Spider-Man 2 Almost Featured A Very Uncomfortable Love Triangle

"Spider-Man 2" is often considered the best of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy and one of the greatest comic book adaptations of all time, with the film's cast, action, and story elements all praised by viewers and critics alike. However, the filmmakers at one point had the idea of creating a bizarre love triangle between Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), and a younger Doctor Octopus — a plotline that was nixed before it could ever make it to the big screen.

In a behind-the-scenes featurette taking a closer look at the making of "Spider-Man 2," producer Avi Arad brought up a once-planned relationship that didn't make it into the second installment of the "Spider-Man" trilogy: a young Doctor Octopus would be obsessed with MJ, sparking a rivalry with Peter. "We had another storyline, which thankfully didn't go anywhere," Arad said (via YouTube). "It was about Doc Ock, a younger Doc Ock, who was actually infatuated with Mary Jane and creates a love triangle. Some of us don't like love triangles. Not like that — not with a main villain. And we went through a process. I think we chose well."

Thankfully, the idea was scrapped and the franchise brought in Alfred Molina to play an older, more comic-accurate Doctor Otto Octavius, serving as Peter's mentor-turned-villain with no direct relationship — especially a romantic one — with Mary Jane. The casting worked out, with Molina recently reprising the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

The love triangle between Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, and a young Doctor Octopus wasn't the only scrapped story element developed before the script for "Spider-Man 2" was finalized. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, two writers credited on the screenplay for the film, initially had even more villains set to appear, with Black Cat and the Lizard once penciled in to join the project. When screenwriter Michael Chabon reworked the script, he was the one who made Otto younger and responsible for Peter gaining and losing his powers. Ultimately, veteran scribe Alvin Sargent came aboard to write the final screenplay alongside Raimi.

In the end, there wasn't a love triangle in "Spider-Man 2"; even with MJ being engaged to astronaut John Jameson (Daniel Gillies) for much of the story, it's while she's estranged from Peter. And while Harry Osborn (James Franco) and Mary Jane share a kiss in "Spider-Man 3," it doesn't go far enough to be considered a romance, since it's mostly Harry's one-sided pining for MJ while trying to destroy Peter's life. In the comics, Spider-Man has enjoyed plenty of love triangles, most notably with Mary Jane and Black Cat — but he never directly competed with Doc Ock for MJ's hand.