heart" which includes terrorizing both Aunt May and Mary Jane in the third act of the movie.

“You have a knack for saving my life." - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

The most famous scene in the first Spider-Man trilogy is when Mary Jane Watson shares a kiss with Spidey while he's hanging upside down. It happens right after the hero says she has a "knack for getting into trouble" and she responds to the above quote. She asks if she can thank him for saving her the second time and they have a romantic moment in the rain. However, Kirsten Dunst's own experience with the scene was "kind of miserable" considering the pouring rain of it all.

“No matter what I do. No matter how hard I try. The ones I love will always be the ones who pay.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

At the end of the first Spider-Man movie, Peter Parker wins the heart of Mary Jane Watson after she was previously with Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn in the transition between high school and college. Despite Peter's longing for Mary Jane and her confession of love, the first movie ends with Peter saying he can only be friends with her before a narration has the character sharing his fears as a hero.

“Love should never be a secret. If you keep something as complicated as love stored up inside, it can make you sick.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

In the Spider-Man trilogy, Peter Parker has been in love with Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson since they became neighbors as kids. However, when he becomes Spider-Man he makes a decision that he cannot pursue her romantically because it would put her in danger. When Peter meets Otto early in the movie, he insinuates there's a girl he likes (MJ of course) but hasn't made it known. Otto suggests he should let her know with poetry.

“Hey kiddo, let mom and dad talk for a minute, will ya?” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man

In Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson's sharp tongue gets in the way of a squabble Spider-Man and Green Goblin are having at the Daily Bugle. It leads Spider-Man to hilariously use his webbing to trap Jameson's mouth shut and continue forth fighting his foe.

“I’m Spider-Man no more. No more.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

In a 1967 issue of The Amazing Spiderman. the Marvel hero decides to be "Spider-Man No More!" in an iconic comic book cover. And in Sam Raimi's 2004 movie, Peter Parker emulates the issue by deciding to hang up his heroics and be a regular guy again. When Peter Parker says this in the movie, it's an awesome tribute to the comic books. The themes of the movie particularly continue to resonate because of how relatable it is to see Spidey struggle with all the responsibilities of life.

"Uncle Ben meant the world to us, but he wouldn’t want us living one second with revenge in our hearts. It’s like a poison, it can take you over. Before you know it, turn us into something ugly." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker's personality takes a turn when an alien symbiote attaches to him. This happens as he learns the true killer behind Uncle Ben's death is alive and on the loose in New York City. After Peter thinks he has killed Flint Marko / Sandman, he tells Aunt May proudly that Spider-Man has done so. However, Aunt May preaches how she would never want revenge on her late husband, much to Peter's initial dismay.

“So here I am standing in your doorway. I’ve always been standing in your doorway. Isn’t it about time somebody saved your life?” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man 2

The end of Spider-Man 2 almost acts as our favorite romantic comedy. During the finale, Mary Jane, who has recently learned that Peter Parker is Spider-Man decides to walk out on her own wedding and show up at his door in her wedding dress to tell him that she doesn't care about the risk of being Spider-Man's girlfriend, because she wants to be there for him. It's the sweetest moment.

“But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall. Die trying. In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother?” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

While the Sam Raimi movies have some powerful superhero quotes, there's also a good amount of great ones from villains that describe their side of things. Such as when Green Goblin tries to convince Spider-Man to join him in his evil plots by sharing how the people he fights for will turn against him. This is certainly true for Goblin's alter ego Norman Osborn, who was recently ousted from his company amidst his villainous turn. As the trilogy shows time and time again, Spider-Man always has kind strangers who stand up for him.

"The truth is, you don’t know what you feel, except you know what kind of man you want to be. It’s as if you’ve reached the unreachable, and you weren’t ready for it.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

When Aunt May gets hospitalized by the Green Goblin in Spider-Man, Mary Jane visits her and Peter Parker. During a memorable scene for the pair, Peter Parker shares his feelings for his longtime next-door neighbor by sharing how looking in her eyes makes him feel. It feels like the moment MJ really sees and falls for Peter.

“Did Edison sleep before he turned on the light? Did Marconi sleep before he turned on the radio? Did Beethoven sleep before he wrote the Fifth?" - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

Prior to Otto Octavius becoming Doc Ock, the nuclear physicist shows his excitement for his fusion reactor experiment by comparing his presentation of his turning on his invention to Thomas Edison turning on the lightbulb and so forth. Little does he know it will fail and turn him into Spider-Man's latest adversary.

“I have a father. His name was Ben Parker.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

At the end of Spider-Man, Peter Parker / Spider-Man learns that Green Goblin has been Norman Osborn the whole time. in a last-ditch effort to exterminate Spidey, Norman acts like he needs help from him because he's like a father to him. However, it becomes a sweet moment instead when Peter declares the late Uncle Ben was his father. It's a great callback moment because right before he died, Peter suggested he shouldn't act like his father when he is not.

"You start by doing the hardest thing. You forgive yourself." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 3

Peter Parker goes in a dark place over the course of Spider-Man 3 that leads him to really treat Mary Jane in particular poorly. In one scene he even tries to make her jealous by taking Gwen Stacy to the jazz club she is working at and showing off in front of her. The scene leads to Peter accidentally slapping his ex-girlfriend. When he opens up to Aunt May about feeling bad about his actions, she suggests he must forgive himself before he can do anything else. Aunt May always knows what to say!

“Planning is not a major at this university.” - Dr. Connor, Spider-Man 2

Early in Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker is having a hard time juggling being a superhero and a regular guy. His professor, Dr. Connor, gives him a reality check when he throws back his words of "planning" to do something as something that will not help him succeed. The words hit deep for Peter, and ultimately he tries to not be Spider-Man in order to get back on track.

“He's just a kid.” - Random New Yorker, Spider-Man 2

In one of the best scenes in the Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man saves a train full of citizens from Doc Ock, but in the meantime exposes his identity to them. As they all gaze on his face, one New Yorker comments about how the hero is "just a kid." It's an emotional quote because it shows that the city probably doesn't imagine that Spider-Man is basically a teenager.

“There’s only one man who’s always been there for me, who makes me feel like I’m more than I ever thought I could be. That I’m just me… and that’s OK. The truth is I love you. Oh, I love you so much Peter.” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

At the end of Spider-Man, while Peter and friends are attending the funeral of Norman Osborn, Mary Jane confesses her love for him with these romantic words. However, she's met with deep disappointment and rejection when Peter suggests he can only be her friend.

“Follow the cold shiver running down your spine.” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

During Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn does an incredible job of going between playing Osborn and the Goblin. One great quote from the character is when his bad side tells Norman to follow the "cold shiver" running down his spine to find him.

“Listen to me now.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

At the end of Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man / Peter Parker successfully gets Otto to snap out of his villainous tendencies by knocking some sense into him. It leads to a powerful sequence where Otto asks his robotic tentacle arms to listen to him instead, and therein Otto stops his own plot from likely destroying the city, declaring he will not become a "monster".

"You don’t understand, I’m not an empty seat anymore. I’m different. Punch me, I bleed." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

In the middle of Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker hangs up being Spider-Man and tries to be there for MJ by going to her play and making time for her. While the mutual feelings are certainly there, one can't blame MJ for feeling burned after he rejected her love. However, Peter makes a case that he's "different" and wants to try with her now.

“Do you love me or not?” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man 2

The Spider-Man trilogy takes great pleasure in the frustrating push and pull of Peter Parker and MJ, mostly at the cost of MJ due to her being in the dark about why he keeps shutting her out of her life. In one famous scene in the movie when they get coffee, MJ boils it down by blunting asking if he loves her or not. She was tired of the mixed signals, and rightfully so.

"Call Deborah. Tell her not to open the caviar." - J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man 2

J. Jonah Jameson almost becomes Mary Jane's father-in-law in Spider-Man 2 until she runs out on her own wedding to be with Peter Parker. In a funny moment, Jameson turns to her wife to make sure the caterer knows not to open the expensive caviar he shelled out for the reception. The editor-in-chief is known to be a penny pincher, so it's so on-brand.

Where do all these guys come from?” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Spidey comes head-to-head with Sandman for the first time early in the movie. When he finds himself emptying out his suit with sand, he questions where all the random villains he fights come from, and it's so hilarious! Spider-Man has defeated some wild villains in his heyday.

"There are bigger things happening here than me and you." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

After the events of Spider-Man, the hero finds an enemy in Harry Osborn, who believes he killed his father and makes his mission to avenge him. He is almost successful with the help of Doc Ock until he finds out that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While Harry becomes caught up with the matters of his late father, the reveal comes as Otto has MJ and is about to set off his powerful and dangerous experiment, and stops Harry from saying these words.

“I’m gonna put some dirt in your eye.“ - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker starts acting nasty thanks to the Venom symbiote that attaches to him. This manifests itself through Peter's competition with another photographer, Eddie Brock. When Eddie publishes a fake photograph of Spider-Man in a black suit, he says this.

"It’s the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what’s right." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 3

While the end of the Spider-Man movies didn't end in a way we like (though we still have hope for Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi), it did end with a solid quote about how we, no matter who we are, have the power to choose to do what's right rather than go the way of the villain. In the context of the movie, Peter Parker's journey ends with the funeral of his best friend, Harry, who worked alongside him as a fellow hero right before his death, after previously letting vengeance into his heart.

“No thanks, I had a bite.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

The Spider-Man script goes the punny route when Peter Parker is initially bitten by a radioactive spider, which turns him into a hero. After the field trip occurs that changes his life, he's not feeling so hot. When he returns home, his Aunt and Uncle ask if he wants some dinner, but under his breath, he says he's already "had a bite."

The Venn diagram of horror fans and Netflix subscribers anxiously awaiting Stranger Things Season 5 is basically just a circle at this point, but it looks like creators Matt and Ross Duffer aren’t waiting around to continue building their career outside of Hawkins and the Upside Down. While it won’t be one of Netflix’s 2024 shows, the streaming giant’s latest collab with the brothers will be a wild doomsday tale that’ll pair them with one of Winona Ryder’s Beetlejuice co-stars.

On top of the Stranger Things spinoff that’s on the way, the Duffers will be producing a brand new series that seemingly isn’t related to any of their other projects, and won’t be directly adapting any other works. (They have the Stephen King Talisman series and the live-action Death Note as well.) The new series will be called The Boroughs, and will center on the following plotline, per Netflix:

For all that I don’t think this show is related to any of their other projects, it wouldn’t be too far outside the ordinary for The Boroughs to be revealed as a stealth Stranger Things sequel featuring grown up versions of all the teens. Speaking of the grown-ups, check out the stellar cast of sci-fi and horror vets that has been rounded up so far.

For the moment, character details for any of the new cast members are slight, so let’s check out each of their memorable genre projects from over the years.

Geena Davis: Having learned the acting ropes on the small screen, Geena Davis became an '80s sci-fi/horror queen thanks to the 1-2 punch of The Fly and Beetlejuice, with Earth Girls are Easy worthy of an honorable mention. Upon becoming a Hollywood starlet, Davis largely left genre projects behind until starring in the Exorcist TV show in 2016. She most recently popped up in Zoë Kravitz's thriller Blink Twice.

Bill Pullman: The first three movies in Bill Pullman's career were Ruthless People, Spaceballs and The Serpent and the Rainbow, exemplifying his multi-genre appeal and talents. He achieved another such streak in the mid-'90s with Independence Day, Lost Highway and Lake Placid, with later projects such as The Grudge, Alien Autopsy, and ID4: Resurgence keeping him a go-to fave.

Alfre Woodard: While mostly known for traditional TV and film projects such as Desperate Housewives, State of Affairs and Memphis Beat, Alfre Woodard has certainly dipped her toes into horror and sci-fi waters with projects such as Star Trek: First Contact, True Blood, and Annabelle, among others.

Alfred Molina: Having portrayed one of comic book cinema's best villains in Spider-Man foe Dr. Octopus, Alfred Molina has enough geek cred to last a lifetime, and doesn't have all that many live-action genre roles for such a prolific actor. But he's lent his voice to a slew of sci-fi/fantasy animated projects such as Gravity Falls, Solar Opposites, Infinity Train, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Justice League Dark and more.

Denis O'Hare: Even if he never took on another role again, Denis O'Hare would still be a horror TV king/queen for his recurring presence within Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's American Horror Story universe, where he's brought characters like Liz Taylor, Spalding and Holden Vaughn. Not that roles in True Blood or Quarantine hurt.

Clarke Peters: Perhaps best known for working on David Simon's The Wire and Treme, as well as John Wick, Clarke Peters tapped into science fiction early on opposite Sean Connery in 1980's Outland, but it took nearly 30 years to get him into another genre project: the animated Doctor Who: Dreamland miniseries in 2009. More recently, he's embraced more such series such as His Dark Materials, The Man Who Fell to Earth and Foundation, as well as Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods.

While the Duffer brothers will be producing, the creative team behind The Boroughs will be Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, co-creators behind the puppet-driven spinoff The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The pair also co-created the upcoming animated epic The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

At this time, it's unclear when production will be starting up on The Boroughs, but there's more than enough content hitting the upcoming TV schedule to keep everyone busy while waiting for updates.

When it comes to the smartest TV detectives we’ve ever seen, Adrian Monk definitely can count himself among them – right next to Columbo, Sherlock Holmes, and Luther (to name a few). For eight seasons of the USA Network series, Adrian Monk’s tendency to see all the details, often tied with his OCD, matched with his personal motivation to get “the guy” following the death of his wife, Trudy, was exciting to tune into week-to-week. All the while, major actors would often guest star. Some of which were big names before Monk, and others that have since skyrocketed into fame. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan 

Over a decade before Jeffrey Dean Morgan became The Walking Dead’s Negan, the famed TV actor was in the Season 3 premiere of Monk, “Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan.” In the episode, Monk travels with the SFPD team to New York City to do some work in association with the murder of Trudy, but in the meantime, Monk gets embroiled in the case of a recently deceased Latvian ambassador. Morgan’s character catches the detective’s eye in connection to the ambassador’s death. 

Malcolm McDowell

The lead of Stanley Kubrick’s masterful A Clockwork Orange, Malcolm McDowell, made his way into Monk during Season 4 in a particularly great episode of the series that takes the detective into the world of fashion. In “Mr. Monk Goes To A Fashion Show,” he decides to pay a visit to the inspector of his favorite collared shirts when he notices recent inconsistencies. It leads him and Natalie to meet a British fashion designer named Julian Hodge, played by McDowell. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Did you know that Silver Linings Playbook Oscar winner, Jennifer Lawrence, was in Monk? Back in 2006, when the actress was a teenager and had not yet starred in any movies, she had a very small role as a high school mascot in the Season 5 episode “Mr. Monk and the Big Game.” Her head is covered for most of her scene, but she does take off the helmet for a moment in the episode. 

Jason Alexander 

Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander guest starred in Monk for the Season 4 premiere “Mr. Monk and the Other Detective” as another P.I. in town named Marty Eels. During Monk’s latest case, the detective begins to be overshadowed by Alexander’s character, which hilariously has Monk calling him a cheater. As Eels becomes a big competitor for Monk, it’s a blast to see Shalhoub and Alexander act together. 

John Turturro 

Monk perfectly cast the detective’s brother in 2004 by bringing in John Turturro in a fabulous guest role, that he would play in three episodes. Turturro, who is famous for being in movies with the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee and Adam Sandler played Ambrose, who suffers from severe agoraphobia and deepened Monk’s backstory. He was so memorable in the series that he earned an Emmy for “Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series” for the episode in which he debuted the character, in Season 2’s “Mr. Monk and the Three Pies”. 

Stanley Tucci

One of the strongest Monk episodes of the series is definitely Season 5’s “Mr. Monk and the Actor.” In the 2006 episode, an actor named David Ruskin is set to play Adrian Monk in a movie based on his life and comes to shadow Adrian on his cases. Stanley Tucci plays Ruskin as the actor goes a bit too method with the role of Adrian and debunks some demons regarding what it’s like to be Monk. Tucci won an Emmy for the guest role, and was actually a finalist to play Adrian Monk prior to his guest role. 

Rainn Wilson 

Just a couple years before Rainn Wilson would become Dwight Schrute on one of the best sitcoms of all time, The Office, the actor made a small guest appearance on Monk in Season 2. He played a massive baseball fan and collector as Adrian Monk looked into a case involving a star baseball player. 

James Brolin 

Longtime TV and movie actor James Brolin (who is also the father of Josh Brolin and husband to Barbara Streisand), made his way into Monk for 2005’s Vegas episode. Brolin plays a millionaire casino owner who becomes a suspect following the death of his wife, and Stottlemeyer brings in Monk to solve the case. 

Sean Astin 

In Season 5, Lord of the Rings and The Goonies actor, Sean Astin crossed paths with Tony Shalhoub’s Monk in an episode called “Mr. Monk Is At Your Service.” Astin plays a young billionaire, Paul Buchanan, whom Monk and Natalie come across amidst a visit to Natalie’s parents' wealthy neighborhood. Monk ends up going undercover as Paul’s butler to learn more about him. 

Sarah Silverman 

Famed standup comedian, Sarah Silverman, guest starred in three episodes of Monk over the years as a character named Marci Maven. She first became part of the procedural in 2004 for “Mr. Monk and the TV Star,”  where she played an obsessed fan of the star of a hit show made up for the series called Crime Lab S.F. 

Danny Trejo 

In “Mr. Monk Goes To Jail” in Season 2, Danny Trejo, of Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn and Desperado (among many of his movies), also got to work alongside Tony Shalhoub’s Monk. During the episode, Monk goes undercover as the cellmate of Trejo’s character, who is a convicted quadruple murderer. As you may suspect, comedy ensues. 

Snoop Dogg 

Snoop Dogg was also in Monk for the Season’s “Mr. Monk and the Rapper,” where he played a fictional hip hop star, Murderuss. In the episode, Murderuss approaches the detective to hire him to clear his name after becoming the primary suspect in the death of another rapper. The best part? Snoop Dogg actually raps Monk’s famous “here’s what happened” segment at the end. 

Alfred Molina

Beloved character actor, Alfred Molina, has also been part of Monk for a Season 6 episode. What’s interesting about Molina, is he was actually one of the finalists to play the lead role of Adrian Monk before Shalhoub was cast. In his guest role, he played a billionaire software mogul whose beach house has a view of a nudist beach. 

Jon Favreau 

MCU actor and famed director Jon Favreau was in “Mr. Monk Goes To The Dentist,” which aired during the series’ fourth season in 2006. Favreau plays a dentist who Lieutenant Disher goes to and swears murdered someone while he was under anesthesia for a procedure. 

Carmen Electra

All-star actor, model and singer Carmen Electra can be found in the Monk episode “Mr. Monk and the Panic Room” which came out in 2004. The episode has the detective investigating a crime scene where it seems like a chimpanzee has killed his owner. The victim is a record producer and Electra plays his pop star wife. 

Craig T. Nelson 

Poltergeist and Parenthood actor Craig T. Nelson earned a very important role in Monk for its two-part finale, “Mr. Monk and the End.” He plays Judge Ethan Rickover, who was on the California Court of Appeals and has a history with Monk’s late wife, Trudy. 

Tim Curry 

In Season 1, an enemy of Monk’s was introduced as financier Dale “The Whale” Biederbeck. After the character was originated by Adam Arkin, none other than The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Tim Curry embodied the role for a brief time in “Mr. Monk Goes To Jail.” 

Niecy Nash

Reno 911’s Niecy Nash made a guest spot in Monk in the early days for “Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf.” The episode follows Adrian’s first assistant Sharona as she starts to believe she’s losing her sanity when she keeps seeing a man with a screwdriver sticking out of his ear (that no one else can see). Neicy Nash plays Sharona’s friend and fellow nurse, Varla should step in to assist Monk. 

Jeffrey Donovan 

The star of Burn Notice, which also was on USA Network like Monk, turned up in the detective series in the episode “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut.” In the Season 4 episode, Jeffrey Donovan plays an astronaut who Monk is sure killed someone, but his alibi is airtight… considering he was in space when the murder occurred. 

Laurie Metcalf 

Roseanne actress Laurie Metcalf had some fun on Monk when she guest starred in the Season 4 episode “Mr. Monk Bumps His Head.” When Adrian wakes up in a small town with amnesia, Metcalf’s unhinged character uses the opportunity to convince the detective he is her husband. 

Nick Offerman 

Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman made an appearance in 2005’s “Mr. Monk and the Election” before he became famous for playing the very quotable Ron Swanson. Look out for the actor in his clean-shaven days during the Season 3 episode that has Natalie Teager running for the school board. 

Jane Lynch 

Before actress Jane Lynch rocked sweatsuits on Glee, she did guest for “Mr. Monk Gets Married.” In the episode, Randy Disher is concerned about his mother getting suddenly married to a man who is 30 years younger (played by Lost’s Nestor Carbonell) than him and asks Monk to look into it. This leads Monk and Sharona to pretend to be a married couple for a retreat that Lynch’s psychologist character is in charge of. 

Amy Sedaris 

The very funny Amy Sedaris was on two episodes of Monk to play Sharona’s younger sister, Gail. She first appeared in 2002’s “Mr. Monk and the Earthquake” before also being part of 2003’s “Mr. Monk Goes To The Theater.” Since she’s an actress in the series, her part in a local play that turns into a crime scene makes the second episode a particularly juicy appearance for Sedaris. 

Rachel Dratch

Saturday Night Live’s Rachel Dratch found her way into Monk for “Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny.” In the 2004 episode, Dratch’s character is stressed about the kidnapping of her grandmother and offers to help reinstate Monk to the police force if he can help find her alive. 

Howie Mandel

The Gremlins actor and game and competition show host played the role of Ralph Roberts in two episodes of Monk in 2008. Howie Mandel played the head of a religious cult called Siblings of the Sun in the Season 7 episodes. Mandel is a germaphobe in real life like Monk is.

Holland Taylor

Two and a Half Men actress Holland Taylor played Natalie Teager’s mother Peggy in two episodes of Monk. In the series, Peggy is a well-off woman who married into the Davenport Toothpaste business. She is part of 2005’s “Mr. Monk Goes To A Wedding” and 2007’s “Mr. Monk Is At Your Service.” 

Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands is an Academy Award nominee who starred in movies like Woman Under The Influence and Gloria in her youth before famously playing the older version of Allie in The Notebook. In Season 7’s “Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door,” Monk becomes friendly with Rowlands’ Marge Johnson, but suspicions about her true intentions begin to grow. 

Ariel Winter

Before Ariel Winter became part of Modern Family’s Dunphy family, the actress was in Monk as an eight-year-old for “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut.” She has a small but pivotal role as the neighbor of the victim, whose place in the story leads Monk to track down the killer. 

Julie Bowen

In Season 7’s “Mr. Monk and the Bully,” Julie Bowen plays a character that Adrian Monk investigates after his childhood bully comes out of the woodwork asking for help from the detective. The Truman Show’s Noah Emmerich plays her husband and Monk’s former bully. Julie Bowen is a two-time Emmy winner for her leading role in ABC’s Modern Family. 

Eric Stonestreet

Modern Family’s Cameron Tucker was on Monk the same year the hit ABC comedy first arrived on network television. In “Mr. Monk and the UFO,” Eric Stonestreet plays a small role as a local mechanic named Boom-Boom whom Monk offends and ends up raising his estimate. 

Sung Kang 

Sung Kang, who famously played Han in the Fast and the Furious movies, also guest starred in Monk as two separate characters. First in “Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra” he plays an employee of a martial arts school they visit while investigating the death of a fictional kung fu star, Sonny Chow. Four years later, Kang stars in “Mr. Monk on Wheels” as the cousin of a criminal named John Kuramoto.

Angela Kinsey 

The Office actress Angela Kinsey had a guest role in Monk as Arlene Boras for two episodes of the series. She plays an X-ray technician who was in Alfred Molina’s episode, “Mr. Monk and the Naked Man.” She reprised her role for the 100th episode of Monk as well. 

Marvel’s veil of secrecy is both admirable and frustrating, especially when it comes to casting news. Things usually are kept under wraps, but then there are the times when actors have gotten loose-lipped about their MCU status. This is what happened when Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Alfred Molina followed in the footsteps of his co-star Tom Holland. Molina accidentally confirmed the news he was returning to the franchise as Doctor Octopus after first playing the role in 2004’s Spider-Man 2 -- still one of the best Spider-Man movies. Confirming those months of speculation was a payoff for fans, but a headache for the studio. After opening up his mouth, Molina recalled the hot water he got into with Sony and Marvel.

A year removed from the monumental success of No Way Home, Molina was promoting his new TV series, Three Pines, with Radio Times when the subject came up. The Emmy-nominated actor was asked about whether he was returning to play Doc Ock again. But this time he remained tight-lipped as he harkened back to spilling the beans about his MCU debut.

Making headlines was a double-edged sword for the thespian. He answered a long-simmering question for Spider-Man: No Way Home, a movie we now know is especially important to the Multiverse Saga. Along with Molina’s return as the brilliant scientist, there were rumors of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx’s Electro, the latter of whom played coy about the rumors. Their strategy followed the MCU protocol while the Frida star didn’t get the memo. Despite revealing his return, seeing him along with Foxx, Dafoe and other Spidey villains in the movie was a major payoff.

While fans rejoiced in the reveal, Sony and Marvel weren’t so excited. Molina recalled how Feige and Sony head Amy Pascal reacted to him speaking with Variety. He even called a moment where the Marvel honcho called him out after the secret was spoiled.

It looks like someone learned their lesson the first time. Right now, fans will have to wait and see if Molina will return as Doc Ock in another Spider-Man movie. Of course, Sony and Marvel are continuing their partnership with more films featuring the Web-Slinger. Not only is the film and TV actor’s involvement being questioned as it’s still up in the air about whether Holland will return as Peter Parker.

Until fans get updated about more Spidey fun, they can watch the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, by setting up a Starz trial through an Amazon Prime Video subscription. You can also stream the original Spider-Man trilogy with a Netflix subscription.

When it comes to animated films, it’s never a big surprise that a ton of stars tend to join those casts, and now, DC’s League of Super Pets has added to that with their list of stars, from action heroes such as Dwayne Johnson to comedians like Kevin Hart. But with so many characters and so many amazing cast members, you might be wondering where you’ve seen - or heard - them before. 

If you’re like me and trying to see exactly where these famous faces were from, check out where you might have seen the DC’s League of Super Pets voice cast before. 

Dwayne Johnson (Krypto The Super-Dog) 

Starting off with the main hero in DC’s League of Super Pets, we have Krypto, a character I’m pretty familiar with from the Krypto the Super-Dog TV show from a long time ago - but now, he’s in a movie and is voiced by the fabulous Dwayne Johnson. If you don’t know that name, surely you have been living under a rock (pun intended). While he started off his career in the WWE, Johnson continues to prove how talented he is as a movie star. 

He played Maui in Moana, and has appeared in films such as the comedy, The Game Plan, the Jumanji series, Central Intelligence, Rampage, the Fast and Furious series, Skyscraper, Jungle Cruise, and more. He also had a pretty big year in 2021 with the release of Red Notice on Netflix.

Johnson has also had some experience with television as well, producing (and appearing) in the NBC series, Young Rock, as well leading the series, Ballers. 

Kevin Hart (Ace The Hound)

Next up on this list, we have everyone’s favorite hilarious comedian, Kevin Hart, who plays Ace in DC’s League of Super Pets. Hart has been in many movies and produced some hilarious comedy specials, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen him before. 

Some of his biggest roles thus far have included Night School, Think Like A Man, Ride Along, The Man From Toronto, About Last Night, and the drama, Fatherhood, alongside many others. This is also the fourth time that Hart and Johnson have collaborated together on a film, with the first being Central Intelligence, and the next two being the Jumanji series. Since these two are always ripping on each other, it’ll be fun to watch the press tour for DC’s League of Super Pets. 

Kate McKinnon (Lulu The Guinea Pig)

Moving on, we now have Kate McKinnon, who voices Lulu the Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because McKinnon was a huge star on NBC’s Saturday Night Live before she left in 2022, but besides her big role on the sketch series, this actress has done plenty. 

Some of her biggest roles this far was being a part of the Bombshell cast, starring in 2016’s Ghostbusters, and the films The Spy Who Dumped Me and Yesteryear, among others. She also had a starring role in the Peacock original series, Joe vs. Carole, playing Carole Baskin. 

John Krasinski (Superman)

Next up on this list we have John Krasinski, who voiced Superman in DC’s League of Super Pets. As someone who has followed Krasinski for a long time, I can’t think of anyone better to voice the superhero in this film. One of his most famous roles was portraying Jim Halpert as part of The Office cast, and becoming the second half to one of the cutest relationships on television, but Krasinski has done plenty of other fun roles. 

Krasinski directed both A Quiet Place movies, while starring in the first one, and has appeared in other films such as Away We Go, It’s Complicated, Big Miracle, and more, and had voice roles in the Pixar film Monsters University, as well as the Hayao Miyazaki film, The Wind Rises. 

The actor has also dived back into television, starring as Jack Ryan in the titular series on Amazon Prime, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. In 2022, he appeared as Reed Richards in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Vanessa Bayer (PB The Potbelly Pig)

Moving on, we take a look at Vanessa Bayer, who voiced PB the Potbelly Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Bayer is another Saturday Night Live alumni and is funny as all heck, but she has also been in plenty of other movies and TV shows as well. 

Some of her biggest movies have been Trainwreck, Office Christmas Party, Ibiza, Barb and Star Go To Vista del Mar, and more. She also has the lead role in the Showtime comedy, I Love That For You, and has guest starred on many other TV shows as well. 

Natasha Lyonne (Merton The Turtle)

Natasha Lyonne voices Merton the Turtle in DC’s League of Super Pets, and has had quite the career in both movies and TV. For the last couple of years, she’s starred in Russian Doll on Netflix, but prior to that, she was a big part of the Orange is the New Black cast, where she played Nicky. However, Lyonne has done much more in the film and television industry than just her roles on TV. 

Some of her biggest roles have been in the American Pie cast, Ad Astra, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Scary Movie 2, But I’m A Cheerleader, Sleeping With Other People, and many others. 

Diego Luna (Chip The Squirrel)

Moving on, we now take a look at Diego Luna, who voices Chip the Squirrel in DC’s League of Super Pets. Luna has been an even bigger star in Hollywood lately, mainly thanks to his huge role in the popular Star Wars film, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, where he played Cassian Andor - a role he is set to reprise in the upcoming Disney+ series, Andor, following the character before the film. 

However, Luna has done plenty of other projects you might recognize. He had a big role on the Netflix series, Narcos: Mexico, where he played Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. He also has appeared in a variety of movie roles, including several Spanish films, Berlin, I Love You, A Rainy Day In New York, Wander Darkly, If Beale Street Could Talk, and more. 

Marc Maron (Lex Luthor)

Marc Maron voices the legendary villain, Lex Luthor, in DC’s League of Super Pets, and he has done plenty in the movie and TV business. Maron is mainly known for his comedy, and has had several guest appearances on late night talk shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, but he’s done plenty on his own. He hosted his own talk show, The Marc Maron Show, and co-hosted both Morning Sedition and Breakroom Live. 

Maron has also acted plenty before, doing movies such as Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Stardust, Joker, Respect, and more. He’s also appeared in many TV shows, including having his own series, Maron, and appearing in shows such as Easy, The Simpsons, and Roadies among others. He also had a co-starring role in the cancelled-too-soon Netflix series, GLOW. 

Keanu Reeves (Batman)

I don’t think I could have pictured a better casting for the role of Batman in DC’s League of Super Pets than Keanu Reeves himself, and it’s so cool to see him voicing this awesome role. Reeves has been in Hollywood for decades, and is one our our most enduring action stars. 

Reeves’ biggest roles have definitely been the Bill & Ted film series, his starring part in The Matrix Series, as well as his titular role in the John Wick movie saga, which is getting a fourth movie in 2023. However, Reeves has plenty of other major films, such as Constantine, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Street Kings, The Lake House, Already Gone, and more. He even had a voice role in Pixar’s Toy Story 4 as Duke Caboom.

Thomas Middleditch (Keith a.k.a. Ice Guinea Pig) 

Moving on, we now take a look at Thomas Middleditch, who voices Keith, known as the Ice Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Middleditch is primarily known for his role on the hit HBO series, Silicon Valley, but has done plenty of other roles that you might recognize him from. 

He has done voice roles in shows such as Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, and the Hulu original series, Solar Opposites, and had a main role in the TV series, B Positive. He also had a voice role in the movie Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and has done live-action roles in movies such as Someone Marry Barry, The Bronze, Once Upon A Time in Venice, Tag, Zombieland: Double Tap, and more. 

Ben Schwartz  (Mark a.k.a. Fire Guinea Pig) 

Next up, we have Ben Schwartz, who voices Mark, known as the Fire Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Schwartz was primarily known for his role in the Parks and Recreation cast, but has since gone on to do plenty of other fun parts. 

Some of his biggest film roles have included voicing the titular character in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, and appearing in Peep World, This Is Where I Leave You, Flora & Ulysses, Falling Down, The Walk, and more. Schwartz has also had a prominent TV career besides Parks and Recreation, having roles in TV shows like Netflix’s Space Force, the comedy series The Afterparty on Apple TV+, House of Lies, Ducktales, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more. 

Additional Voices

Lastly, there are plenty of other additional voices in DC’s League of Super Pets that we should take the time to mention. 

These include Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane, Yvette Nicole Brown as Patty, Jameela Jamil as Wonder Woman, Jemaine Clement as Aquaman, Daveed Diggs as Cyborg, Alfred Molina as Jor-El, Lena Headey as Lara, Keith David as Dog-El, Busy Philipps as Foofy Dog, Maya Erskine as Mercy Graves, and Dan Folger in the additional roles of Carl, Pilot, and Radio. 

Goodness, with so many names on here, you might think we were going to an awards show of some kind, but this is just the talent that DC’s League of Super Pets has, and it’ll be a super time wondering where these actors go next after suiting up in their fluffy suits.  

Over the years, the incomparable Alfred Molina has become best known for playing Doctor Octopus, a role he recently revisited in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside previous Spidey movie actors like Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. He may have a bad guy image in the movies, but Roar’s Fivel Stewart certainly wasn’t as intimidated with the actor as she hoped. 

Fivel Stewart and Alfred Molina worked opposite each other in the Roar episode “The Girl Who Loved Horses.” The episode of the anthology series is a mini-Western where Molina’s character plays the estranged father to Stewart’s character, on whom she wants to exact revenge. However, the actress’ experience was less menacing on set. In her words:  

When CinemaBlend spoke to Fivel Stewart about her Roar episode, she talked about the “empowering” experience fronting a Western narrative fronted by a female character in a genre that is often male-dominated. The actress also couldn’t help but gush about her scene partner Alfred Molina, with whom she shared a showdown scene with in the episode. In the context of the scene, she’s supposed to be very mad and uninterested in him, which proved difficult because Molina is so charismatic in real life. 

Fivel Stewart is a Spider-Man fan herself, who grew up watching Alfred Molina fight off Tobey Maguire’s friendly neighborhood superhero in the landmark Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 2. Even in the role of Doctor Octopus, the character has a somewhat of a sympathetic storyline given he was a scientist who had an experiment get the best of him. And in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doc Ock doesn’t end up being the big bad either. 

Stewart sounds like she had a great experience working with the legend on Roar, even though she has to be stone-cold toward him in the Apple TV+ series. Fivel Stewart and Alfred Molina lead the final episode of the new series, which also includes episodes starring the likes of Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Issa Rae, Betty Gilpin and Alison Brie. 

Roar is based on a book of short stories of the same name by P.S. I Love You author Cecelia Ahern. The series was made by the same creators behind Netflix’s GLOW, with Nicole Kidman also producing the project, as well as starring in an episode called “The Woman Who Ate Photographs.” You can check out Roar with an Apple TV+ subscription. 

Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home, so if you still haven't seen the box office-winning film yet, be forewarned!

If you need a reminder, before Spider-Man: No Way Home, we saw Doctor Otto Octavius sacrifice himself in Spiderman 2 as he plunged his fusion reactor into the river to save New York City. Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back the character of Doc Ock with a new story involving no memory of his great sacrifice. Since Doc Ock got his redemption at the end of the latest Spidey flick, fans have wondered: Will we see this mechanically-armed villain again? To answer your question, Doc Ock’s Alfred Molina shared whether or not we could see his return after Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The redemption arc of Doc Ock was an amazing thing to watch on-screen. We saw a mad scientist lose everything as a result of his latest invention, and later an arc taking him from baddie to ally. After being delivered the cure for gaining control of his mechanical arms in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Alfred Molina spoke to Household Faces with John Ross Bowie, calling the experience with the franchise "extraordinary," but noting he feels there really is no reason to bring back the character of Doc Ock for future Spider-Man movies.

In Spider-Man: No Way Home, we saw the return of villains from previous films that ranged back to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man era, as well as the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, the original Spider-Men, who came back to their web-slinging roots. When Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was thinking about bringing back Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock for Spider-Man: No Way Home, he could not even think about anyone else playing the role other than the man who originated it. 

I feel he made the right choice, as Alfred Molina gave the character of Dr. Octavius a relatable, sentimental quality to him of a scientist who wanted to be a hero for future generations, only for his arrogance and stubbornness to get in the way. He clearly also only has lovely feelings about the experience, even if a return is unlikely.

Just like the character of Dr. Octavius was determined in his dreams, so was the man who played him. British actor Alfred Molina shared during the podcast episode about his yearning for wanting to be a working actor in the United States and his enjoyment of being part of the Spider-Man films.

Many were looking forward to the return of Alfred Molina as Doc Ock. As a fan of the Sam Raimi films, you don't even have to imagine how terrifying it was for Tom Holland to be face-to-face with Doc Ock himself. At the same time, Holland's also said he experienced some funny drawbacks of seeing Molina having no control on the Spidey set and being carried around on a toothpick rig! Sam Raimi was another person who had a reaction to seeing Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock again. As he previously directed Molina in Spider-Man 2, Raimi said it was “beautiful” seeing Doc Ock again in his original costume and watching the advancing technology used to create the mechanical arms. So, it sounds like a lot of people connected to the character's return, even if No Way Home may be the end. 

You can see Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters or through streaming rentals. While it may be goodbye to Doc Ock, it is certainly not goodbye to the actor, as you can watch plenty of great movies of Alfred Molina's online.

Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Comic book fans were treated to a massive new blockbuster when Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theaters ahead of the holidays. The massive crossover movie included a ton of returning actors from the previous two franchises, including Spider-Man 2’s Alfred Molina. It turns out that No Way Home’s Doc Ock fight could have been “way longer”, so bring on the deleted scenes.

Doc Ock is the first character to start the multiverse madness of Spider-Man: No Way Home, clashing with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker on a bridge. This fight was teased throughout the movie’s trailers, which is why some fans noticed that certain shots were missing from the theatrical cut. This is because the action sequence could have been way longer, as VFX supervisor Kelly Port recently explained,

Well, I’ve got FOMO. Seeing Doc Ock back on the big screen and throwing cars at the likes of Spider-Man was definitely thrilling for moviegoers in No Way Home. But it turns out that plenty more of this fight was left on the cutting room floor. Let’s just hope that Sony and Marvel end up revealing some of this bonus content once the blockbuster is available for home purchase.

Kelly Port’s comments to BeforesAndAfters helps to peel back the curtain on what it was like bringing Spider-Man: No Way Home together in post-production. It’s common for some material to end up cut, but it turns out that the record breaking threequel actually had to shave down some of the thrilling action. After all, there were a ton of characters from Spider-Man lore to service throughout the course of its 148-minute runtime.

Doc Ock’s first big scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home ends up greatly changing the character throughout the course of the movie’s runtime. Because when his mechanical arms connect with Tony Stark’s nanotech, Peter Parker is able to pretty much immobilize the villains. This allowed for Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius to play a less threatening role until eventually being cured by Holland’s title character. 

Given just how much narrative ground had to be covered throughout the course of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it makes sense that plenty of material ultimately had to be cut for time. While a 15-minute opening battle would no doubt be thrilling for hardcore fans, it might have interrupted the pacing of the movie. Those tough calls seemingly paid off, as Jon Watt’s third Spidey film has broken records at both the box office and on Rotten Tomatoes.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Throughout his career, Alfred Molina has played historical figures like Diego Rivera and iconic comic book characters like Dr. Otto Octavius. With those characters and dozens of others, Molina is able to get the most out of each of his roles and make them feel human, even with those who are detestable, to say the very least. We see it all the time, and chances are we’ll continue to see as he career marches on.

If you watched Spider-Man: No Way Home and want to revisit some of Alfred Molina’s best movies, or perhaps take a journey through his catalogue of work for the first time, you have come to the right place. Below are 10 of his best film offerings plus a little bonus item at the end.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

The second installment in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, Spider-Man 2 follows Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as he comes face-to-face with one of his deadliest enemies, Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), after a failed experiment turns the ambitious Dr. Otto Octavius into man driven mad by his own shortcomings and trapped in his own machine. 

The strength of the movie lies in Molina’s portrayal of a man tortured by failure and guilt when his attempt to make the world a better place blows up in his face and takes everything he’s ever loved. Molina didn’t need to be this good in order for Spider-Man 2 to work, but we’re all better off because of his dedication to the role.

Stream Spider-Man 2 on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Spider-Man 2 on Amazon.
Buy Spider-Man 2 on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Frida (2002)

Julie Taymor’s 2002 Academy Award-winning biopic Frida focuses on the life of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) from the accident that left her with lifelong injuries up to the opening of her first solo exhibition in her home country. Along the way, Kahlo meets and falls in love with Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), a talented artist with problematic political affiliations.

Objectively, Diego Rivera is not a great person throughout Frida. He is stubborn, unfaithful to his wife, and difficult. Despite that, Alfred Molina finds the humanity in the man and his art and in turn creates a transfixing portrayal of the complicated artist.

Stream Frida on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Frida on Amazon.
Buy Frida on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Boogie Nights (1997)

Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights centers on the seedy world that was the San Fernando Valley in 1977 largely told through the eyes of busboy-turned-pornstar Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), aka Dirk Diggler. This movie, like most of PTA’s work, has a large ensemble cast that tells a cautionary tale of fame, excess, and infamy with some of his best characters. 

Alfred Molina shows up near the end of the movie as Rahad Jackson, a drug dealer Todd Parker (Thomas Jane) attempts to rip off much to the chagrin of Dirk Diggler and Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly). Molina’s appearance, demeanor, and manic behavior make it to where you can’t stop watching even though something bad is waiting right around the corner.

Stream Boogie Nights on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Boogie Nights on Amazon.
Buy Boogie Nights on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Magnolia (1999)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic psychological drama Magnolia follows an assortment of characters whose lives are connected in one way or another. One of the main focuses of the movie is on Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), who won a quiz show as a kid but never amounted to anything in adulthood. Just before reaching his breaking point, Donnie is fired from his job during a comical yet intense scene with his employer Solomon Solomon (Alfred Molina).

This is another Alfred Molina performance where he gets so much out of so little and provides one of the best scenes of the movie. When you watch or rewatch this scene, just focus on Molina’s facial expressions (specifically his eyebrows) and pick up the story they tell. You could even watch it on mute and still pick up exactly what he’s thinking and feeling.

Stream Magnolia on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Magnolia on Amazon.
Buy Magnolia on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

Directed by Stephen Frears, the 1987 biographical drama Prick Up Your Ears tells the story of British playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) and his companion Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) as they go from drama school classmates to friends and eventually lovers. But all is not well with the relationship and the pair begin to drift in two different directions when Orton finds professional successes, triggering something in his lover.

This is not to take anything away from Gary Oldman’s performance in Prick Up Your Ears, but Alfred Molina steals the show whenever he’s on screen here. The way in which he captures the fear, hurt, and disgust of his character is truly something to behold and takes the movie to a higher level.

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An Education (2009)

Lone Scherfig’s 2009 coming-of-age drama An Education follows Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan), a teenager with dreams of attending Oxford University who is swept off her feet by an older sophisticated man named David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard). The fast and furious romance seems like the real deal and even Jenny’s parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour) are impressed by the dashing man, but all is not as it appears.

There are a few standout moments by Alfred Molina throughout An Education with the most heartbreaking of the bunch coming in a pivotal scene in which Jack attempts to apologize to his daughter after a terrible revelation. Though the apology is far from perfect, Molina is able to capture the pain and misgivings of a father who thought he was doing the right thing.

Rent/Buy An Education on Amazon.
Buy An Education on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Chocolat (2000)

Lasse Hallström’s 2002 drama Chocolat tells the story of Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), a free-flowing chocolatier who arrives in a modest and rather strict French village and impacts the lives of the townspeople by opening their eyes to new experiences. Vianne finds success with with a chocolate shop and with strong relationships with several people in town, but finds resistance with its mayor Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), which leads to a series of complications.

The character of Comte de Reynaud could have been just your standard authority figure who resists change, but Alfred Molina’s portrayal makes the town leader seem all the more complicated and realistic. This isn’t to say he’s a great person, but he is far from evil or immune to redemption.

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Rent/Buy Chocolat on Amazon.
Buy Chocolat on Amazon.

Love Is Strange (2014)

Love is Strange, a 2014 romantic drama film directed by Ira Sachs, follows Ben Hull (John Lithgow) and George Garea (Alfred Molina), a same-sex couple who decide to tie the knot after nearly 40 years a couple. But when this news is discovered by George’s employer, the Archdiocese of New York, he is fired and the couple is forced to live in separate apartments with friends and family until they can find a home they can afford together.

No surprise here but Alfred Molina and John Lithgow are astonishing in Love is Strange and have this chemistry that makes them seem like much more than characters on the screen. Both are at the top of their game here and make it a movie that you have to watch.

Rent/Buy Love Is Strange on Amazon.
Buy Love Is Strange on Amazon.

The Front Runner (2018)

Jason Reitman’s 2018 political drama The Front Runner explores how Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) went from Democratic presidential nominee in 1988 to another political figure haunted by past relationships. Over the course of the hectic episode, multiple people enter the fray looking for blood, including journalists at The Washington Post, including edited Ben Bradlee (Alfred Molina) who is facing crises of his own with the changing media landscape.

Alfred Molina’s Ben Bradlee is neither hero nor villain in The Front Runner, but instead a complicated man somewhere in the middle. His decisions in covering of the Gary Hart scandal weigh heavily on him throughout the movie and that wear and tear of his psyche is portrayed beautifully by the actor.

Rent/Buy The Front Runner on Amazon.
Buy The Front Runner on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Normal Heart (2014)

Ryan Murphy’s 2014 HBO original film The Normal Heart follows Alexander “Ned” Weeks (Mark Ruffalo) as he leads a crusade alongside other gay men across the country to expose the truth behind the AIDS crisis and to raise awareness for treatment before it’s too late. In addition to convincing the public of the grave situation, Ned must also win over his older and more conservative brother Ben Weeks (Alfred Molina).

One of the biggest threads throughout The Normal Heart is the brotherly relationship shared by Ned and Ben Weeks, which is made all the better by Mark Ruffalo and Alfred Molina. The way they play off one another looks and feels less like two actors on a soundstage and more like two brothers trying to understand one another.

Stream The Normal Heart on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Normal Heart on Amazon.
Buy The Normal Heart on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Before he was sitting atop the box office with one of the biggest Marvel Phase 4 movies, Alfred Molina made his feature film debut as the double-crossing guide Satipo who betrayed Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Molina is only in the movie for a few minutes at best, but you have to start somewhere…

Stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Raiders of the Lost Ark on Amazon.
Buy Raiders of the Lost Ark on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Hopefully this helps you figure out which of Alfred Molina’s best movies you would like to explore. There’s a lot to choose from, but it’s hard to go wrong with such a talented and prolific actor.

It’s been more than 15 years since Alfred Molina first played Doctor Octopus, and to say that times have changed since then would be an understatement. Early glimpses of his reprisal in Spider-Man: No Way Home make it clear he still has what it takes to be villainous. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a learning curve when he got back on the No Way Home set. According to Tom Holland, there were some funny drawbacks to the new technology Molina was working with. 

At the beginning of the 21st century, making movie magic happen was a little bit less advanced than it is today. While that doesn’t mean the special effects in any of the other recent Spider-Man films were bad, it does mean that some of the actors dealt with more challenges on set then than they may have today. Tom Holland witnessed the difference first-hand when working with Alfred Molina on the set of his latest Spidey flick. In a recent episode of Hot Ones, he explaine what the main differences were: 

Apparently, there was just one problem with the new advances in technology. It made it a little bit harder to have a normal conversation while on set. The actor continued:

At least we know Alfred Molina was having a good time, even if it meant Tom Holland wasn’t able to keep track of him. We also know that Molina wasn’t the only returning actor who enjoyed the new technological advancements. We’ll see how it all comes together, and if there are any more surprise appearances in store, when Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 17th.

In no time at all, Spider-Man: No Way Home will open in theaters and see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker square off against a few of the Marvel Comics character’s deadliest enemies. At the center of that group, which features most of the Sinister Six, is Otto Octavius, aka Doctor Octopus, portrayed once again by Alfred Molina. Before you get comfy in your seat at your local theater, you probably want to catch up on the movie’s version of Doc Ock that managed to cross the multiverse of madness into a new adventure.

But you don't have to go back and rewatch the movie to get all caught up with everything that happened with Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2, as we have put together a quick rundown of things to remember about the tortured villain and how things shook out for him the last time he crossed paths with the Web-Slinger…

As you might expect, major Spider-Man 2 spoilers ahead! (If you haven't seen the 2004 movie, it's available streaming on Peacock right now.) 

Otto Octavius Was A Brilliant Scientist And Peter Parker’s Role Model

When we are first introduced to Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2, he is not yet the crazed criminal mastermind that nearly wipes out half of New York City, but instead a charming, caring, and ambitious scientist on the precipice of greatness with a revolutionary fusion technology that could make the world a much better place. Octavius is formally introduced to Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) when Harry Osborn (James Franco) sets up a meeting so Parker can interview him for a paper. Upon their meeting, Octavius says to his young admirer:

In the scenes leading up to Otto Octavius’s ill-fated experiment later on in the movie, he and Peter Parker form a close bond built on their shared worldview and appreciation of science. Similar to what would be done in the 2018 video game Marvel’s Spider-Man, the two become almost father and son before tragedy falls upon them both.

Doc Ock’s Tentacle Arms Were Initially Designed To Assist With A Fusion Experiment

The robotic tentacle arms that would eventually take over Otto Octavius’s personality and body were initially designed as part of a harness and artificial intelligence that would allow the scientist to handle the hazardous materials required for his breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology. When we get our first glimpse at Octavius wearing the arms and harness, he holds with them tritium that is to be taken to the reactor. Amazed and obsessed with his experiment and its potential, Octavius proclaims:

However, not long after Otto Octavius utters that famous line, the experiment fails, and his dreams of providing the world with a cheap and clean energy source are shattered, along with everything he once loved.

Otto Octavius' Wife Dies Amidst The Chaos Of The Failed Experiment

In the midst of the chaos brought on by the failed fusion experiment, Otto Octavius' wife Rosie (Donna Murphy) is killed when the reactor explodes, sending shards of glass, metal and debris through the room. Rosie’s death brings the end of Otto Octavius and brings forth the creation of Doctor Octopus, as the destruction of the reactor fries the inhibitor chip on his harness and allows the machine to take control of the man. Following the death of his wife, Octavius flees to a new hideout and mournfully says:

Almost immediately after that moment, Otto Octavius, under the control of his creation, decides to rebuild the reactor and finish his life’s work, no matter what it takes.

Obsessed With Completing His Experiment, Doc Ock Turned To A Life Of Crime

After losing all grip with reality and all touch with the kind and gentle man he once was, Otto Octavius, now Doctor Octopus, turns to a life of crime to make enough money to buy everything he needs to resume his experiment. In the same speech where he mourns the death of his wife and accepts his new life, Octavius has a conversation with the artificial intelligence that has now taken over his mind, a discussion that ends with him saying:

With his mind set on fulfilling his destiny, Doc Ock makes his debut as the criminal mastermind by robbing a bank, which happens to be the same location Peter Parker and Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) are visiting in hopes of securing a loan. Shortly after, Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus square off once again.

Doc Ock Fought Spider-Man So He Could Hand The Web-Slinger Over To Harry Osborn

Even though Doc Ock’s brazen bank robbery earns him enough money to buy the materials to construct his new reactor, he still lacks the tritium isotope required to start the fusion process. With that in mind, Doc Ock strikes a deal with Harry Osborn, under the condition that the supervillain hand over Spider-Man who he believes is responsible for the death of his father, Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). Following the iconic fight on the subway (which is still just as impressive all these years later), Doc Ock brings Osborn an incapacitated webslinger and asks:

With his reactor complete and nuclear material obtained, there is nothing that can stop Doctor Octopus from achieving his goal and completing his life’s work.

Otto Octavius Sacrificed Himself To Destroy His Fusion Reactor

After a few encounters throughout the movie, Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus cross paths one final time at Doc Ock’s laboratory, where the Web-Slinger tries to convince his former idol to stop his experiment before it causes a meltdown and kills half of the population of New York City. In an attempt to appeal to what little humanity Doc Ock has left in him, Spider-Man removes his mask to reveal he is Peter Parker. The plan miraculously works and Otto Octavius retakes control of his body and destroys his experiment, saying:

Otto Octavius, free of his creation’s control, drowns himself and reactor, preventing both of his creations from bringing harm to anyone ever again.

But even though Otto Octavius died at the end of Spider-Man 2, the character, and Alfred Molina, are back in action in Spider-Man: No Way Home, only this time he's squaring off with a different Peter Parker. Hopefully this gets you all caught up with just one of the villains set to appear in one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies.

Next month, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker will collide with the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home, as Spidey villains from other realities are pulled into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after a spell cast by Doctor Strange to make the world forget that Peter is Spider-Man goes wrong. One of these villains will be Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, who memorably served as the main antagonist in 2004’s Spider-Man 2. But wait, hadn’t Doc Ock turned back to the light when we last saw him nearly two decades ago?

It’s odd that this version of Doctor Octopus is wreaking havoc again, but upon seeing the watching the latest Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, it appears as though the tentacled scientist’s reign of terror is short-lived; he’s only seen fighting Holland’s Peter Parker on that bridge and is later shown calmly talking with the teen superhero and his friends. So why the sudden shift in demeanor? The trailer may already clear up that mystery, but before we delve into that, let’s look back on how things ended for Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2.

Where We Left Off With Doctor Octopus In Spider-Man 2

While Marvel Comics’ version of Otto Octavius wasn’t a stellar individual even before he became bonded to his mechanical appendages, Alfred Molina’s Otto started out as a good man in Spider-Man 2, happily married and working to improve quality of life for humanity with his science. Unfortunately, the accident with his first fusion reactor resulted in the inhibitor chip blocking the arms’ AI from his nervous system being destroyed. As a result, the now-sentient arms started influencing Otto’s behavior, making him unstable and violent.

Things got bad enough that the corrupted Otto Octavius nearly destroyed New York City with his second fusion reactor. Luckily, with the help of Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker, Otto was able to take back control of the tentacles. From there, he sacrificed his life to drown the fusion core before it exploded. So he died a redeemed man, which makes his turn back to villainy in Spider-Man: No Way Home puzzling.

How Doctor Octopus May Go From Bad Guy To Good Guy In Spider-Man: No Way Home

We already know that rather than being resurrected, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus is being snatched from the Raimiverse right before his death. But even taking that into account, if Otto was back to his normal self before dying, why would he have the urge to kill another Spider-Man upon entering the MCU? Well, as some fans noticed when watching the previous Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, Doctor Octopus’ arms are glowing red when he first shows up on that bridge, and as you’ll remember from Spider-Man 2, that color signifies they’re controlling Otto, whereas white signifies he controls the arms. So either Otto is pulled into the MCU before he takes back control of the arms, or the trip to the MCU somehow allows for the arms to start influencing him again.

That would account for Otto Octavius’ erratic behavior, which brings us to the next question: how does Doctor Octopus go from bad guy to good guy? We have may Stark technology to thank for that, because in Spider-Man: No Way Home’s newest trailer, as Doc Ock is laying the beatdown on Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, it looks like some of the Iron Spider suit gets absorbed into the arms, as evidenced by them becoming partly red and gold. It’s possible that this merging of technology leads to the AI control over Otto being overridden, and that, along with him realizing the Spider-Man he’s fighting is not his Spider-Man, is enough to snap him back to normal.

What Does This Mean For The Rest Of Spider-Man: No Way Home?

While we don’t know specifically how Spider-Man: No Way Home’s bridge battle concludes, we get a quick snippet of a later scene in the movie where Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, Zendaya’s MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned are chatting with Otto Octavius inside a prison where Doctor Strange is keeping the multiversal villains contained. We also see there, and in a few other quick shots, the red and gold color scheme is still incorporated into his tentacles, so it can be presumed that Otto will stay in his right mind for most, if not the rest of his time in the movie. We also hear Otto say this to Peter:

Doctor Strange soon clarifies that all the villains who’ve been pulled into the MCU are destined to die fighting Spider-Man, and they need to be sent back to their home universes. These baddies include Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman and Lizard (and perhaps one other individual), but in the brief looks at what’s surely Spider-Man: No Way Home’s climactic battle, Doctor Octopus is nowhere to be seen. We also know that Peter will initially try to change these villains’ fates so that they don’t have to die, but is overpowered by Doctor Strange.

So where does that leave Doctor Octopus? Two scenarios come to mind. The first is that he’ll be sent back to the Raimiverse either before any of the other villains show up, or at the very latest, before the final battle unfolds. Perhaps Peter’s brief clash with Doctor Strange and the now-clear-minded Otto passing along his own wisdom to the teen is enough to convince Peter that he needs to let destiny takes its course, so he willingly lets Otto go back to his reality before dealing with the other villains. The other possibility is that Doctor Octopus is in that final battle aiding Peter, and the trailer just didn’t show him. Although even if that latter option is indeed on the proverbial table, unless Spider-Man: No Way Home throws a major curveball our way and kills Otto during the battle, he’ll still ultimately have to “go home” and sink to his death, so it just becomes a matter of when he makes the return trip.

We’ll witness all that Spider-Man: No Way Home has in store for Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus when the movie spins its web on theaters on December 17. As we count down the remaining weeks to its release, check out our upcoming Marvel movies guide to discover what other silver screen offerings the MCU has coming up.

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full swing, and there are two more highly anticipated blockbuster hitting theaters before the end of the year. Chief among them is Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home, which will be Tom Holland’s whopping sixth appearance in the universe. And Holland recently recalled being terrified of Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock as a kid.

From what we can tell, Spider-Man: No Way Home is going to be a wild crossover event, featuring characters from the previous two franchises. The first trailer featured Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, and it turns out that Holland was pretty scared of the Spider-Man 2 villain as a kid. He spoke to working with Molina on the upcoming threequel, saying:

Talk about a bizarre moment. While Spider-Man fans are about to be treated to some thrilling new character pairings in No Way Home, these upcoming crossover moments were just as wild for those involved in the sequel. That includes Tom Holland, who was just eight years ago when Alfred Molina burst onto the big screen in Spider-Man 2.

Tom Holland’s comments come from Empire Magazine’s exclusive story about Spider-Man: No Way Home (via ComicBook). Alfred Molina let it slip months ago that he was included in the new movie’s cast, which is likely why he was included in the first trailer. But luckily that allows for Tom Holland and company to be honest about at least one villain in Spider-Man 3.

There are countless rumors about what’s in store for Spider-Man: No Way Home, with photoshopped “set photos” only helping to make things more complicated. In many ways the first trailer inspired more questions than it answered, and seems to confirm more than one surprising villain. As a reminder, you can check it out below.

Perhaps the most popular rumor still circulating Spider-Man: No Way Home is that the previous two Peter Parker actors would be reprising their roles for the battle: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfiled. This is a report that’s been denied by folks like Garfield himself, but some fans are holding out hope. Clearly the multiverse is in play, so the possibilities are endless.

Aside from the various Spider-Man: No Way Home rumors, Marvel fans are definitely intrigued by the inclusion of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. It certainly seems like Strange’s spell is going to kick off the events of the threequel, although there’s been some debate about exactly why he would do such a thing. Luckily our questions will be answered shortly as the movie is just a month and change away.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently expected to hit theaters on December 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

As Spider-Man: No Way Home’s December release date approaches, Marvel Studios and Sony are steadily releasing new tidbits from the highly anticipated superhero film. Within the past week, fans have been treated to a number of new stills that show off more of Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock and his face-off with Tom Holland’s web-slinger. Amid all of the fanfare, Holland himself seems to be having a great time with the recent reveals as well. This was clear when he shared a joke about one of the latest photos. 

One of the more recent No Way Home stills (via Empire) shows the wall-crawler stuck in the grip of the multi-limbed, evil scientist. It’s a cool photo, and one that’s sure to stir up memories of the battles from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. Tom Holland seems to appreciate them as well, and the cheeky actor couldn’t help but share some funny thoughts on his performance during that scene. Check out what he posted to his Instagram: 

I mean... I can’t see where CGI would possibly be used in this scene, can you? But in all seriousness, though visual effects are used heavily in this scene, you still have to give the star and his co-stars some credit. It’s not always easy to perform in these kinds of scenes because, in reality, one is acting against elements that aren’t real. I’m sure when we actually see that scene on the big screen, both the Spider-Man actor and his co-star will be acting with everything they’ve got. 

There are a number of reasons to be excited for this movie, and Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius is definitely one of them. The beloved actor’s involvement was first reported last year, and he would subsequently spill the beans (in Mark Ruffalo-esque fashion) during an interview. Despite the leak, viewers were still very excited when he appeared in the first official trailer for the movie. You can check it out down below:

Some may have assumed that if Doc Ock were brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’d be recast with a new actor. However, according to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, Molina was the only choice for the Jon Watts-directed film. Still, Feige couldn’t help but throw a little playful shade at the star for spoiling his long-awaited return.

Following the release of the trailer, Tom Holland, has discussed what it was like to work with the legendary performer. What Holland seemed to love most was seeing his co-star’s reaction to the improvements in technology that have occurred since his original Doc Ock outing in 2004. Back then, those menacing, mechanical arms were created practically but, here, it seems they’ll mostly be computer-animated creations. This may have been an adjustment, but surely the Da Vinci Code actor was able to make the transition.

Based on what’s been teased so far, it would seem that the friendly neighborhood hero is going to face off with a few other returning baddies. And if we know Tom Holland, he likely approached those scenes with his “method acting” as well. 

We’ll see how Peter Parker fares in the multiverse-infused battle when Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, and there are a pair of highly anticipated movies hitting theaters before the New Year. The latter of these is Spider-Man: No Way Home, which will see the return of villains from previous franchises. And Kevin Feige recently opened up about choosing to bring back Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock for the threequel. 

There are countless theories and rumors about what Spider-Man: No Way Home will contain, and the first viral trailer only created more. The footage ended with the first look at Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, teasing the multiverse is very much in play. Kevin Feige spoke about the decision to bring back the beloved Spider-Man 2 antagonist, saying:

Well, he’s not wrong. Alfred Molina made for an outstanding Doc Ock throughout the course of Spider-Man 2’s runtime. And rather than trying to find another actor to play the villain in No Way Home, Kevin Feige wanted to bring back the OG live-action version of Otto Octavius. We’ll just have to wait and see what his mysterious role in Tom Holland’s threequel ends up being.

Kevin Feige’ comments to Empire help to peel back the curtain on what it’s like producing a massive Marvel blockbuster like Spider-Man: No Way Home. The limited footage and information about the project have certainly made it look like one of the MCU’s most ambitious solo movies. And Doc Ock’s inclusion is only part of what makes Jon Watts’ mysterious threequel such a massive undertaking.

It looks like Kevin Feige has been planning and hoping to see Alfred Molina join the MCU as Doc Ock for a number of years now. Marvel Studios’ unique relationship with Sony over Spider-Man and its characters definitely complicated this situation, but clearly the two studios were able to collaborate to bring the new movie to life. Only time will tell which of the countless rumors about Spider-Man: No Way Home actually come to fruition.

Perhaps the most popular theory about Spider-Man: No Way Home is that Tom Holland will be joined by the previous two Peter Parker actors: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Both Hollandand Garfield have denied these reports, but Marvel fans won’t be convinced until the movie finally hits theaters this holiday season.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The most anticipated Marvel Cinematic universe movie of the year, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is only a couple of months away. The next entry into the Tom Holland Spider-Man run of movies is poised to be one of the biggest and most exciting MCU movies to date. Fans are hyped to see Alfred Molina return as Doctor Otto Octavius and see how Holland’s Peter Parker will deal with Doc Ock and the multiversal madness at the core of the movie. And Holland has recently commented on what it was like working with Molina.

Spider-Man: No Way Home will seemingly be packed with characters from previous Spider-Man movies, and none may be more significant than Alfred Molina’s iconic portrayal of Doctor Octopus. Tom Holland has recently talked about the next Spider-Man film and how things have changed for his Peter Parker and the new obstacles he has to face in the movie, including facing off against Doc Ock.  While opening up about Spider-Man: No Way Home to Entertainment Weekly, Holland remarked about working with Alfred Molina, saying of the renowned actor:

Alfred Molina played Doc Ock in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, which came out back in 2004. Since then technology has improved, and Tom Holland recognized how Molina was getting to see how far things have advanced since then. The special effects and visuals in Spider-Man 2 still hold up, and Doctor Octopus and his many arms were puppets but looked incredible due to the vision of a great director like Sam Raimi. 

Sam Raimi has recently reacted to Alfred Molina returning as Doctor Octopus in the Spider-Man: Now Way Home trailer, saying it was “beautiful.” Raimi is also returning to direct Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and he jumped at the chance after feeling he underwhelmed with Spider-Man 3. No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2 will almost certainly be heavily connected, and it will be interesting to see how the two movies borrow from one another. 

Tom Holland has gone above and beyond as Spider-Man, according to his co-star Zendaya, embodying everything you want from someone who is playing a superhero. His run as Spider-Man has been one of the best things to come out of the MCU, and hopefully, we get a few more movies before his time as Peter Parker comes to an end. According to Holland, No Way Home is being treated like the end of the franchise, but the door for more Spider-Man isn’t completely closed after the film.  

Spider-Man: No Way Home is rumored and all but confirmed to be bringing back Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s respective Spider-Men for an appearance and could be setting up a conflict with the Sinister Six. No Way Home arrives in December, and the hype will continue to grow with each coming week. 

Two years after Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was pitted against Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Spider-Man 2 saw the title Web-Slinger battle Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus. For years, we understandably assumed that this version of the supervillain’s story had been told in its entirety, but this winter, Spider-Man: No Way Home is bringing Molina’s Doc Ock back into play. The character showed up at the end of the first No Way Home trailer, and Sam Raimi, who directed the original Spider-Man trilogy, has reacted on Ock’s big return.

Sam Raimi is currently busy in a different corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having been hired to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness following Scott Derrickson’s exit from the position. But while speaking with SYFY Wire about Netflix’s Nightbooks, which he produced, Raimi shared how glad he is to see Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus back in action nearly two decades after Spider-Man 2’s release. In Raimi’s words:

While Sam Raimi currently holds the keys to the Doctor Strange kingdom in the MCU, like the rest of us, he’ll be enjoying Spider-Man: No Way Home simply as a viewer. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been informed about some details being kept from the general public given that both No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness involve other realities. More importantly, Benedict Cumberbatch is reprising Strange in the next Spider-Man movie, with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker asking the sorcerer to magically make the public forget he’s Spidey, only for something to go wrong with the spell, resulting in the multiverse being opened up.

Still, it must be nice for Sam Raimi to see someone he cast back in the early 2000s also jump back into the Marvel world. The filmmaker selected Alfred Molina to play Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 after being impressed by his performance in Frida and feeling the actor was the right size to play the character. Molina’s turn as Doc Ock was among Spider-Man 2’s many praised elements upon hitting theaters on June 30, 2004.

Back in April, four months after it was first reported that Alfred Molina would reprise Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the actor confirmed his involvement in the threequel and revealed that he’ll be digitally de-aged to look the same way he did during Spider-Man 2’s shoot. So far the only other villain from elsewhere in the Marvel multiverse who’s officially confirmed to appear in No Way Home is Jamie Foxx’s Electro, who first appeared in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, the presence of a familiar pumpkin bomb in the No Way Home trailer indicates that we’ll also reunite with Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, so no doubt Sam Raimi will be pleased with that too.

The full Spider-Man: No Way Home Picture will be revealed when the movie arrives on December 17, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will follow on March 25, 2022. Our upcoming Marvel movies guide is available to those of you curious about what else this superhero franchise is sending to theaters.

Last December, two months after it was revealed that Jamie Foxx’s Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would return for what we now know as Spider-Man: No Way Home, it was revealed that Alfred Molina would join the fun as Doctor Octopus. Cut to earlier this week, Molina popped up at the end of the first No Way Home trailer, greeting Peter Parker with a rather sinister tone. Now some fans online have noticed a cool detail from the new preview that would explain why this version of Doc Ock is back to being a villain.

For those who need a refresher on 2004’s Spider-Man 2, Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius used an inhibitor chip to prevent his mechanical arms from taking over his nervous system, but after the chip was destroyed during Octavius’ first failed attempt to power his fusion reactor, the arms’ artificial intelligence forced him to behave more aggressively and irrationally. When the arms were in control of Doc Ock, they glowed red, and when he was able to regain control of himself, they glowed white. Well, take a look at what Twitter user @methnpizza noticed in the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer:

Yep, Doctor Octopus’ arms are now glowing red again, which means their AI has taken control of him yet again. So for those of you wondering why Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius would return to his villainous ways in Spider-Man: No Way Home after he redeemed himself at the end of Spider-Man 2, now we have a good answer for that, albeit one that’s not officially confirmed. Of course, there’s still the question of timing that needs to be addressed.

Alfred Molina learned from Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jonathan Watts that Doctor Octopus’ story in the upcoming movie will continue from “that moment” in the river, resulting in the actor being digitally de-aged to look like he did in 2004. But when exactly are we talking? Is Doctor Octopus being snatched from when sinking to his death after drowning his second fusion core, or will be taken from right before he knocked back into his senses? Or maybe this is a Loki-type situation, where this isn’t truly the main Doc Ock in No Way Home, but instead a variant, thus preserving the events of Spider-Man 2 and allowing a different version of the character to leave his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Regardless, Doctor Octopus is just one of the many villains from the Marvel multiverse who will be causing trouble in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Along with Jamie Foxx’s Electro being teased through some lightning strikes (that were yellow, not blue), a detonating pumpkin bomb confirmed we’ll be seeing Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. Some fans even believe they caught peeks at Lizard and Sandman, which would make for five Spidey baddies total. If that’s the case, then there’s a good chance that there’s a sixth slot that needs to be filled, thus giving us the first cinematic Sinister Six.

All this multiverses craziness seems to stem from something going wrong with a spell Doctor Strange casts to make the world forget that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are the same person, but we’ll learn the full story when Spider-Man: No Way Home comes out on December 17. Keep track of what else the MCU is sending to theaters with our upcoming Marvel movies guide.

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With Black Widow in the rearview, the MCU has officially returned to theaters for Phase Four. Three new releases will be arriving in theaters over the next few months, including Spider-Man: No Way Home in December. There are countless fan theories circulating the internet about the project, the most popular being that previous Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would be appearing alongside Tom Holland. And some insane No Way Home fan art sees Doc Ock unmasking all three Peter Parkers.

The multiverse theories surrounding Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home came at least partly due to Alfred Molina confirming he’d be reprising his role as Doc Ock from Sam Raimi’s 2004 hit Spider-Man 2. Given that information, some epic fan art has imagined him victorious over the three Peter Parkers in the mysterious threequel. Check it out below.

I mean, how cool is that? While it’s unclear if we’ll ever get to see this awesome moment on the big screen with Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s fun to imagine this showdown coming to life. We’ll just have to patiently wait for any information about the upcoming threequel, especially the long-awaited trailer.

The above image comes to us from the Instagram of a visual artist by the name of Cesar. They’ve got an interest in comic book movies, often creating stunning renderings of fan theories or casting rumors. And as a result, the page has an impressive 124k followers at the time of writing. There’s some awesome details included in this fan arrt for Spider-Man: No Way Home, let’s break down what we’re being shown here.

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In the image we see Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock looking identical to his appearance in Spider-Man 2. His tentacles carry three Spider-Man masks, and you can see the subtle differences between the suits worn by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland. The setting is also within The Sanctum Sanctorum, as Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will play a role in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

For their part, both Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield have denied the rumors about all three Spider-Man actors teaming up in Far From Home. But that hasn’t stopped those theories from circulating online, as the fans continue to wait for the movie’s first footage. It’s unclear when that might arrive, but the trailer seems inevitable with the upcoming Spider-Man threequel set to arrive in theaters in just a few months.

Spider-Man: No Way Home will hit theaters on December 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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Monstropolis is back! Monsters at Work, the highly anticipated sequel to Monsters, Inc. has hit Disney+ with a bunch of our old favorites, as well as some new monster faces! While sadly this world doesn't include Boo from the original movie, longtime BFFs Mike Wazowski and Sully are, of course, back, voiced as always by Billy Crystal and John Goodman, respectively. The series also introduces us to Tylor Tuskmon, voiced by Ben Feldman, a new employee at Monsters, Inc. Old or new, the entire Monsters at Work voice cast boast impressive resumes, which isn't surprising for a Pixar project.

While Monsters University served as a prequel to the beloved (by most) 2001 movie, Monsters at Work is a true sequel, with the Monsters, Inc. company making a huge switch from scaring to laughing. Recent Monsters U graduate Tylor Tuskmon was at the top of his class as a Scarer and is shocked by the company's new direction when he shows up for his first day of work. Tylor had dreamed of working with his idol, Sulley, but instead he's assigned to be a mechanic with MIFT, the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team. So who's new and who's back in the world of Monsters Inc.? Let's take a look at the voices behind the monsters of Monsters at Work.

Ben Feldman (Tylor Tuskmon)

Leading the cast of new characters in Monsters at Work is Ben Feldman as recent Scare major Tylor Tuskmon, who arrives at Monsters, Inc. just as the company shifts from scaring to laughing. Feldman is fresh off a longtime gig as Jonah Simms on Superstore and is also known for his recurring roles on AMC's Mad Men, Drop Dead Diva and Silicon Valley. He was also the voice of Chris and others on Big Hero 6: The Series.

Mindy Kaling (Val Little)

Val Little is Tylor's best friend, voiced by the beloved Mindy Kaling. Kaling came into fame as Kelly Kapoor on The Office and has since starred in her own TV series, The Mindy Project, co-created Netflix's quirky teen drama Never Have I Ever and is writing the script for Legally Blonde 3. Her voice roles include Disgust in Inside Out and Taffyta Muttonfudge in Wreck-It Ralph.

Billy Crystal (Mike Wazowski)

Billy Crystal returns as Monster, Inc. star Mike Wazowski, who finds himself in a new position of power in Monsters at Work. Crystal is Hollywood royalty, not only starring in iconic roles like Mitch in City Slickers, NBA referee Mickey in Forget Paris and the lead in When Harry Met Sally with Meg Ryan, but also honoring his peers as a nine-time Academy Awards host.

John Goodman (Sulley)

The Scarer that started it all, Sulley, is back for Monsters at Work, voiced as always by John Goodman. Goodman is known on the screen for his iconic role as Dan Conner on Roseanne and The Conners. He took over the presidency as a guest star on The West Wing, but he did not roll on Shabbos as Walter in The Big Lebowski. Goodman has done quite a bit of voice work as well, including films like The Emperor's New Groove, The Jungle Book 2, Bee Movie and The Princess and the Frog.

Henry Winkler (Fritz)

Henry Winkler plays Fritz, Tylor's boss. Winkler, classically known as The Fonz from Happy Days, has lent his voice as Mall Santa on an episode of Bob's Burgers, as well as on shows like DuckTales, Bubble Guppies and Bojack Horseman. Outside of the animated world, Winkler is known for his award-winning portrayal of Gene Cousineau in Barry and as the hilariously inept family lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn on Arrested Development.

Lucas Neff (Duncan)

Lucas Neff, likely best known as Jimmy Chance from Raising Hope, will provide the voice for the four-eyed monster Duncan, assistant supervisor at MIFT. He also starred as Caleb on the CBS sitcom Carol's Second Act and as David Poland in the Lifetime series American Princess. As for voice acting, you may recognize Neff as Noodle Burger Boy from Big Hero 6: The Series.

Alanna Ubach (Cutter)

The crab-like monster Cutter is a MIFT mechanic voiced by Alanna Ubach. You might know Ubach best as Serena in Legally Blonde, or Jo from Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, but along with her work in movies like The Brady Bunch Movie, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and Waiting, Ubach has been lending her voice to roles for a long time. From Puppy Dog Pals and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, to Academy Award-winning films like Rango and Coco.

Bonnie Hunt (Ms. Flint)

Bonnie Hunt is back as Ms. Flint, who is now in charge of training Jokesters, as Monsters, Inc. changes its tone from scary to funny. Hunt is known for movies including Jerry Maguire, Beethoven and Jumanji opposite Robin Williams, to name a few, but is also a long-time member of the Pixar world, voicing Sally and Dolly in the Cars and Toy Story franchises, respectively, as well as Rosie in A Bug's Life and Bonnie Hopps in Zootopia.

Jennifer Tilly (Celia)

Some of her resume isn't super family friendly, like the Child's Play franchise and Jim Carrey's Liar, Liar, but that's okay with us, as Jennifer Tilly is a mainstay in the Monsters, Inc. universe as Mike's devoted girlfriend Celia, who is the new Laugh Floor Supervisor. Tilly's distinctive voice can also be found on Family Guy, where she plays Bonnie Swanson, and on guest spots in Hey Arnold! and The Simpsons.

Bob Peterson (Roze/Roz)

Bob Peterson, who voices the grumpy slug-like twins Roze and Roz in Monsters at Work, has worked at Pixar since 1994. From making us cry as co-director of Up (as well as the voice of Dug), to co-writing Finding Nemo and Cars 3 to being an animator on Toy Story, Peterson has done it all and also usually provides additional voices to the projects.

Aisha Tyler (Millie Tuskmon)

As Monsters at Work introduces our new hero Tylor Tuskmon, we also get his mother, Millie, voiced by Aisha Tyler. Tyler's voice acting is iconic in the adult animation world for her role as Lana Kane on Archer, as well as Sextina Aquafina on Bojack Horseman. Outside of animation, she is currently the host of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and is also known for her roles as Tara Lewis on Criminal Minds and Charlie on Friends.

Stephen Stanton (Needleman and Smitty)

Two returning characters who will see a new voice are Needleman and Smitty. Stephen Stanton is inheriting the voice roles of the custodial duo from Daniel Gerson, who died in 2016. Stanton can also currently be found voicing Admiral Tarkin on Star Wars: The Bad Batch. The prominent voice actor has also been multiple characters in Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, Sleepy in Disney's Snow White-inspired series The 7D, and Fred Dukes and Blob in Wolverine and the X-Men. He's done voice work for Archer, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Parks and Recreation.

Alfred Molina (Professor Knight)

Alfred Molina is back as Professor Knight, the Scaring professor from the Monsters, Inc. prequel, Monsters University. A renowned actor in the theater as well as film and television, Molina's resume includes movies such as Rango, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II. He'll reprise the character of Doctor Octopus in the upcoming film Spider-Man: No Way Home. His TV voice credits include Gravity Falls, Infinity Train, Harley Quinn, Solar Opposites, Rick and Morty... The list goes on and on.

Curtis Armstrong (Mr. Crummyham)

Mr. Crummyham is voiced by Curtis Armstrong, well-known as Booger from the Revenge of the Nerds movies. He's more recently been seen as Megatron on Supernatural and heard as Ezekiel the Cockroach on Doom Patrol. Armstrong's voice work also includes a recurring role on American Dad! and guest spots on The Loud House and Tangled: The Series.

John Ratzenberger (Yeti)

The intimidating but friendly Yeti from Monsters, Inc. returns, voiced by the most famous voice at Pixar. John Ratzenberger's claim to fame used to be Cliff from Cheers, but for this generation, Ratzenberger is Hamm from Toy Story, Underminer in The Incredibles, Juan Ortodoncia in Coco, Mack from Cars, Mustafa in Ratatouille, P.T. Flea in A Bug's Life, and just so many more, including a special cameo in Soul.

Gabriel Iglesias (Gary)

Comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias is back as Mike Wazowski's nemesis Gary. Iglesias was a contestant on Last Comic Standing, and now has his own Netflix comedy Mr. Iglesias. He is known for numerous voice roles including on UglyDolls, Coco and The Nut Job. The Magic Mike actor also will be featured in the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy.

With such high-quality voice actors, who include some of film and televisions true legends, it's so exciting to have more stories coming out of Monstropolis. It's been eight years since Monsters University, so fans are definitely ready for more. And who knows? The characters are so beloved that more series and sequels are always a possibility! The first two episodes of the 10-episode season of Monsters at Work are streaming now on Disney+, with new episodes coming every Wednesday. Check out our full list of upcoming Disney movies, and stay up to date with what to watch with our 2021 Summer TV schedule.

Most actors appearing in Marvel Studios properties know the deal when it comes to spoilers. Details for movies that are on the horizon are to be kept hidden in a vault, and if you let key spoilers slip (we’re looking at you, Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo), you will be teased for it mercilessly by fans and fellow MCU colleagues from now until the end of time. But one man takes this all very seriously, and that’s why Marvel fans love him so much. Which explains why, when Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spoke of Alfred Molina’s spoiler spill for the first time on a red carpet, he looked disappointed, disheartened, and truly pained.

Alfred Molina once played Dr. Otto Octavius in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. It is being rumored that Doc Ock will return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Molina kind of spilled the beans in an interview for an unrelated project. Kevin Feige was asked about this while attending the red carpet for Black Widow, and he told ET:

Alfred Molina’s comments happened back in April, while he was promoting a totally different film. When asked about his return as Doctor Octopus, Molina called himself “the worst kept secret in Hollywood,” and went on to elaborate about how it felt to return to a part that he hasn’t played in 17 years. Molina said:

How is Alfred Molina’s villain expected to return? Well, if the rumors turn out to be true, Molina and Jamie Foxx will be introduced to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man timeline through the Multiverse. It will be established that they are part of previous worlds that featured Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, respectively. But Spider-Man: No Way Home could end up being a live-action SpiderVerse film, if this all pans out.

You have to watch Kevin Feige’s reaction as he answers the question. Click here to see the video. And then brace for a Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, which has to be arriving some time soon. Right? I mean, Shang-Chi just dropped a second trailer, and Spidey’s sequel arrives in December. What’s the hold up? Show us that beautiful footage!

Sony and Marvel’s upcoming superhero blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home is going to deliver a number of crazy surprises, some of them we can predict, and others we’re still left to speculate on. One of the predictable ones, sadly, is the return of Spider-Man 2 star Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock. I say “sadly” because his presence in the MCU sequel would have been an amazing reveal if the studios had somehow been able to keep it secret. That’s impossible these days, so at least we can start imagining how Otto will change and evolve from the last time that we saw him -- allegedly dying, but maybe not so much -- at the end of Spider-Man 2.

This fan-made art from Venomhology imagines an updated Otto Octavius that deviates from the look we saw in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. And I really hope that Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home takes advantage of that, because Doc Ock has shown multiple looks over the course of his decades-spanning career. Glasses are an essential part of any Octopus, and I love the way that Tom Holland’s Spidey is mirrored in the lenses of this drawing. The shattered Spidey eye lens is a nice touch.

After that, though, this version of Otto Octavius looks like he’s been locked away somewhere, slowly going insane. The beard and long hair suggest a villain who has become obsessed with defeating his adversary. That smile is a sinister indication that Otto has the upperhand on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. And why wouldn’t he? MCU Peter Parker has never seen Doctor Octopus in action, so you can understand why he’d be caught completely off guard by the arrival of a tentacled menace.

How, exactly, is this going to be possible, while we’re on that subject? Well, from what we have been able to piece together, Spider-Man: No Way Home is expected to explore the concept of the multiverse, which was mentioned briefly in Spider-Man: Far From Home to explain where Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) came from… even though it eventually was revealed that Mysterio was lying the whole time.

If and when the multiverse is opened, villains from previous Spider-Man franchises (the ones directed by Sam Raimi and Marc Webb) are rumored to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Alfred Molina and Electro actor Jamie Foxx confirmed to appear in the Spider-Man sequel. The rumors that are swirling around Spider-Man: No Way Home also suggest that original Spider men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will reprise their versions of the webslinging hero, even though Garfield vehemently denied that rumor earlier this week.

Who do you believe? A lot of this can be cleared up with a trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, though we likely are a long way off from that. It’s possible that Marvel will attach the trailer to Black Widow when that movie drops on July 9, though that’s also a prime slot for the first Eternals trailer. Right now, Spider-Man: No Way Home lands in theaters on Dec. 17, and we can’t wait to unwrap all of the surprises that Marvel and Sony have up their webbed sleeve.

Alfred Molina will return as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and if that weren't interesting enough, the actor recently dropped an even bigger bombshell that I'm sure Marvel wished he hadn't. Molina revealed that the Doc Ock seen in the upcoming Sony film isn't just similar to the one featured in 2004's Spider-Man 2, it's going to be the exact same one.

Part of me is really excited about this because it gives more weight to the theories that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will appear in the upcoming film as their respective versions of Spider-Man. But part of me is also worried. If what Alfred Molina has said about his character in Spider-Man: No Way Home is true, then what exactly does it mean for the character's arc in Spider-Man 2?

How Alfred Molina's Doc Ock Will Enter Spider-Man: No Way Home

It's shocking enough that Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus will be the exact same one from Spider-Man 2, but the moment he is plucked from is downright unbelievable. According to the actor, the villain will be plucked from the exact moment in which the character allegedly sank to his death after stopping his fusion reactor from destroying New York City. Director Jon Watts told Molina that "no one really dies," which means, in this upcoming movie, he survived that moment.

From what will happen from that point on, we have absolutely no idea, and I'm sure Sony and Marvel won't allow Alfred Molina to further spill secrets after these latest comments. With that said, the mind can't help but reel from the possible implications this would have on his character arc in Spider-Man 2. Doctor Octavius had some less than desirable moments in the Sam Raimi epic, but he ultimately redeemed himself when he sacrificed his life in order to prevent a cataclysmic disaster.

That redemption arc may seemingly be destroyed in Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which Alfred Molina revealed that his action scenes weren't much of a problem in the new movie, as all he had to do was glare and let the tentacles do all the work. So we know the tentacles still work and that Doc Ock will fight, but why?

Would A Villanous Doc Ock Tarnish The Character's Spider-Man 2 Arc?

Before I get into this, I should note that we don't know how Doctor Octopus will react following his rescue from his universe. In the original Spider-Man 2, it was believed that Doctor Octavius died a redeemed man. So if he is rescued in the eleventh hour once out of sight and is in Spider-Man: No Way Home as a villain, is that redemption still valid?

Well, one may think that the answer is 'no' because of diverging timelines. This unique Marvel mechanic introduced in Avengers: Endgame allowed for scenarios in which characters could be taken out of timelines without necessarily altering the original timeline they were a part of. It accounted for characters we knew were in a specific place and time in the MCU, but what does it do for the ones we had no clue about?

The implication is that Doc Ock died at the end of Spider-Man 2, and I'm assuming his body was never recovered from the watery depths. With that said, there's a very real possibility that the villain was scooped from the exact moment viewers saw in Spider-Man 2, and no one noticed because he was presumed dead.

So if it's the exact same Doc Ock and he turns back into an evil villain, what the hell? It kind of messes up a key plot for one of the greatest Spider-Man movies of all time and could retroactively change how a lot of people feel about Spider-Man 2 in the future. Usually I'd like to say that's of little consequence to me, but as I've thought about it, I realize it could very well alter how I feel about Spider-Man 2 as well.

If the legacy of Spider-Man 2 is on the line going into Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's safe to say my expectations have risen significantly. I'd expect Doc Ock's appearance both to acknowledge the previous events of Spider-Man 2, but also present more to the story that enhances or expands on the tale. I'd also like this to be a diverging timeline to preserve the original film, but with the present information and Tom Holland's insistence Tobey Maguire won't be in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's completely possible the villain was swiped from under the sea when we weren't watching, and we missed it.

Will It All Be Worth It If Spider-Man: No Way Home Pulls This Off?

There's obviously a scenario where Spider-Man: No Way Home takes Doctor Octopus out of Spider-Man 2 and somehow enhances what is already a perfect superhero movie. At the very least, it could renew interest in the Sam Raimi trilogy for a new generation and remind the world of an era in which we weren't spoiled with a handful of superhero blockbusters a year.

I'm not necessarily doubting that Kevin Feige and Sony can integrate the older Spider-Man movies into its current saga and make it work, but I think we should all acknowledge there's a lot at risk if they screw it up. The Doc Ock that comes into Spider-Man: No Way Home shouldn't whiplash back into a villain without explanation or reason. Hey, he could even be a hero this go-around.

So while I am still very worried about how Spider-Man: No Way Home could impact the legacy of characters like Doc Ock or even the past Spider-Man movies, I'm not so shaken up about the information that I'm going to demand this movie not be made or change course immediately. Not that doing so would matter anyway; this movie is made, and, for better or worse, it sounds like it's going to change the world of Spider-Man in a big way.

Spider-Man: No Way Home will be in theaters on Friday, December 17. Readers should be warned there are a ton of rumors floating around about the upcoming movie. However, if you're into that sort of thing, then maybe check out this latest rumor about a beloved MCU character set to return in the upcoming adventure.

Following in the footsteps of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the next entry of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man film series, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is pulling in the multiverse. It was announced last year that Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina will reprise their roles of Electro and Doctor Octopus, respectively; villains from previous Spider-Man film series. Now it’s been clarified that where Doc Ock is concerned, this is indeed the same version of the character we previously saw in 2004’s Spider-Man 2.

Alfred Molina confirmed his involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home during an interview with Variety. Molina also noted that when he spoke with director Jon Watts, the filmmaker told him that Doc Ock’s story will continue from “that moment” in the river, i.e. when it looked like Ock was sinking to his death after stopping his fusion reactor from destroying New York City. When Molina pointed out that his character was supposed to have died in Spider-Man 2, Watts simply said, “In this universe, no one really dies.” Molina also said the following about how it feels to play Doctor Octopus again after all these years:

Of course, it’s not like Spider-Man 2 came out just a few years ago or even during the early 2010s. Alfred Molina’s first Doctor Octopus outing happened 17 years ago, and Molina asked Jon Watts how they would deal with the fact that he looks noticeably older compared to when he was in Spider-Man 2. Watts simply noted how actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson have been digitally de-aged in prior MCU movies, so the same technology will be utilized for Molina. The actor also amusingly noted that since “the tentacles do all the work,” his changed physicality wouldn’t be as much of an issue for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Now that we know that the Doctor Octopus appearing in Spider-Man: Far From Home is the same one from Spider-Man 2, it’d be reasonable to infer that Jamie Foxx will be playing the same Electro from 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Granted, that’s not confirmed yet, but even if it is, don’t expect him to look just like he did last time. Foxx already let slip that in No Way Home, his version of Electro won’t be blue. It’s also been rumored that Willem Dafoe will show up as Green Goblin, the first Spider-Man villain we ever watched unleash havoc in a cinematic setting.

Between all these villains, plus Doctor Strange showing up and even Charlie Cox rumored to be appearing as Matt Murdock, there’s a lot being packed into Spider-Man: No Way Home. Oh, and let’s not forget that Spider-Man: Far From Home ended with Peter Parker not only being framed for Mysterio’s death and the Elemental attack on London, but having his secret identity revealed to the world. So needless to say there’ll be a lot on Peter’s plate in the threequel, but even with all this information, no official No Way Home plot details have been revealed yet.

But if Spider-Man villains from past film series are appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, what about Spider-Men from other universes, i.e. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s incarnations of Peter Parker? Well, it had indeed been rumored that the MCU’s Peter will team up with his older counterparts, but back in February, Tom Holland said the other Spider-Man actors will not appear in No Way Home. That being said, many fans suspect this is just a proverbial smokescreen, and Maguire and Garfield’s Spider-Men do somehow factor into the plot. If that’s officially confirmed, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know.

What is certain is that Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently slated to swing into theaters on December 17, 2021. As for what else the MCU has primed for theatrical release, you can find that information in our upcoming Marvel movies guide.

For a movie that’s due to land in theaters in less than a year, there’s still an ocean of uncertainty regarding Jon Watts’ upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. Filming on the third Tom Holland Spider-Man film recently wrapped in Atlanta, and the shoot certainly has been plagued by an ample amount of Spider-Man 3 rumors, which the production chose not to address and the Internet chose to fan until the fires of speculation raged.

Marvel Studios fans tend to do this. Do you remember the staggering number of rumors that swirled around WandaVision as that television series approached its season finale? Mephisto was supposed to show up, the multiverse was supposed to be explored, and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was rumored to save Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) from the mess she had created. None of these came true. So, we take Spider-Man 3 rumors with a grain of salt, and figured it was time to dive into each juicy story we’ve heard regarding Spider-Man: No Way Home and decide whether it sounds real… or really phony.

Rumor: Tobey Maguire And Andrew Garfield Show Up

We have to start with the Mack Daddy Rumor of them all, which is that original Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are expected to reprise their roles and join current Spider-Man Tom Holland in what amounts to a live-action Spider-Verse movie. Both actors have been finished with the Spider-Man franchise for some time now, and Garfield actually left on semi-bad terms, with Sony pulling the plug on his series in favor of turning the character over to Marvel Studios. When it comes to Spider-Man 3 rumors, none are quite as big, or as beloved, as this one.

Status:

Possible, but not quite in the way that fans hope. There has been little to no credible evidence suggesting that Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The hints that fans online have used to prove this rumor include a DoorDash driver who claims he served “that guy” who played Spider-Man, and social media posts from Garfield’s former stuntman. If Sony really got the original Spider-Man actors back, I think they’d be screaming it from the rooftops. The reveal is too massive to keep hidden until opening day. What I imagine is that we may see a cameo of the actors hinting at a team up down the road, but I don’t think we’ll get full-on action scenes with Holland, Garfield and Maguire fighting side-by-side.

Rumor: Peter Parker Is On The Run In The Movie

Seeing as how Spider-Man’s true identity was revealed by Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) at the very end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, this sequel has to pick up that plot thread and see it through. The rumor is that Spider-Man will essentially be in hiding as Spider-Man: No Way Home begins (and plays out), and the title of the movie suggests this is true. The last thing he’d want to do is endanger Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and Peter Parker’s friends.

Status:

This feels solid. The “secret identity” reveal is such a bombshell, we can’t see Spider-Man: No Way Home ignoring it. Set photos from Atlanta have even suggested that society is choosing sides in the conversation, teaming up with Mysterio and/or supporting Spidey in the controversy. It feels like Spider-Man: No Way Home will have to address the aftermath of this happening right after Peter’s summer trip, but set photos also suggest that Spider-Man: No Way Home occurs around Christmastime, so there will be a time gap that will have to be accounted for. Is Spidey missing that whole time?

Rumor: Jake Gyllenhaal Returns As Mysterio

When last we saw Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), the master of illusion appeared to be dying at the feet of Spider-Man (Tom Holland), having failed to fool the hero one last time. Beck, after being shot by his own drones, issued a fateful warning about people being willing to “believe” anything. The villain said he had contingency plans. Do you really believe him to be dead?

Status:

I believe this one, though I’m putting a caveat on the term “returns.” As you will see when you continue reading, Spider-Man: No Way Home already is a stuffed affair. And we have seen more than a few Spider-Man sequels struggle under the weight of having too many villains. So while I think it’s extremely possible that we will see some indication that Mysterio survived that confrontation in London -- especially with the presence of these “Mysterio Spoke Truth” flyers spotted around Atlanta -- I’m not sure Gyllenhaal ever went to set and filmed original scenes for Spider-Man 3.

Rumor: Alfred Molina Returns As Doctor Octopus

The Hollywood Reporter shook up the Spider-Man 3 rumor game when they reported that Spider-Man 2 star Alfred Molina was joining the cast of Spider-Man: No Way Home as Dr. Otto Octavius. Naturally, this caused confusion, as Octavius was the villain in Tobey Maguire’s second Spider-Man movie, so how is he able to be part of Tom Holland’s Spidey films?

Status:

Very credible, and I say this because of the reports in a major trade. This isn’t a movie blog. It’s The Hollywood Reporter, and the trades most often are fed news items by the studios themselves when they want to get major rumors confirmed. Now, the studio going radio silent on the Alfred Molina casting is suspicious. Perhaps we’ll see a glimpse of his Doc Ock in the first Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer? But given the fact that reliable outlets comfortably reported this, I’m betting good money on it.

Rumor: Willem Dafoe Also Returns As The Green Goblin

The Spider-Man franchise never seemed fazed by the fact that Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) was killed by his own Goblin Glider in the closing minutes of Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man. Dafoe returned for all three Raimi films, so the rumor that he’d revive The Green Goblin for this upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home has Raimi fans salivating.

Status:

I’m calling this one unlikely. No legit source ever confirmed Willem Dafoe as being part of the Spider-Man: No Way Home casting call, and his Green Goblin was attached to a flurry of villain names (like Thomas Hayden Church’s Sandman and Dane DeHaan’s Goblin) that sprung from a 4chan rumor thread that was wrong about WandaVision. Since the source was wrong, this rumor feels wrong, so I wouldn’t count on Dafoe getting back into the Green Goblin armor.

Rumor: Jamie Foxx Plays Electro Again

Part of the idea of Spider-Man: No Way Home being a massive multiverse movie -- with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- is that the sequel also will pull villains from those existing Sony Spider-Man movies. It’s an extremely ambitious fan theory, and one of the seemingly credible reports state that Jamie Foxx, who played Electro in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, will revive the villain for this crossover event.

Status:

This seems very likely, particularly because Jamie Foxx addressed the rumor shortly after it started making the rounds, and commented specifically that this time, his version of the character wouldn’t be all blue. The comments were removed from Foxx’s Instagram, though not before quick fans screengrabbed it for posterity. Because we can confirm one Raimi villain and one Webb villain, I’m betting on the fact that Doctor Strange will show MCU Spidey the multiverse, and we’ll get a shot of Doc Ock and Electro fighting their different Spider-Men, teasing a team up that will happen in a different movie.

Rumor: Charlie Cox Will Play Daredevil In This Movie

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and his costumed alter ego, Daredevil, were part of Netflix’s Marvel universe, and NOT part of the MCU. But that hasn’t stopped some fans from speculating online that Murdock will appear in Spider- Man: No Way Home, possibly as an attorney defending Spider-Man in court for the murder of Mysterio, for which he has been accused.

Status:

This isn’t happening. There’s so much heavy lifting that would have to happen behind the scenes to make Matt Murdock fit into the MCU. The Netflix world always has been separate from what was happening in the MCU. There’s so much going on in Spider-Man: No Way Home as it is. Do you really think we’re going to detour into a legal drama, and have Charlie Cox play Murdock but not play Daredevil opposite Tom Holland’s Spider-Man? Personally, I’m not buying it.

Rumor: Spider-Man: No Way Home Will Introduce The MultiVerse

Keep in mind that this one now circulates because WandaVision did not fully introduce the concept of the Multiverse, as fans thought would happen. As it turns out, Evan Peters playing Quicksilver was more of a joke (people are still mad about that), so now Spider-Man: No Way Home is being looked at as the MCU movie that will open the door even further on the multiverse concept.

Status:

Probable. The idea of the multiverse has been around in the MCU, mentioned in movies like Doctor Strange and Avengers: Endgame. Its potential hasn’t been properly explored, and that might be tabled until Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which hits theaters on March 25, 2022. But Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has stated that WandaVision, Spider-Man 3 and Doctor Strange 2 connect under the umbrella of the multiverse, so it makes a lot of sense for Spider-Man: No Way Home to expand on the existence of parallel existences.

Rumor: Jacob Batalon Will Become the Hobgoblin

Since 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, actor Jacob Batalon has played Peter Parker’s best friend, Ned Leeds (even though he’s much closer in comparison to Miles Morales’ best friend in the Marvel comics, Ganke Lee). The rumor suggests that at some point in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ned will “freak out” and assume the role of the Hobgoblin, a famous villain from the Spider-Man comics.

Status:

There is zero percent chance this is happening. Yes, Ned Leeds ends up becoming the Hobgoblin in the comics. But nothing about Batalon’s portrayal of Ned on screen suggests he’d ever snap and become a villain. Also, the Hobgoblin only happened because the Green Goblin already had been established for decades, and there’s no way the MCU is going to leapfrog over that history to get right to another villain without exploring Norman and/or Harry Osborn. This rumor never made any sense. It will not happen.

How many of these rumors do you think are true? Thankfully, we don’t have to wait very long to find out. The final quarter of 2021 is loaded with Marvel content, including Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Chloe Zhao’s Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Stay up to date on all of the upcoming Marvel movies by bookmarking our guide and checking it often.

Marvel fan art is nothing new, as many enjoy forecasting who would be a perfect fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Casting rumors surrounding many Marvel films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home alone have spawned countless images. The latest fan art has imagined Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock in the MCU, and it's honestly pretty impressive.

Rumors of who is and isn’t in Spider-Man: No Way Home have been very interesting, and Marvel Studios isn't looking to confirm things at the moment. Like most Marvel films, the Spider-Man: Far from Home sequel has been shrouded in secrecy. Alfred Molina's return as Doctor Octopus has been one of the few reports that are seemingly legitimate. With this, concept artist AwedopeArts decided to create his take on an MCU Doc Ock and post it to his Instagram. Check out the artist’s original artwork below:

As evidenced by the artist’s post, Doctor Octopus can definitely updated to fit the world of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. This design builds on the established Doc Octopus look and aesthetic by adding more technology into the costume. Though the costume also maintains the green and yellow color scheme of the classic character. Alfred Molina's look in the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man 2 is iconic at this point, but this is pretty good interpretation that manages to perfectly mix older and newer elements of Otto Octavius.

Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus doesn't appear to be the only Marvel veteran returning for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Jamie Foxx was confirmed to return as Electro for the MCU's third Spider-Man installment, but rumors also allege that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be putting on their Spidey suits again to join Tom Holland. While Holland shot down the rumors, there have been reports that contradict the MCU star's words are still floating around. There are even rumors of Daredevil star Charlie Cox possibly joining the film. So unless Marvel makes some announcements, we'll only know what's real and what isn't when we finally see the film.

Aside from fan art, Spider-Man: No Way Home’s mystery has been driving fans to create in other ways. The film has led to countless theories over possible storylines. The mystery of Spider-Man 3 went into overdrive with that multiple titles prank, which in turn spawned fan-created posters. Some even believe ties have also been established between the Marvel film and the recently concluded WandaVision. As more rumors continue to spread, fan art like and theories are sure to continue spreading like wildfire.

Only time will tell if AwedopeArts’s concept art proves true. But given the back-and-forth game Marvel has played in recent months, anything is possible when it comes to this movie. Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 17, 2021.

This past Christmas, Carey Mulligan continued to shine in Promising Young Woman, a twist-heavy revenge thriller that served as a feature screenwriting and directorial debut of Killing Eve's Emerald Fennell. With an all-star cast that includes Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Jennifer Coolidge, Clancy Brown, Max Greenfield, Laverne Cox, Alfred Molina, Connie Britton, and Molly Shannon, the movie was among the splashiest titles at 2020's Sundance Film Festival, and it has only continued to inspire chatter with its VOD debut.

Now that more people have a chance to watch this buzzy title, you might be wondering how you recognize its high-profile ensemble. If that's true, we're here to help! Here's where you've seen the Promising Young Woman cast before.

Carey Mulligan (Cassie Thomas)

As Cassie Thomas, a medical school dropout who spends her evenings confronting predatory men, Carey Mulligan gave another exceptional lead performance in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Mulligan is known for her breakthrough Oscar-nominated performance in 2009's An Education. Her other notable film credits include Inside Llewyn Davis, Drive, The Great Gatsby (2013), Shame, Never Let Me Go, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Wildlife, and Pride & Prejudice (2005), as well as Public Enemies, Far from the Madding Crowd, Mudbound, Suffragette, The Greatest, and Brothers.

Additionally, on television, Carey Mulligan appears in Netflix's Collateral, Bleak House, The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, and Doctor Who. Currently, the actress stars in Netflix's The Dig, which is playing theatrically in limited release and streams later this month.

Bo Burnham (Dr. Ryan Cooper)

In the role of Dr. Ryan Cooper, a pediatric surgeon who forms a relationship with Cassie, Bo Burnham plays the love interest in Promising Young Woman. A prominent YouTuber-turned-comedian, Burnham is the co-creator and star of MTV's Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous. Also, as an actor, he appears in The Big Sick, Rough Night, Hall Pass, and Funny People. Burnham's other TV credits include Kroll Show, Parks and Recreation, and We Bare Bears.

Outside of acting and performing, Bo Burnham received copious acclaim for his feature screenwriting-directorial debut, 2018's Eighth Grade. He also directed Jerrod Carmichael: 8 and Chris Rock: Tamborine. Next, Burnham's writing songs and expected to star in Sesame Street.

Alison Brie (Madison McPhee)

Playing the part of Madison McPhee, one of Cassie's former classmates, Alison Brie has a notable supporting role in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Brie is known for GLOW, Community, and Mad Men, as well as her voice work in BoJack Horseman.

On the big screen, meanwhile, Alison Brie can be seen in Sleeping With Other People, Scream 4, How to Be Single, The Post, The Disaster Artist, The Little Hours, Get Hard, The Five-Year Engagement, The Kings of Summer, The Rental, and Happiest Season. She can co-wrote and starred in Netflix's Horse Girl, and she can be heard in The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

Jennifer Coolidge (Susan Thomas)

As Susan Thomas, Cassie's mother, Jennifer Coolidge plays a concerned maternal character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Coolidge is recognized from the American Pie franchise and the Legally Blonde movies. And she appears in Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Date Movie, Mascots, A Cinderella Story, Gentlemen Broncos, Click, Like a Boss, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Additionally, Coolidge is heard in Robots, Igor, The Emoji Movie, and Bobbleheads: The Movie.

Meanwhile, on television, Jennifer Coolidge was in the main cast for Joey, and she appeared in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and 2 Broke Girls. She's also heard in The Fungies! Next, Coolidge will be seen in Swan Song and the upcoming mini-series, The White Lotus. She'll also be heard in Arlo the Alligator Boy and Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk. And she's expected to return for Legally Blonde 3.

Clancy Brown (Stanley Thomas)

In the role of Stanley Thomas, Cassie's father, Clancy Brown is prominently seen throughout Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Brown is known for The Shawshank Redemption, Highlander, Starship Troopers, and HBO's Carnivale. Additionally, he plays Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants. Brown also lent his voice to Superman: The Animated Series, Crash Bandicoot, Thor: Ragnarok, and Detroit: Become Human.

Additionally, in film, Clancy Brown appeared in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Hail Caesar!, The Informant!, Flubber, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Blue Steel, Pet Sematary Two, The Hurricane, Cowboys & Aliens, and Stronger. Next, Brown plays the main antagonist in Dexter's upcoming revival. He'll also be seen in Last Looks and heard in Invincible and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.

Chris Lowell (Al Monroe)

Playing the part of Al Monroe, Cassie's former classmate with a dark history with Nina, Cassie's lifelong friend, Chris Lowell has an antagonistic character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Lowell is known for Veronica Mars. He also played prominent parts in Private Practice, Graves, GLOW, and Life As We Know It. His other television credits include Enlisted, Halt and Catch Fire, and iZombie. Outside of TV, Lowell appears in The Help, Up in the Air, Brightest Star, Love and Honor, Graduation, Spin, Katie Says Goodbye, Veronica Mars (2014), and Complete Unknown.

Next, Chris Lowell stars in Breaking News in Yuba County, which comes out on February 12th. Away from acting, he also wrote and directed Beside Still Waters and he's a vocalist and a harmonicist for the acoustic band, Two Shots for Poe.

Max Greenfield (Joe Macklemore III)

As Joe Macklemore III, one of Al's best friends, Max Greenfield plays an eventful character in Promising Young Woman's third act. Most notably, Greenfield is known for his Emmy-nominated performance in New Girl. He also played recurring roles in Ugly Betty and Veronica Mars. Currently, the actor stars in CBS's The Neighborhood. His other television credits include Greek, American Horror Story: Hotel, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Additionally, Max Greenfield appears in They Came Together, Hello My Name is Doris, The Big Short, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, The Oath, What Men Want, About Alex, The Glass Castle, and Shot Caller. Greenfield also made a cameo in Veronica Mars (2014). Furthermore, he's heard in Ice Age: Collision Course and Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite.

Laverne Cox (Gail)

In the role of Gail, Cassie's boss at Make Me Coffee, Laverne Cox plays another notable supporting character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Cox is known for her Emmy-nominated performance in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black. She later won an Emmy for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. Her other TV credits include Doubt, I Want to Work for Diddy, TRANSform Me, The Mindy Project, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again. Additionally, her other film credits include Grandma, Freak Show, Can You Keep a Secret?, Charlie's Angels (2019), 36 Saints, Musical Chairs, and Bad Hair.

Outside of acting, Laverne Cox was heavily involved with Netflix's documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen. Next, she'll be seen in Jolt, Senior Entourage, and Inventing Anna.

Connie Britton (Dean Elizabeth Walker)

Playing the part of Dean Elizabeth Walker, whom Cassie confronts midway through the film, Connie Britton has an extended cameo in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Britton is known for her Emmy-nominated roles in NBC's Friday Night Lights, ABC/CMT's Nashville, and FX's American Horror Story. Her other TV credits include 9-1-1, Spin City, Dirty John, 24, The West Wing, and The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.

Outside of TV, Connie Britton appears in Friday Night Lights (2004), The Brothers McMullen, This is Where I Leave You, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The To-Do List, and The Land of Steady Habits, as well as Bombshell, The Mustang, Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman, American Ultra, Beatriz at Dinner, Conception, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Next, she'll appear in Joe Bell. Also, Britton stars in the mini-series, The White Lotus.

Sam Richardson (Paul)

As Paul, one of Jerry's friends, Sam Richardson appears in two early scenes in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Richardson was a writer, co-creator, and star of Comedy Central's Detroiters. Additionally, he played a main role in HBO's Veep and starred in YouTube Premium's Champaign ILL. His other TV credits include The Second City Project, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Fungies!, and The Office. His other film credits include Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Ghostbusters (2016), Good Boys, Game Over Man!, The House, Office Christmas Party, Horrible Bosses 2, Spy, We're the Millers, Hooking Up, and Superintelligence.

Next, Sam Richardson will be heard in M.O.D.O.K. and Housebroken and seen in The Tomorrow War, Werewolves Within, Shoot the Rooster, and The Afterparty.

Adam Brody (Jerry)

In the role of Jerry, Cassie's first target, Adam Brody plays a key character in Promising Young Woman's opening. Most notably, Brody starred in The O.C. and StartUp. He also appears in Gilmore Girls, The League, House of Lies, Single Parents, and Mrs. America. Outside of television, Brody is seen in Jennifer's Body, In the Land of Women, Cop Out, Scream 4, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Ready or Not, Thank You for Smoking, Sleeping with Other People, Think Like A Man Too, and Shazam! He also recently starred in The Kid Detective.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Neil)

Playing the part of Neil, another one of Cassie's targets, Christopher Mintz-Plasse has a talky cameo in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Mintz-Plasse is known for his role as McLovin in Superbad. He also appeared in Role Models, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, Neighbors, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Year One, Fright Night (2011), Pitch Perfect, This is the End, The To-Do List, and Movie 43. Additionally, Mintz-Plasse is heard in Trolls, Trolls World Tour, the How to Train Your Dragon movies, ParaNorman, and Marmaduke.

Outside of film, Christopher Mintz-Plasse's TV credits include The Great Indoors, Flaked, and Stan Against Evil. He's also heard in DreamWorks Dragons and Sanjay and Craig.

Alfred Molina (Jordan Green)

As Jordan Green, Al's former lawyer, Alfred Molina plays a remorseful supporting character in Promising Young Woman. A veteran performer of the stage and screen, Molina is a Tony and Emmy-nominated thespian, though he's best known for Spider-Man 2. He also appears in Boogie Nights, Chocolat, The Da Vinci Code, Love is Strange, Frida, Dudley Do-Right, Magnolia, Prick Up Your Ears, Enchanted April, and An Education, which also starred Carey Mulligan, and he's heard in Rango, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Monsters University, and Frozen II.

On television, Alfred Molina gained acclaim for Feud: Bette and Joan, Show Me a Hero, Law & Order: LA, Bram & Alice, and Angie Tribeca. Next, he'll be seen in The Water Man. He's also currently playing Doc Ock in the MCU's Spider-Man 3.

Molly Shannon (Mrs. Fisher)

In the role of Mrs. Fisher, the mother of the late Nina, Molly Shannon plays a somber supporting character in Promising Young Woman. Most notably, Shannon is known for Saturday Night Live, as well as her starring role in Superstar. She also gained acclaim for Other People. Her other film credits include Private Life, Happiness, A Night at the Roxbury, Never Been Kissed, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Osmosis Jones, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, My Boss's Daughter, Wet Hot American Summer, The Santa Clause 2, Shallow Hal, Serendipity, Analyze This, Marie Antoinette, Wild Nights with Emily, and Horse Girl. She's also heard in Igor and the Hotel Transylvania movies.

Additionally, on television, Molly Shannon received an Emmy nomination for her guest appearances on Will & Grace and Enlightened. She also had a main role in Divorce and appeared in The Royal Wedding Live with Cord & Tish, The Other Two, and Kath & Kim.

Did you love Promising Young Woman? Let us know below!

Spider-Man 3 was already a hyped installment superhero fans were keeping a close eye on, but the hype train really went full steam with the latest announcement that Alfred Molina will return to the franchise as Doctor Octopus. It's quite a huge reveal, and arguably one that could be even more telling towards the plot and purpose of this upcoming movie than the news that the past cinematic Spider-Man actors will reprise their roles as well.

Obviously there are a variety of ways Alfred Molina could be re-introduced to the story, and he could be an alternate version of Doc Ock, similar to J.K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson featured at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. But I have a much crazier theory that I think is possible, and it would be something Marvel potentially could and want to pull off within its universe. My thinking is this Doc Ock is actually the same Doc Ock from the events of Spider-Man 2, and that Spider-Man 3 could possibly change a lot about the Spider-Man universe.

Doc Ock (And Potentially Others) Are From The Events Of Spider-Man 2

In this crazy theory, Doc Ock and potentially other characters from Spider-Man 2 are plucked from or visited in the midst of the events of that movie. The fact that Alfred Molina's character only becomes the villain during the film and dies at the end makes for a limited window in which his exact version could be snatched up and potentially sent to another world for some dastardly plot. Either that or this could be an Avengers: Endgame scenario where MCU Spidey and others visit the multiverse in the midst of Doc Ock's quest for revenge in Spider-Man 2.

We already know that time travel is possible in the Marvel universe, and while the logistics and details of the multiverse still have yet to be explained, I don't think it's a stretch to say anything is possible in the MCU. Therefore, I think it's certainly a possibility Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus could be the exact same one from Spider-Man 2, but what would be the reason for such madness?

Diverging Timelines And Re-Introducing Classic Spider-Man Cinematic Characters Within The MCU

I already mentioned the time travel aspect of Avengers: Endgame, which is important because it showed how time travel works in the MCU. In the hypothetical that the events of Spider-Man 2 are referenced or its characters are taken from straight from that story, we already know that the events of Sam Raimi's movie still happened. Anything that happened in the MCU's Spider-Man 3 would create a divergent timeline, allowing for these characters to have alternate paths or outcomes outside of how things played out in Spider-Man 2 and beyond.

This gives Marvel and Sony a unique opportunity to protect the original love and lore of the classic Spider-Man movies, while simultaneously present new opportunities for these characters to be used elsewhere. For example, if Doctor Octopus never puts New York in peril with his fusion reactor, that would change a lot about each character's timeline going forward. Otto Octavius would still be alive, MJ may never know Peter is Spider-Man or his true feelings towards her, and the world may have never seen Topher Grace play Venom.

Except we did, which is the beautiful part of the MCU's diverging timelines. There's a real opportunity here for Marvel and Sony to re-introduce beloved characters, while potentially opening the door for new and exciting arcs that aren't beholden to re-treading the stories they left behind in the past. As much as I'd love to see Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4, the logistics of making it happen are far more complicated than making a divergent Spider-Man narrative from another timeline.

Couldn't All That Be Done With Alternate Multiverse Versions Of The Character?

If all that sounds complicated compared to creating an alternate version of the character with the same actor, it is and it isn't. Sure, creating an alternate version removes some excess baggage while still providing the thrill of a star reprising their role, but there's also something lost in the process.

The advantage of bringing in a character from a divergent timeline is that there's a rich history and familiarity for audiences with quite simple rules. In the case of this hypothetical situation where Alfred Molina's Doc Ock is from Spider-Man 2, we already have a background regarding who he is and what he's about. Divergent timeline characters have the same past as their previously established counterparts, but as Loki showed, their fates splinter off past the point where their timeline is interfered with.

Some may argue this reality is too complicated for the layman moviegoer, but let's give the general audience some credit. Those who have kept up with the MCU have been trained and re-trained on the mechanics of how this universe works, so I really don't think characters from divergent timelines from past movies would really be that complicated. In fact, that's less complicated than some of the many things Fox did with X-Men during its run and other ways movies can bring back characters who have already died on screen.

Would Sony Actually Do This?

When it comes to the rules of the MCU, it's not really a question of whether Marvel Studios could make it happen. Sony is also a major player in this character licensing marriage, and we've seen instances in the past where the two butt heads over how to handle Tom Holland's Spidey. Sony also retains the rights to all these other Spider-Man characters and has its own plans for a universe that may not necessarily coincide or integrate with the MCU.

Sony would absolutely benefit from having characters from divergent timelines they could revisit, but in no way is the studio beholden to the rules of the MCU. Basically, my theory may be right or wrong, but outside of the fact that Marvel's Kevin Feige is involved in the development of Spider-Man 3, we have no real reason to believe Sony plans on upholding any established MCU rules of time travel or the multiverse outside of the one it introduced in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. I'd like to remain optimistic, however, and believe Sony wants to continue association with the MCU, and that this theory is still very much on the table for Spider-Man 3.

Spider-Man 3 is currently filming, so continue to stick with CinemaBlend for updates on its road to release. Also, be sure to stick with us for more theories related to the MCU, and the latest news happening in television and movies.

It’s been made abundantly clear over the last several months that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s third Spider-Man movie, informally known as Spider-Man 3, is shaping up to be something special, even by superhero movie standards. Now things have kicked up yet another notch, as word has come in that Alfred Molina is reprising Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus.

Following initial reports the circulated late last month, THR has confirmed that Alfred Molina will return to the role that he first tackled in 2004’s Spider-Man 2. This makes him the second actor from a non-MCU Spider-Man movie to resume playing the same villain, as Jamie Foxx is returning as Electro, who he previously played in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Benedict Cumberbatch is also on board to reprise Doctor Strange.

Depicted much more sympathetically compared to his comic book counterpart (at least at the time), Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius became mentally joined with his robotic arms in Spider-Man 2 during a public demonstration with his fusion reactor that killed his wife, Rosie. With the inhibitor chip that protected him from the arms’ AI fried, Otto became unstable, and as Doctor Octopus, he stole money to rebuild his reactor, clashing with Spider-Man in the process. In the end though, Otto was able to exert control over the arms, and he sacrificed his life to prevent the nuclear reaction from destroying New York City.

As such, unless there’s a resurrection in store (which, to be fair, is commonplace in superhero stories), it’s possible that Alfred Molina will appear in Spider-Man 3 not as the exact same Doctor Octopus we saw in Spider-Man 2, but a similar version of the same character from either the main MCU reality or another universe. This idea is strengthened by Jamie Foxx having previously said that unlike how his character was depicted in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, his Electro in Spider-Man 3 will not be blue. Let’s also not forget that although J.K. Simmons briefly reprised J. Jonah Jameson last year in Spider-Man: Far From Home, it was the MCU’s Jameson operating The Daily Bugle as a controversial news website, as opposed to the Jameson we saw in the Sam Raimi-helmed Spider-Man movies.

Throw in Doctor Strange’s participation, and one definitely wouldn’t be faulted for thinking that Spider-Man 3 will be a multiversal affair. After all, we’ve known since summer 2019 that the MCU is opening the doors to to other realities through Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but with the Master of the Mystic Arts now teaming up with the Web-Slinger again following their time together in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, it definitely appears Spider-Man 3 will get the jump on this kind of action. Of course, it doesn’t have to be just villains jumping in; perhaps Holland’s Spidey teaming up with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of Peter Parker is on the horizon.

Regardless, that’s now two villains who are reportedly slated to appear in Spider-Man 3. With Michael Keaton’s Vulture still alive and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio having possibly faked his death, it wouldn’t be surprised if Spider-Man 3 is also laying the groundwork for the Sinister Six, a supervillain team that’s had cinematic aspirations since the Amazing Spider-Man days. Oh, and on top of all of all that, remember that Spider-Man: Far From Home ended with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker being framed for killing Mysterio and the drone attack on London, as well as having his secret identity outed to the public. Didn’t this kid already have enough to deal with in a threequel?

Spider-Man 3 kicked off principal photography in late October, and it’s set to swing into theaters on December 17, 2021. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on its progress, and browse through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else the MCU has coming to the big screen.

Comic-book movie fans love debating which chapter of a particular saga is “better.” And when it comes to a character like Spider-Man, they have a lot of options to choose from. No matter when you became a fan of the character, the consensus seems to be that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, from 2004, ranks near the top of any Spidey film list (if not at the very top, for some). And this cool behind-the-scenes clip seems to suggest that the movie works because the people working on it were having a total blast:

This retro peek behind the curtain comes to us from Twitter user Nick Usen, and we’re unsure why today, of all days, he chose to share it, but we will never pass up an opportunity to see Willem Dafoe cracking up Alfred Molina on the set of the Spider-Man franchise. Dafoe, by this point, was the top dog of Spidey villains, having played Norman Osborn in Sam Raimi’s original film. And he appears to be welcoming Molina on his first day on set, as director is coaching his Doc Ock on how the character should be played.

Alfred Molina loves the tribute. It’s fantastic to see how he reacts to Willem Dafoe hamming it up in the Doctor Octopus tentacles. And it’s even cooler to see the practical effects that went into the creation of Otto Octavius, a brilliant scientist whose ego would lead to a mechanical error that grafts his brilliant creations to his back… and brain.

Remember this classic Sam Raimi origin scene for Otto’s arms?

Spider-Man 2 ranks as the best of the Raimi films, but it goes beyond that. Alfred Molina was so perfect as Spider-Man’s rival, Doctor Octopus, that the series – despite rolling out five Spider-Man films after this fact – never returned to Otto as an adversary. We’ve seen other Goblins on screen, and the MCU Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has faced Shockers, Vultures and a pitch-perfect Mysterio. But the shoes left behind by Molina simply are too large to fill, and so this accurate representation is the only thing we have seen on the big screen… and may ever see, again.

Rumors for a third MCU Spider-Man film swirl around Kraven the Hunter as being the villain. Jon Watts told our ReelBlend podcast that he’d like to do Kraven, while Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated that they like bringing villains that have never had a shot at the big screen. That also means Kraven, but we shall see once casting ramps up for that sequel.

In the meantime, how would you rank the Spider-Man films? Hit the comments and post your list. And yes, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse should be included.

If one ever needs proof that the Academy Awards don’t actually define who the most talented people in Hollywood are, one need only look at the long, long list of people that they have ignored over the last century. Legendary actors like Joseph Cotton, Peter Lorre, Kim Novak, Edward G. Robinson and many more not only never won Oscar trophies during their careers, but were never even nominated for a prize. But as shocking as that list is, there are some names of snubbed actors in the modern era that will confuse the hell out of you.

With the 87th annual Academy Awards upon us, we’ve assembled a list of 15 brilliant, currently working actors who amazingly have never been up for Hollywood’s highest honor. Who are the names? Read on to find out!

Steve Buscemi

A big reason why the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award even exists is to celebrate the works of the great character actors working in the movie industry, and yet one of the greatest of all time, Steve Buscemi, has never gotten any attention from the ceremony. This is honestly a rather baffling mystery, as Buscemi’s 30 year career is packed with brilliant titles and collaborations with geniuses like the Coen brothers and Quentin Tarantino, and yet the Oscars have never felt the need to give him consideration. Seriously, how the hell did he not get nominated for Fargo?

Jeff Daniels

In the past few years, Jeff Daniels has found himself finding great awards success thanks to his time on television – winning the 2013 Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy for his performance in Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom - but every time the guy has flirted with an Academy Award it has ended in disappointing fashion. He arguably came closest in 2005 with his turn in Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale, but was ultimately shut out of the final race. That being said, it’s hard to imagine that Daniels will wind up ending his career with a permanent spot on this list – especially when you consider that he is currently working with the likes of Danny Boyle and Ridley Scott on his next two feature film projects.

Isabella Rossellini

Over the course of her 39 year career, Isabella Rossellini has earned acclaim, and hardware from many film organizations, but sadly her performances have never stirred Academy members to the degree that they felt the need to declare her work some of the best in a given year. This is an awful shame given her memorable turns in movies like David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Peter Weir’s Fearless (which got nominations for Dennis Hopper and Rosie Perez, respectively). Rossellini is certainly one of the most notable Italian imports in modern cinema, and it would be too bad if her big screen career ended before getting her first nod.

Donald Sutherland

At the age of 79, Donald Sutherland is the oldest actor on this list, but that only really serves to amplify just how ridiculous it is that he has never found himself up for an Academy Award. The man’s career is full of brilliant performances in some truly amazing movies – from Ordinary People to MASH to Invasion of the Body Snatchers to Don’t Look Now, but evidently none of these turns really stuck out versus stiff competition in various years. If it doesn’t happen in the next few years for one reason or another, there is definitely a case to be made for him at some point getting a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright’s career started off a bit slow as he was getting his foot in the door in the film industry back in the 1990s, but since the turn of the millennium the guy has proven to be one of the industry’s most talented character actors. In that time, he has found himself in multiple Academy Award nominated films, including Ali, Syriana, and The Ides of March, but has not yet been able to get himself on the Academy’s radar. Of course, just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t, and one could easily see it happening as he keeps getting more interesting roles in interesting projects.

Alfred Molina

Thanks to movies like An Education and Frida, Alfred Molina has spent some time within the last 15 years being a part of some awards races, but to this point his work has not yet resulted in a nomination from the Academy Awards. He’s certainly been working with the right people, including directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Ron Howard, and Kenneth Branagh, but sadly those impressive collaborations have not yet yielded any little golden men for the actor. Fortunately, the guys has rarely taken long breaks between projects, so his big ticket film could be coming at really any point.

Danny Glover

One can fairly easily predict that it will be Danny Glover’s time playing Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon movies that winds up being his most lasting legacy in the film industry, but it’s still rather surprising that his time starring in movies like Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple (which got 11 Oscar nominations) and Peter Weir’s Witness (which got eight Oscar nominations and two wins) never resulted in a single nomination for himself. Admittedly, at this point in Glover’s career it sort of seems the time has come and gone, but with the right director and the right script, anything can happen.

Pam Grier

Pam Grier came as close as she’s ever been to an Academy Award nomination when she starred in Quentin Tarantino’s brilliant 1997 crime drama Jackie Brown, but it’s a shame that she’s never actually gone all the way to the show. In addition to being an exceptional actress, she also happens to play an important role in cinematic history through her part in the Blaxploitation movement. Even if she doesn’t end up with another performance in her career that finds her in the awards race, at the very least the Academy should find some way to honor her contributions to cinema.

John Goodman

It’s perhaps an example of the Academy having a bit of a bias against actors who have spent a good portion of their careers on television, but there really is no excuse at this point for John Goodman not to have at least collected an Oscar nomination by this point in his life, if not an actual award. Like the case with Steve Buscemi, Goodman’s work with the Coen brothers alone should have at least resulted in one nod (Barton Fink!), but the guy is equally good in everything he does, and it’s shocking he has not get gotten the consideration he deserves.

Scarlett Johansson

After years as a child actor, Scarlett Johansson got her adult career off to an absolutely stellar start by making films like Lost in Translation and working with Woody Allen on multiple projects, but despite all of the clout she was able to build up, it has not yet resulted in an Oscar nod. Admittedly she has gotten a bit further away from the awards race in recent years due to the fact that she is turning into one of Hollywood’s most popular action hero leads, but the truth is that she’s still putting in award caliber work in smaller films like Her, and because she’s only 30 it’s not hard to see her eventually doing something that really gets the Academy’s attention.

Allison Janney

The fact that she has spent a good portion of her career on television is most likely what’s held Allison Janney back from the Academy Award crowd, but it still feels surprising that she has never at least picked up a nomination. With her warm screen presence as well as her high talent level, you’d think she’d at least find herself getting a Best Supporting Actress nod at some point, but to this point it has not happened yet. The good news is that she’s a very prolific actress who takes on a lot of opportunities, so it’s not hard to believe that we could see the Janney Drought end in the next few years.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman has a remarkable fanbase thanks to his legendary work in Die Hard and the Harry Potter series, and while we understand why those titles didn’t get him consideration from the Academy Awards (they’ve never been too big on genre stuff), the truth is that it’s still surprising he hasn’t picked up a nomination at this point in his career. The guy most certainly has the talent, but it just hasn’t translated to this point. Fortunately, all it takes is one spellbinding performance to take him out of qualification for this list, and one can sense that it’s really in the cards for him. It’s just a matter of when.

Meg Ryan

Over the course of his career, Tom Hanks has earned five Academy Award nominations, and has even taken home the Best Actor prize twice… but that really only serves to highlight the fact that his longtime romantic comedy partner, Meg Ryan, has never been up for acting’s highest honor. Thanks to their greater acceptance of comedic films, Ryan has been celebrated by the Golden Globes multiple times – earning nominations for When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, but none of that attention ever translated to Oscar attention. It’s not too late for Meg Ryan just yet, though if she wants the chance to ever get an Academy Award she should probably start doing more movies.

John Turturro

While Joel and Ethan Coen have picked up numerous Academy Awards for themselves over the years, it’s kind of amazing that they haven’t been able to spread that success to some of their favorite character actors. Yes, like Steve Buscemi and John Goodman, John Turturro is yet another Coen regular who has somehow never managed to find Oscar’s awareness. It’s a real shock just because the guy has done some truly fantastic work in films like Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink, Quiz Show and Rounders. Hopefully the time and opportunity have not come and gone.

Jennifer Jason Leigh

She may still be remembered by many as the curious Stacy Hamilton in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, but Jennifer Jason Leigh has honestly put together quite an impressive resume in the decades since – albeit one that has not yet been given any notice by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A lot of her stuff has been more under the radar, but she has been consistently earning acclaim for years in movies like Margot At The Wedding and The Spectacular Now. This year she is playing the lead female role in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, so this may actually be her opportunity to finally get her first nomination.

Whereas David Simon’s iconic series The Wire took a bunch of relatively unknown actors and turned them into superstars, Simon has brought in some of Hollywood’s elite for his upcoming HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. Joining the previously cast Oscar Isaac and Catherine Keener are Winona Ryder, Alfred Molina and former Walking Dead star Jon Bernthal. Is an Emmy sweep in this project’s future?

Based on the nonfiction book by former New York Times journalist Lisa Belkin, Show Me a Hero is the true story of a civil rights clusterfuck that happened in New York in the 1980s. Isaac plays Nick Wasicsko, the youngest mayor in Yonkers history. He soon finds himself at the end of a federal court mandate that tasks him with building low-income housing units smack dab in the middle of the white neighborhoods. Predictably, it causes quite a fuss and completely dismantles the municipal government and ruins Wasicsko’s life and political career. Keener will be playing Mary Dorman, an East Yonkers homeowner who realizes something remarkable during the turmoil over getting the low-income houses built.

According to THR, Ryder will make her first major non-guest TV role as Yonkers councilwoman Vinni Restiano, a close confidante to Wasicsko whose housing vote lost her seat, though she was able to re-campaign four years later to become City Council president. Molina, meanwhile, will play Bronx native Hank Spallone, a rough around the edges former NYPD detective who uses his role as a city councilman to build up false arguments in favor of the housing opponents.

Bernthal, whose film career is really kicking off, will play Michael H. Sussman, a Harvard-trained lawyer who puts his skills to work for the NCAAP when it joins the fight in the government’s anti-segregation case involving Yonkers. The series also stars James Belushi, Terry Kinney and Michael Stahl-David.

Molina, who has been as busy as ever in the last few years, can be seen in Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne’s romantic comedy We’ll Never Have Paris and Ira Sachs’ critically acclaimed drama Love is Strange. On the TV side, he stars in El Rey’s action drama Matador and is nominated for an Emmy for his role in Ryan Murphy’s HBO movie The Normal Heart. Ryder, who has been killing it on Drunk History (something Molina also did), was last seen on the big screen in Homefront and will star in next year’s biographical drama Experimenter. Bernthal, whose Mob City came and went without much fanfare, will soon make a war-bound splash in David Ayer’s star-studded Fury and is currently filming Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s drama Me & Earl & the Dying Girl.

Directed by Crash’s Paul Haggis, Show Me a Hero will continue building its cast on the way to its production start later this year.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 just may have put the final nail in the coffin of the Sony owned film franchise, at least if the box office results and the studio's shifting plans for the future of the brand have anything to say about it. Some think it's a good idea to quit, and others think it's a good idea to press forward. But some, including legendary actor and Spider-Man 2 vet Alfred Molina , believe that it might be the time to bring back some of the magic from the Sam Raimi trilogy. Mainly, the part of the magic that Alfred Molina provided.

In an interview with Collider, Molina was promoting his new film Love Is Strange. Now if you have Doc Ock in a room, you're naturally going to ask if the man who betrayed Indiana Jones would ever want to strap on the tentacles again. However, if you've got something like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 setting up the return of said iconic villain, then that question is an unavoidable fish to shoot in a barrel. Sure enough, the question was asked and Molina's response was predictably awesome:

Seeing A-list actors have so much fun with comic book flicks that they'd come back to reprise their roles is one of those awesome joys of the business that is show. It's easy to write off well known actors as taking an easy pay day by starring in a film like Guardians Of The Galaxy, but when you've got Glenn Close ready to reprise her role of Nova Prime, you can tell there's more than just dollar signs in her eyes. Just as she should be brought back on for Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 as soon as possible, it could benefit the Spider-Man franchise if it brought back one of the best (if not THE best) performers to grace its stage.

Oh, and while you're at it, John Lithgow also sounds interested in climbing onto the Spidey train, as he interjected, "Maybe they’ll come after me for Doc Ock … how about Doc Ock’s evil twin?" Drew Goddard, have you thought about who you're going to cast as your new Vulture? If not, you may have found your guy. Love Is Strange is set for release on August 22nd, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be on Blu Ray tomorrow. Spider-Man 2 has been on Blu Ray for quite a while now, so you probably already have it on your shelf somewhere. Might we suggest checking behind your copy of The Dark Knight?

You can watch Molina's Spider-Man related interview in full, below...

In the late '90s, English ingénue Minnie Driver was everywhere. After her breakout role in the charming romantic drama Circle of Friends, she tackled comedy with John Cusack in Grosse Pointe Blank. She won an Oscar nod for her heartbreaking turn opposite Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, and she lent her voice to the plucky Jane in Disney's animated Tarzan. But in the 2000s, Driver largely took to television, offering memorable roles in sitcoms like Will & Grace and drama series like The Riches.

But 2013 seems to mark a return to film for Driver, as she's recently wrapped on the horror musical Stage Fright and the promising looking rom-com I Give It a Year. And that's not all. THR has discovered Driver will headline a new indie drama called Return to Zero, which roll into production in Los Angeles this week. And from the sound of it, this feature could bring Driver back into the spotlight.

Inspired by a true story, the film, which marks the directorial debut of its screenwriter Sean Hanish, will focus on a marriage in crisis. Driver will star as a woman whose connection with her husband was tested when her last pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Once she discovers she is expecting again—the result of a "save the marriage encounter"—she confides in a doctor, who helps her cope with this incredibly stressful pregnancy. Paul Adelstein from TV's Private Practice and Alfred Molina will play her husband and doctor respectively. Kathy Baker (Big Miracle), Andrea Anders (Better Off Ted) and Sarah Jones (Vegas) will co-star; their roles are currently unknown.

With production set to begin on Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes at the end of the month, Francesca Gregorini is busy finding the supporting cast. For the followup to her debut Tanner Hall, which she co-wrote and co-directed with Tatiana von Furstenberg, the writer-director has just landed four actors to help bring the story of a doll babysitter to life. Yes, a babysitter for a doll. Interested?

Already cast in the film are Jessica Biel in the role of Linda and Kaya Scodelario as the titular Emanuel. The story follows Emanuel, a troubled teenager who agrees to ‘babysit’ her neighbor Linda’s baby, which is actually just life-like doll. Over time, Emanuel and Linda become closer, the latter being a spitting image of the former’s deceased mother. Variety reports that joining the two actresses in the quirky film are Alfred Molina, Frances O’Connor, Jimmi Simpson and relative newcomer Aneurin Barnard. Molina will play Emanuel’s father and O’Connor her stepmother, while Simpson and Barnard play a co-worker and the Emanuel's love interest, respectively.

While the story sounds a little reminiscent of Lars and the Real Girl, Variety also caught up with the director who said that the Ryan Gosling-led film “is an easy comparison, but it [EatTAF] veers away from that tonally… I consider it a psychological drama-thriller, with comedic elements.” I’m not exactly sure how the plot description fits into the ‘psychological thriller’ genre but, with this excellent cast, I’m excited to find out. Molina and O’Connor are both seasoned veterans. Jimmi Simpson is a true chameleon, amazingly funny on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and yet delicate and tortured in Zodiac. As for Aneurin Barnard, you can catch him in Ironclad on VOD and judge for yourself. Overall, a really excellent cast taking shape for what sounds like an interesting independent film.

Despite the whole Wonder Woman fiasco -- although it still hopes to find life on another network...any network -- David E. Kelley still makes successful television shows. The man behind Ally McBeal and Boston Legal seems to find his greatest success in the courtroom, so it's no surprise that his Harry's Law made the jump to a second season, and they just lined up a great guest star for the first three episodes.

So just who is coming aboard for this exciting guest mini-arc for the season two opener(s)? None other than Dr. Octopus himself, Alfred Molina. The amazing character actor was last seen as a detective on Law & Order: Los Angeles, but, as TV Line reports, "this time around, the actor will be on the other side of the legal system, playing a man who stands accused of murdering his wife." The case will span the first three episodes of the new season.

It's also worth noting that Kathy Bates, the star of Harry's Law -- as, well, Harry -- was forced to give up her recurring role on the NBC comedy, The Office, in order to continue her duties on this blossoming quirky law-procedural. Bates played the CEO of Sabre, the company that owns Dunder Mifflin Paper, and will be replaced by the best cameo appearance from last season's finale, Robert California, aka Mr. James Spader. Oddly enough, Spader's last acclaimed role came in a Robert E. Kelley TV show (the aforementioned Boston Legal)... so it seems everything is coming full circle. And good news all around, really.

Harry's Law returns Wednesday, Sept. 21st at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Here's the synopsis from NBC's website:

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned during my years watching films it’s that you can never have too much Helen Mirren. Sure, it sort of seems like she’s been in everything for the past few years, but has she been in anything that’s not good? Anything that hasn’t earned her a nomination or 12? She’s 65-years-old and is still making movies. We should be thanking her for not walking away ages ago.

You’ll be able to catch the Oscar winner in Julie Taymor’s The Tempest, which will be closing the Venice Film Festival in September. A new poster for the Shakespeare adaptation has popped up over at Yahoo! and it looks...well...it looks like a Julie Taymor movie (she directed Across the Universe if that helps give you a frame of reference.) Alongside the living legend, you’ll be able to see Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina, Alan Cumming, Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, among many many other amazing names. The cast also includes Russell Brand, letting audiences see the two on screen together before the Arthur reboot. An all-star cast to say the very least.

Scope out the poster below and bide your time until December when you’ll finally be able to bask in the glory that this movie will be, simply because it means we’ll get even more Helen Mirren.

On Monday we got to see four minutes of footage from the upcoming The Sorcerer's Apprentice. One of the videos featured was the first meeting between Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) and a young Dave (Jake Cherry), where Balthazar confirms that young kid is destined to become a great sorcerer. Now, thanks to Yahoo!, we have now have that entire scene.

While I still maintain high-hopes for this film, the clip starts off too creepy for words. You have a dirty Nic Cage who is doing his best to calm down an obviously nervous kid. So what does he do? He magically closes the doors and stops Dave dead in his tracks. There are multiple stories just like this popping up in the news everyday, only they involve a different and much worse definition of "magic tricks." We can only hope that Cage doesn't give off the same vibe throughout the film, but until then, check out the five minute clip below (or in HD over at Yahoo!)