Spider-Man 3: MCU fans worried for Tom Holland’s character following Sinister Six tease

Doc Ock news spells further disaster for web-slinger

Spider-Man fans are even more convinced that the latest casting announcement has all but confirmed a massive Marvel introduction.

It has been reported that Alfred Molina will be returning as Doctor Octopus in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s third Spider-Man film.

This follows the news that Jamie Foxx will also appear as Electro, which is leading fans to believe that the Sinister Six will finally be coming together in a live-action film.

The news has caused excitement due to the fact that both characters appeared in Spider-Man films that were released before Iron Man kickstarted the MCU in 2008 – Molina in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Foxx in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).

Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield played the superhero in these films, respectively. According to reports, Maguire is in talks to return alongside Mary-Jane Watson star Kirsten Dunst.

The casting news is leading to many theories, although it’s assumed at this stage that the returns will occur thanks to the multiverse – different worlds that feature a whole host of Marvel characters, dead and alive.

This multiverse is expected to be explored in new Disney+ TV show WandaVision as well as the forthcoming Doctor Strange sequel. Benedict Cumberbatch’s superhero is also appearing in the untitled Spider-Man 3. 

In a funny twist, original Spider-Man filmmaker Raimi will be directing Doctor Strange 2.

Tom Holland will be reprising his role as Peter Parker in the new Spider-Man film and, just last month, released the first look at his character.

Whether he’ll be facing the Sinister Six remains to be seen, but an appearance of the villainous group comprising characters from the world of Spider-Man seems more likely than ever following Molina’s casting.

Mysterio could have paved the way for the Sinister Six’s arrival in the MCU (Rex Features)

Sony, who owns film rights to these characters, was planning on releasing a Sinister Six film before deciding to give one of its members, Venom, a standalone film.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, who showed up in Spider-Man: Far From Home, is another member of the Sinister Six. The new film is expected to pick up shortly after he unveiled Parker’s true identity to the world – perhaps it’s this that leads to the group’s formation?

That’s not it on the villainous front – there’s also Tom Hardy’s Venom, who will be appearing in a 2021 sequel following huge success with his standalone film in 2018.

To make matters worse for Holland’s Spider-Man, Scorpion (yes, another villain) is also expected to show up. While unconfirmed, reports have claimed he’ll be played by Better Cal Saul star Michael Mando.

Then there’s Morbius. Jared Leto will be playing this particular Spider-Man character in his own film, the trailer of which surprisingly featured Vulture, the villain played by Michael Keaton in Holland’s first Spider-Man film.

“We already have five of the Sinister Six... poor Peter,” one fan wrote, with another excitedly asking: “If #SpiderMan3 does have the #SinisterSix, I hope we get a twisted and dark homage to this shot from the Avengers as the villains team up for the first time.”

In response to confusion about the new casting, one fan wrote: “It will be a multiverse started off by WandaVision and how we get the Sinister Six” with another branding the idea “legitimately the coolest thing I've heard in a while”.

"I am personally ready to be blown the f*** away," another concluded.

Spider-Man 3 will is scheduled to be released in December 2021.