Spider-Man 3 is beginning to look like the biggest event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. Following quickly on from the news that Alfred Molina is reprising the role of Doctor Octopus for the upcoming sequel, rumors have now begun to fiercely circulate that Charlie Cox's Daredevil will also join the ever-growing roster. Bringing back Cox as Daredevil would be just one of several surprising casting additions for Spider-Man 3, with Molina and Jamie Foxx both set to return as villains from separate iterations of the webslinger, as well as the rampant speculation that Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Kirsten Dunst will all join Tom Holland on his latest adventure.

The timing of Daredevil reportedly being brought back into the fray certainly fits, with the rights to the beloved vigilante now back in the hands of Marvel following the expiration of the long-running moratorium. As a result of Marvel's agreement with Netflix, the studio has been unable to include the character in any of their recent shows or movies, but, with the Netflix movie and TV rights to Daredevil reverting to Marvel at the end of last month, everything may finally be coming together.

Following a very well-received third season, the cancellation of Daredevil left both fans and cast members stunned. The series ended with our hero Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who fights crime under the guise of Daredevil, finally beating the villainous Kingpin into submission. With the tyrannical gangster back behind bars, and Matt agreeing to once again work alongside his friends Foggy and Karen, the final shot reveals that newly introduced supervillain Bullseye is alive and ready to wreak havoc with his particular set of skills. Clearly, there is a lot more of Daredevil's story to tell, with the show now considered by many to be one of the best comic book adaptations ever made.

In the past, Charlie Cox has not sounded too optimistic about this version of the Man Without Fear continuing with Disney. "I don't feel that way, no. And, I don't know why I don't feel that way," the actor said previously. "But, I haven't been given any reason to believe that. And, from a cynical point of view, it just feels like maybe I'm trying to protect myself, 'cause I'd love nothing more than to do it again."

The actor has even addressed the possibility of appearing in Spider-Man 3 saying, "I hadn't heard those rumors, but it's certainly not with my Daredevil. I'm not involved in it. If that's true, it's not with me. It's with another actor." Of course, this would not be the first time that an actor has denied starring in a future project...

For now, this is just a rumor, and one that sounds far too good to be true. But then so did the return of Alfred Molina's Doc Ock and yet, here we are. If anything, the return of Daredevil makes a whole lot more sense than that of Doc Ock or Foxx's Electro, as at least the Netflix series was set within the MCU and not a completely different set of movies from years ago.

Following a series of delays due to the ongoing global situation, production on Spider-Man 3 is now well underway, and while specific plot details remain under wraps, it was recently revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange will join Spidey on his latest adventure, with the character set to take on the mentor role previously held by Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man. While that may not be too surprising an addition, the Doctor Strange sequel is set to follow the Master of the Mystic Arts as he tackles the multiverse, opening the possibility that Spider-Man 3 will be a continuation of this theme and ultimately lead to all kinds of comic book craziness and alternate character appearances.

Unfortunately, audiences will have to wait over a year to find out what on earth is going on, as Spider-Man 3 is not due for release until December 17, 2021. This comes to us from the often reliable Murphy's Multiverse.