Which actor played Doctor Octopus in the 2004 film Spider-Man 2?

Alfred Molina played Doctor Octopus in the 2004 film Spider-Man 2. He portrayed Dr. Otto Octavius, a brilliant scientist whose experimental fusion project transforms him into Spider-Man’s principal antagonist.

Octavius begins the film as Peter Parker’s professional inspiration and a respected physicist. During a dangerous demonstration, his fusion experiment goes wrong, killing his wife, Rosalie, and permanently fusing four artificial intelligence-controlled tentacles to his spine. The tentacles’ neural influence helps push him toward the identity Doctor Octopus.

Molina’s performance was notable because it gave the villain a tragic personal history rather than presenting him as evil from the beginning. His scenes opposite Tobey Maguire helped make the conflict both physical and emotional, especially as Peter tries to remind Octavius of the scientist he once was.

Molina later reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which connects several earlier Spider-Man film universes through its multiverse story. That appearance does not change who played the character in the 2004 film.