Returning 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' villains tease 'modern' redesigns and 'upgrades' at CCXP event

Sony made the return of classic Spider-Man villains in No Way Home feel all the more real by holding a special discussion panel with Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin), Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus), and Jamie Foxx (Electro) at Brazil's CCXP this weekend.

Appearing virtually from a studio set, the three actors were asked for their thoughts on coming back to the Marvel Universe after all these years. Dafoe described the experience as "same, but different," while promising that Norman Osborn and his psychotic alter ego aren't exactly the same as we remember them from two decades ago.

"It's a return to something I did before with that kind of history, but there's a spin on it, and that appealed to me," he said, later adding: "I don't know how much we want to fool with spoilers, but the look's a little different. Norman and the Goblin are further down the line and they have a few more tricks up their sleeve. There have been upgrades on the costumes, let's say."

Molina then broached the fact that Doc Ock's mechanical tentacles are now fully CG creations, as opposed to the practical puppets used on Spider-Man 2. "That's the big difference," he said, echoing what Sam Raimi told SYFY WIRE a few months ago. "But it's just a great story and it's a wonderful world to be in," he continued. "If I say so myself, we're having a lot of fun."

Foxx, on the other hand, was ecstatic to see Electro receive a costume that was not only more accurate to the comics, but also dispensed with the polarizing blue aesthetic the character had in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. "I'm happy we got a brand-new start, a brand-new look," he admitted. "The blue, when we did it the first time... look, man, I didn't care. I was just happy to be in this wonderful chorus ... With this one, it just feels more comfortable and I think it feels more today, modern. Not trying so hard."

Watch the full discussion below:

The most recent trailer for No Way Home also confirmed the return of Sandman and the Lizard, but we're starting to wonder if Thomas Haden Church and Rhys Ifans were also asked to reprise those roles (they may end up being non-verbal). Even so, fans continue to lose their minds over the chance to see these ghosts of Spider-Men past make their way into the MCU.

"The first time you see Doc and the rest of the characters that come back, it’s so exciting — and it’s such a huge moment in cinematic history," Tom Holland, the current Peter Parker, said last month. "It’s three generations coming together."

Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives in theaters everywhere Friday, Dec. 17. Tickets are now on sale.