This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.Ever since his creation by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko all the way back in 1963, Doctor Octopus has been one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains. While he’s arguably overshadowed by the Green Goblin as Spider-Man’s true archnemesis, the metal-armed mad scientist has still held a special place in the hearts of countless fans for nearly 60 years now.
It’s only natural, then, that the return of Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock — an interaction of the character that first appeared in 2004’sSpider-Man 2— was the big reveal used to build hype aroundSpider-Man: No Way Homewhen its first trailer released. Fans were overjoyed to see Otto Octavius back on the big screen,and the film’s marketingdefinitely played him up as a major selling point of the film. But whileNo Way Homedefinitely made excellent use of Doctor Octopus, it may not be in the way that most people expected.
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A Kinder, Gentler Ock
Sure enough, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus plays a significant role inNo Way Home. However, after his introductory sequence fighting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, Otto doesn’t play much of an antagonistic role at all. He spends the bulk of the second act held captive in the Sanctum Sanctorum, unable to do anything but hurl condescending remarks at Spidey from within his magical holding cell. However, Ock does impact the plot in one very important way —he reveals that Norman Osborn(Willem Dafoe) is fated to die fighting his universe’s Spider-Man, causing Peter to question whether Doctor Strange’s mission of sending the multiversal villains back home is a righteous one.
After Peter resolves to cure the villains before sending them back to their home universes, Otto serves as his first patient. Peter creates a new inhibitor chip to replace the one that was damaged back inSpider-Man 2. With the chip replaced, Otto is no longer subjected to the mental influence of his tentacles, leaving him in full control of his mind once more. In one of the most moving scenes of the film, Otto is nearly brought to tears when he realizes that the sinister voices in his head have been silenced at long last.
From that point on,Doctor Octopus the supervillainis no more — not only does Otto never again challenge Spider-Man in battle, he doesn’t offer any hostility at all. Out of gratitude for helping him, Otto becomes completely devoted to Peter’s cure project. But alas, he doesn’t get the chance to offer much help before Norman Osborn is taken over by his Green Goblin persona. The Goblin destroys Peter’s lab, declaring that the villains’ powers should be used for personal gain, not cured. After a fight breaks out, Otto escapes, vanishing into the night.
Not Beyond Redemption
However, Otto ends up returning to aid Spider-Man and his multiversal variants (naturally played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield) during the final battle at the Statue of Liberty, helping them cure Electro. Otto even shares a brief moment withthe Spider-Man from his universe,filled with pride that the young Peter he knew grew up to become a mature, contented hero. There isn’t a hint of animosity or conflict between them — only a bond between two former rivals who have made peace with one another.
Of course, this is all very much in line with the characterization of the Doc Ock fromSpider-Man 2. Director Sam Raimi portrayed Otto as a once-kind scientist whose descent into villainy was the result of trauma, not malice or greed. Though he had his moments of ruthlessness and cruelty, he was still framed as a tragic, sympathetic figure underneath his wicked facade. And in the end, Otto saw the error of his ways, choosing to atone for his crimes by sacrificing his own lifeto save New Yorkfrom his haywire reactor.
The storytellers behindNo Way Home— director Jon Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers — could have easily played up Doctor Octopus’ more supervillainous side, making him a primary antagonist alongside the Green Goblin. After all, he’s Spider-Man’s second most famous nemesis, it’d make sense for him to be portrayed as a major villain in the MCU. However, by placing more emphasis on Otto’s humanity, the filmmakers touched on one of the main qualities that makes Doc Ock such a compelling character to begin with.
While Spider-Man has plenty of sympathetic villains in the comics (Sandman, Vulture, Rhino, and Lizard, to name a few), his most powerful enemies are typically portrayed as irredeemably evil.Green Goblin is the most obviousexample, but Kingpin and Carnage also fall into this category. However, Doctor Octopus has frequently shown that while he can be just as vicious as his fellow villains, he also has the capacity to do good. For a brief time, he even attempted to be a hero as the Superior Spider-Man, though this endeavor ended poorly. Even so, Otto Octavius has shown time and time again that he isn’t pure evil — there’s still good in him, and he can indeed be redeemed.
More Than a Villain
By having Doctor Octopus go through a redemption arc instead of simply depicting him as a villain,No Way Homefurther emphasizes its themes of compassion, forgiveness, and second chances. But more than that, it also shines a spotlight onthe multi-dimensional characterizationthat makes Otto Octavius such a beloved character in the first place. Doc Ock may seem like just another supervillain, but he’s also so much more.
Some fans may be disappointed that one of Spider-Man’s biggest villains only gets to face off with Peter for one scene before he ceases being a threat. However, the way Doc Ock is utilized inNo Way Homeis arguably an even better showing for his character than if they’d simply reduced him to a typical supervillain. By focusing on the inner goodness within Otto Octavius, the film proves once again what makes him such a fascinating figure in the first place. It’s not Doc Ock’s metal arms or keen criminal mind that make him a great villain, but his status as a nuanced, sympathetic antagonistamong Peter Parker’s deadliest rogues.Doctor Octopus may not be particularly villainous inNo Way Home, but he’s still the same superior character who fans love.
