Featured Image Credit: CBS/Disney
Topics: Film and TV, Spider-Man
Jess Hardiman
Alfred Molina has said there’s one huge problem that even CGI can’t fix after he was de-aged in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Released in 2021, No Way Home followed what happened after our friendly webslinger’s identity was revealed, bringing his responsibilities as a superhero into conflict with his normal life – while also putting the lives of his loved ones at risk.
The film stunned audiences when it brought back Spider-Man's foes from the ages for an incredible multiversal battle, including Doctor Octopus, played by Alfred Molina.
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Of course, the last Spidey flick Molina had featured in was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 in 2004, meaning a fair bit of time had passed since then.
He said he felt ‘amazed’ to be back, especially as the movie also saw the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s respective Spider-Men, but was admittedly quite surprised.
Speaking about filming on CBS’ The Talk, Molina recalled: “We were on the set and all three Spideys were there. We were shooting a sequence where they all turn up.
“And I just remember thinking, ‘Well, this is a bit of a moment.’
“Because I was amazed when they asked me to come back – it's 17 years since the previous movie.
“I said to the director, ‘I’ve got crow’s feet! I’ve got a double chin! I’ve got wobble!’
“And he said, ‘Oh, don’t worry Alfred. Did you see what we did for [Samuel L] Jackson? You’ll be fine.’”
Molina said Robert Downey Jr had also been de-aged ‘a little bit’ for the Iron Man movies, which helped convince him.
"I said, ‘Well, yeah, do it’,” he continued.
“It took about three weeks off me!”
But there was a catch, as there are still limits with CGI.
“This is the thing, they can do the face, but you end up walking and moving like your age,” Molina said.
“I looked young, but I was still kind of going [strains to get out of chair].”
Earlier this week, it was reported that the next instalment in Tom Holland's Spider-Man movie series could be coming to cinemas by the middle of 2024.
According to TechRadar, a number of 'reliable Marvel movie leakers' are hearing that the fourth MCU version of Spider-Man will enter production next year with a view to a 'mid-2024' release.
They reckon a fourth Spider-Man movie could end up hitting cinemas at some time between April and June 2024, and might be the film which caps off the current 'phase five' of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The leaks also suggest Jon Watts, director of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home is wanted for a fourth stint in the chair.
However, the director may be thinking it's time to move on from superhero movies after departing the MCU's Fantastic Four project following a bit of burnout from the genre.