The writer of Ant-Man 3, Jeff Loveness, has discussed the inspiration behind the movie’s version on MODOK and what viewers can anticipate.
The presence of MODOK in the first Phase 5 film from Marvel Studios is expected. It had been long rumored that the character will appear in Ant-Man 3, and Marvel Studios’ presentation at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con made it official.
With the help of a spoiler-filled Funko Pop! and a brief revelation in the Quantumania trailer, fans then got their first look at MODOK’s big-screen appearance.
The real question is how the MCU’s depiction of the big-headed villain will differ from that of the comics and television; and now, according to Jeff Loveness of Marvel Studios, fans have some fresh information about MODOK from Ant-Man 3.
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MODOK from Ant-Man 3 Has Been Revealed
In an interview with SFX magazine, the author of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Jeff Loveness, provided fresh insight into the MCU’s MODOK and the “little bit of extra” he and Marvel Studios infused the antagonist with.
Loveness claims that MODOK is possibly her most prized possession from the film “and even made light of the possibility that he would “get fired off The Kang Dynasty when people see it:”
“We obviously stayed extremely true to the comics in terms of style and appearance, but we also gave him a little something extra. When people see The Kang Dynasty, I might lose my job, although some of my favorite scenes are from MODOK and its dynamic characters.”
Loveness revealed that “A Fish Called Wanda and Frank Grimes in an old Simpsons episode” served as MODOK’s inspirations in Ant-Man 3.
“Let’s just say he was influenced by Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda and Frank Grimes in an old Simpsons episode — this extremely put-upon, greedy, entitled but also really unhappy, insecure man who knows he got a terrible deal in life and is trying to make the most of it,” the author said.
For comparison, Frank Grimes from The Simpsons is renowned for his unending misfortune and for being Homer Simpson’s self-declared adversary.
Otto West, the character played by Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda, is a hot-tempered weapons expert who abhors the British.
What viewers already know about this MODOK is that Corey Stoll’s portrayal of the original Ant-Man villain Darren Cross is the enormous face hiding beneath the mask.
When Cross’ Yellowjacket outfit was broken during the climax of the 2015 movie, he uncontrollably shrank and vanished. It is unclear exactly how Quantumania plans to link Cross’ move from Yellowjacket to MODOK.
Loveness said, “he’s [MODOK] quite excellent at killing people:” revealing more about the villain’s frail demeanor and that Kang isn’t the only threat in the threequel.
“Like Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda, his ego will disintegrate the moment he is tested, but he is also pretty skilled at killing people. He’s a very loose cannon, and I really enjoyed working with him.”
Love had one final revelation to make. The main antagonist of Quantumania and the Multiverse Saga is Kang the Conqueror, however, MODOK has been a part of the threequel since “nearly day one”:
“We finally figured out who MODOK was, and the movie simply started to be so much fun. That was practically day one in the room.
Is MODOK from Ant-Man 3 already doomed?
The Simpsons’ Frank Grimes parallel hints that this iteration of the comic book villain likewise has a continual run of bad luck, even if Jeff Loveness withheld many details about Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross and how he’s dressed in the MODOK outfit.
Maybe he’s also trying to remake his reality and make up for a lost time.
The most intriguing revelation may be that Loveness alludes to A Fish Called Wanda because, like every Ant-Man movie to date, the 1988 picture is a heist tale in which Kevin Kline’s petty character fails.
Since Kline’s persona served as the basis for MODOK from Marvel Studios, it appears that his bad luck will simply persist in Quantumania.
It will be intriguing to see if Loveness has different plans for the MCU’s MODOK and how comic book fans will respond to the villain’s on-screen introduction.
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