Though director Sam Raimi might not have pioneered the introduction of Spiderman to the film industry, he helped popularize it. The Spider-Man trilogy which spanned from 2002 to 2007, cemented the superhero’s existence in the film industry. There have been several relaunches ever since, from Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man film series to the current Tom Holland’s MCU version. Regardless, it all traces back to Raimi’s trilogy as the superhero’s archetype.
Yet, no movie was ever made perfect. The hasty ending of Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 was regarded as a misfit, and MCU fanatics pondered over the problematic scene. However, after 17 years of its release, Tom Holland’s No Way Home tried to present a fulfilling explanation for it.
Doctor Octopus: Good or Bad?
It goes without saying for Spider-Man fans that Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock was one of the greatest supervillains of the franchise. Although, initially, Otto Octavius appeared as a good scientist, using his intellect to help humankind. More so, he was a mentor to Peter Parker. However, a sudden turn of events tragically turned Otto into a villain, with his mechanical arms taking control over his brain. Later on, causing havoc in the city, Ock engages in a battle with Spidey, only to be turned back into his original human self by an emotional pep talk.
While the comic books might have justified the ending, the feature film seemed a bit too hasty. Doctor Ock’s sudden change of heart in the 2004 film seemed like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit into a seamlessly portrayed storyline. Not a complete blunder, but it seemed to irk fans on what might have happened. Therefore, 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home took the initiative to provide a constructive backstory to the ending, per ScreenRant.
MCU’s No Way Home solves the mystery
The multiversal angle of No Way Home seemed like a good opportunity to finish off what Raimi had started. After Tom Holland’s Peter Parker interrupts Doctor Strange’s spell, it opens portals to multiple universes that pull back all the villains from the Spider-verse. Similarly, an equally jaw-dropping encounter with each of the major Peter Parkers, Tobey McGuire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland follows.
With all the villains pulled together, Doctor Strange attempts to send them back to their universes. But Holland’s Parker thinks of a better solution. He tries to mend or heal the villains, an ambitious effort. If not others, Parker fixed Ock by undoing the villainy of his tentacles. Next thing you know, Otto is back to the good scientist he ever was. Otto recalls that his last memory of the previous universe before being pulled to the present, is him holding Spider-Man by the neck, intending to kill him.
After Doctor Strange sends back all the villains, it is expected Ock returns to the same scene created by Saimi. Now, the explanation for the abrupt ending of Spider-Man 2 could be that Ock was fixed at that very moment and returned to the universe. We can’t deny MCU really put a lot of thought into this. Consequently, fans were relieved to have found a justification for the decade-old ending.
