Spider-Man: No Way Home: Every character rumored to show up from around the multiverse

If you have been anywhere online for the past few months, surely you have come across a Spider-Man rumor or two. The third film in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man franchise looks to be a multiverse mashup of Spider-Men past and present with some special guests along the way.

With all of the headlines coming out from the woodwork, it can be hard to separate the official announcements from the credible rumors or the long shots. Let’s break down all of the rumors and divide this mess into a manageable list of official and probable to occur in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Official Announcements

Official announcements, specifically for the Spider-Man franchise, come either through Marvel Studios, Sony, or the industry trades (Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, etc.) As of now, there are not many official announcements given the magnitude of rumors circulating the internet. Still, the trades have given fans a fair amount of official information to work with.

Jaime Foxx as Electro

First off, Jaime Foxx will return as Electro from Andrew Garfield’s tenure as Peter Parker. This rumor had been circulating for months, with even a seeming confirmation from Foxx himself (he has since deleted the confirmation message on Instagram.) It was not until The Hollywood Reporter confirmed his casting in the film that his inclusion became official. Foxx did tease that his Electro will have a different look this time around, so don’t be surprised if other characters follow suit.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Next up is Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. The MCU multiverse arc began to take shape with this casting announcement. Kevin Feige is working towards a three-part multiverse arc in the MCU consisting of WandaVision, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Strange’s inclusion in the next Spider-Man film will reportedly be a mentor role for Holland’s Peter Parker as he deals with a multiverse of Spidey problems. Cumberbatch’s casting was reported in Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.

Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus

Finally, Alfred Molina will return as Doctor Octopus, a classic villain from the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man era. Molina’s eight-limbed supervillain first debuted in 2004’s Spider-Man 2. Molina’s casting officially linked all three live-action, Spider-Man universes and points to the obvious next step of bringing back Garfield and Maguire themselves.

It is also worth noting that Sam Raimi, the original director of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man franchise, will direct the second Doctor Strange film. While it may have little importance to what will eventually show up on-screen, it’s interesting to see that the multiverse seems to be expanding behind the camera as well as on-screen.

Probable Rumors

As with any comic book movie, rumors continue to fly around online concerning the cast of multiverse characters showing up in Tom Holland’s next outing as Spider-Man. While none of these rumors should be taken as gospel truth until an official source reports it, typically, if enough independent sources say the same thing, it usually means there is truth to it. Here are the spider-verse rumors that are most likely to happen.

Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire

Of course, here is the big one: the crown jewel of the MCU multiverse. It is widely accepted that both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire will return alongside Tom Holland for the ultimate Spider-Man showcase. The widely accepted rumor is that Garfield has already signed on, while Maguire will most likely sign on any day now. Additional, but less reliable, rumors include their cameos extending into Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone

Additionally, it seems that both Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone will return as Maguire’s Mary Jane Watson and Garfield’s Gwen Stacey, respectively. Dunst already signed while Stone is likely to return but has not signed yet because of concerns about scheduling around her real-life pregnancy.

Charlie Cox as Daredevil

Depending on how deep you are invested in the MCU, this one may be the most exciting addition to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Many credible sources are now reporting that Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil from the Netflix original series. For fans begging Disney to revive the show on Disney+, this is a great sign. Murdock is reportedly set to be Peter Parker’s lawyer, but no word on how extensive his role in the film will be.

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool

It’s also worth mentioning a growing rumor that Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool will make some kind of cameo either in Spider-Man: No Way Home or Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Recent news that development of Deadpool 3 is moving forward caused speculation to erupt online, but the R-rated nature of the character makes it difficult to predict when and how Deadpool will show up in the MCU. 

Update 1: Willem Dafoe and Thomas Hayden Church

Since the launch of this article, speculation has grown grown around the possibility of Willem Dafoe returning as Green Goblin for next Spider-Man film. Dafoe portrayed the original Green Goblin in Toby Maguire’s series. Later in there series, Dafoe passed the mantle down to James Franco who portrayed his son in the film. No word on the possibility of Franco’s return.

In addition to reports of Dafoe’s return, it has also been reported that Thomas Haden Church will return as the villain Sandman. Like Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Church’s Sandman originated in Tobey Maguire’s film series, portraying the secondary villain of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Update 2: Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff

Rumor has is that after her solo journey on Disney+’s WandaVision, the Scarlett Witch will make her next appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff is confirmed to appear in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but its rumored that her multiverse story arc will continue sooner than expected in the next Spider-Man film.

What do you think about this line up? Do you think Spider-Man: No Way Home is looking too crowded? Let us know down below and check out some more stories on Filmnetic