Kathryn Hahn is finally getting her well earned moment in the spotlight. Appearing as the nosey neighbor in Marvel’s pseudo-sitcom, WandaVision, Hahn continues to broaden her audience reach and cement her place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2018, Hahn stunned audiences by taking on the villainous role of Doctor Olivia Octavius in the award-winning animated film, Into The Spider-Verse. While the star-studded movie received rave reviews praising its animation and soundtrack, critics also highlighted Hahn’s gender-swapped performance as Dr. Olivia Octavius as a standout feature of the film.
With reports of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Alfred Molina reprising their past roles in the upcoming live-action Spider-Man film, it only seems fit that Hahn’s Dr. ‘Liv’ Octavius get equal opportunity to make her live-feature debut. The presence of compelling and complex female villains is still a rarity in Hollywood, and Hahn’s Spider-Verse role has the potential to make her a rarified supervillain. Add in Doc Ock’s tragic origin story, and this could be a certified blockbuster.
There is plenty of Doc Ock material in the comics that the Spider-Man films have yet to explore. Into the Spider-Verse, alludes to one exciting possible premise for a female Doc Ock centered feature, when it hints at a former relationship between Dr. Octavius and Aunt May. Following Dr. Octavius’s surprising reveal in Into the Spider-Verse, Peter Parker remarks, “Can I assume that your friends call you Doc Ock?,” to which Octavius replies, “My friends actually call me Liv. My enemies call me Doc Ock.”
Later on, as Kingpin’s squadron of villains infiltrates the Parker household, Aunt May begrudgingly remarks, “Oh great, it’s Liv.” Evidently, in this universe the two women are aware of each other on a first-name basis, making way for a potential Dr. Octavius, Aunt May romance in future films. This potential storyline has a significant grounding in the Spider-Man comics, as one issue sees Doc Ock almost marry Aunt May.
If there’s any doubt that Hahn can adapt her version of Dr. Octavius to the live-action format, skeptics need only look to her season-long stint on NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, as the ruthless and cunning political strategist, Jennifer Barkley. Throughout the show’s fifth season, Barkley bests the genuine, idealistic Leslie Nope time and time again, by blatantly lying and manipulating those around her for her own political gain. Barkley, a big-time Washington political strategist is hired to run the campaign of infantile Pawnee trust-fund kid, Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd). Hahn is at once smarmy, charming, and unreadable in the role, with a Cheshire cat smile that serves as her constant poker face. There’s no doubt that she can the same bring intrigue and complexity to a live-action villain.
Moreover, Hahn has made a career out of playing complex women and can surely access the emotional depth necessary for a Joker-level antagonist. Hahn’s role on WandaVision has only further cemented her antagonistic potential, as fan speculation surrounding Agnes’s true villainous identity has been circulating the internet.
During an interview with Looper, Hahn was asked about whether she thinks that her WandaVision role could jeopardize other live-action MCU opportunities. She stated that she’s “not aware of any reason that her live-action presence on WandaVision and her Spider-Verse role should get in each other’s way.” She also noted that “[WandaVision] feels unlike anything that the MCU has ever done before on so many levels. I just feel like the rules are changing every second. And the rules are, ‘There really are no rules.'”
Whether or not Hahn’s Dr. Octavius becomes a live-action reality, one thing is for sure: This is only the beginning of the Hahnaissance.
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