Casting Doctor Octopus For Sony & Marvel’s Sinister Six

Who should play Dr. Otto Octavius (a.k.a. Doctor Octopus, a.k.a. Doc Ock) in a future Sinister Six movie? Sony first started teasing a big screen debut for the Sinister Six back in the Andrew Garfield-fronted Amazing Spider-Man series. From the confines of his prison cell, Norman Osborn begins orchestrating a wave of anarchy over New York City by recruiting a team of like-minded supervillains. An Oscorp lab facility is seen to hold the wings of Vulture, the Rhino armor, and a set of mechanical octopus arms. Unfortunately, Sony’s decision to drop The Amazing Spider-Man meant the Sinister Six storyline went no further than Paul Giamatti’s brief cameo.

The rest is history. Marvel swooped in to borrow Spidey for the MCU, casting Tom Holland as the web-slinger, and Sony began producing a series of films based on Spider-Man‘s villains, beginning with Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock in 2018’s Venom. As of November 2020, Hardy is set to return in Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Jared Leto will debut as Morbius in the vampire’s own self-titled venture, and it’s the latter that set the Sinister Six rumor mill spinning once again. The Morbius trailer shows Michael Keaton’s Vulture (as seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming) making contact with Leto’s Morbius. Meanwhile, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is rumored to feature in the upcoming Venom sequel, and Electro is coming to the MCU.

The merging of the MCU with Sony’s Spider-Man universe and the unlikely returns of Vulture and Electro make a Sinister Six movie increasingly likely. When that happens, Doc Ock’s status as a top-tier Spider-Man villain virtually guarantees his position in the supervillain team. But who should play the multi-armed mischief-maker?

Bryan Cranston

A brilliant but dangerous scientist abandons his moral principles, and becomes an outlaw after attracting the attention of local law enforcement with his deadly but groundbreaking experiments. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before… As much as Walter White and Otto Octavius might follow similar character arcs, the two characters exist in entirely different worlds, meaning a Bryan Cranston Doc Ock would be much more than just a comic book Heisenberg. In Breaking Bad, Cranston turned a tortured, morally gray scientist into the role of a lifetime, but from his work in Malcolm in the Middle and Power Rangers, the award-winning actor evidently has the power to flip into overblown and cartoonish territory quicker than Peter Parker can thwip a web. Comic book fans have been calling for Cranston to join the superhero genre for some time, and Doctor Octopus is one of the more obvious vacancies in the Marvel realm. Although with his acting chops, Bryan Cranston could play Aunt May and still receive glowing reviews.

David Tennant

Unlike Cranston, David Tennant has danced with the superhero genre on several occasions, but never quite broken into the Marvel or DC mainstream. Tennant was one of the names touted by fans for Riddler in The Dark Knight Rises before Christopher Nolan chose Bane as the film’s villain, and the Doctor Who actor starred as Kilgrave in Netflix’s Jessica Jones – arguably one of the best live-action Marvel villains in any medium. From his time in the TARDIS, fans know that Tennant can play the mad scientist tropes to perfection, but his version of The Doctor was also responsible for Time Lord Victorious – an arrogant, hubris-fueled Doctor who got too big for his boots. Sound familiar? Kilgrave highlights Tennant’s ability to be sinister when necessary, and playing Crowley in Good Omens has brought out more of a devilish antihero, which suits Doc Ock’s background as a corrupted scientist. Tennant’s past in Marvel TV shouldn’t be a problem – Mahershala Ali appeared in Luke Cage before being cast as the MCU’s Blade.

Lance Reddick

The biggest problem with any Sinister Six film will be balancing the various larger-than-life personalities. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 had no other villains to contend with, but that same timeless portrayal wouldn’t necessarily work as part of a team-up. With the likes of Vulture and Electro already in place, the new Doctor Octopus could be a more reticent, mysterious figure who plays his cards close to his chest, and Lance Reddick can deliver those qualities effortlessly. From Abaddon in Lost and Lt. Daniels of The Wire to John Wick‘s Charon, Reddick is a master at keeping the audience guessing, which would be a refreshing live-action trait for the next Doc Ock. Beyond those well-known roles, Reddick is an underrated comic actor, which would work well in the Spider-Man universe, and proved his range extends far beyond unnerving calmness in Corporate, where he routinely deals out stinging verbal assaults to hapless office workers. Reddick also possesses another important Doctor Octopus quality – the ability to look intelligent at all times.

Natalia Tena

The award-winning, widely acclaimed Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse featured a female Doctor Octopus, Olivia Octavius, and Kathryn Hahn memorably provided the voice for this multi-armed villain. Like everything else in the Oscar-winning animation, Hahn’s Doc Ock was fresh and modern, while still respecting and drawing influence from the original comic character. Hahn paved the way for a future Olivia Octavius in live-action, and while the actress herself might’ve been a contender for Sinister Six had she not landed a major part in the MCU’s WandaVision, a Doc Ock in the Spider-Verse mold would be a strong option for what looks increasingly like a male-dominated group. One actress who could take Kathryn Hahn’s Doctor Octopus into live-action is Natalia Tena, known primarily for playing Tonks in Harry Potter and Osha in Game of Thrones. As Osha, Tena balanced a savage side with redeemable features, while her stint in The Mandalorian landed in outright villainous territory, hinting that a comic book supervillain wouldn’t sit outside of the actress’ capabilities. However, the best indication of Natalia Tena’s suitability for Doctor Octopus comes in Black Mirror, in which she plays a mentally unstable outsider who hears voices.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is going to play a comic book villain at some point – it might as well as Doctor Octopus. Simply put, Bardem has given Hollywood some of its greatest ever antagonists, from Anton in No Country For Old Men to Raoul Silva in Skyfall, one of 007’s best enemies, and it’s only a matter of time before his talents are put to use in the superhero genre. While Bardem could realistically turn his evil hand to any number of Marvel baddies, Doctor Octopus feels like a keen fit due to the moral complexity of the character, which gives the Oscar-winning actor more substance to work with. Assuming Sony’s Sinister Six are pitted against Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Bardem would surely prove an effective sparring partner for Peter Parker. With Michael Keaton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., Holland has forged instant chemistry opposite more experienced Hollywood actors, and Bardem’s Doc Ock could bring the best out of the current Spidey. Arguably, Bardem’s casting wouldn’t represent a huge evolution from Alfred Molina’s previous live-action Octavius, but if it isn’t broke, Sony doesn’t necessarily need to fix it.

Ken Watanabe

Appearing in more than one Christopher Nolan film is a sign of quality for any actor, and it’s remarkable that Ken Watanabe has yet to make his MCU debut, but Marvel’s loss could be Sony’s gain. Playing Dr. Serizawa in the Godzilla franchise, Watanabe is more than accustomed to portraying scientists who pursue a unique and dangerous area of study, while Inception saw the actor tackle the part of a forthright and direct businessman – all ingredients that could work in the next live-action Doctor Octopus. Moreover, Watanabe has a long history of bringing tragic figures to life with stunning, layered performances in cinematic heavyweights such as Unforgiven, Letters From Iwo Jima and Detective Pikachu. If the Sinister Six‘s Doctor Octopus retains the emotive backstory of the comic books or Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, Watanabe would be an ideal choice to emphasize the redemptive qualities of Doc Ock over his traditional villainous desire for revenge on Spider-Man.