The MCU's Take On MODOK Has Been Revealed (In Funko POP Form)
Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was certainly one for the villains. Tony Leung's Mandarin in "Shang-Chi," the various "Spider-Man" opponents from both Sam Raimi and Marc Webb's movies in "No Way Home," Wanda Maximoff in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and most recently Namor in "Wakanda Forever" all helped reverse the studio's troublesome trend of failing to feature consistently compelling, fleshed-out antagonists. That relatively newfound focus appears set to carry over into Phase 5, starting with a double-whammy of sorts in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
Everyone knows that the pint-sized threequel will see the official introduction of Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror, building off his variant's appearance in the season finale of "Loki" to become a full-fledged, multiversal threat. But to the delight of many, the exclusive San Diego Comic-Con footage also showed off another villain set to make his MCU debut, as well.
Those of us not lucky enough to be in Hall H back in July still remain in the dark about exactly how the live-action version of the fearsome MODOK will take shape, but luckily we now have a much better understanding of how the fan-favorite comic book baddie will look. Thanks to a GameStop listing for the character's Funko POP! collectible based on his appearance in "Quantumania," it appears that the secret is out for the delightfully-named Mental/Mobile/Mechanical Organism Designed Only For Killing. Read on and see for yourself, if you dare!
MODOK in the MCU
Tiny, stunted body? Check. Weirdly oversized head? Double check. Nifty floating hoverchair for mobility? Check, check, and check. Yep, that sure looks like MODOK to us!
To this point, the only real exposure to the classic comic book villain (formerly known as a humble AIM technician named George Tarleton, of course) for most audiences came from either Hulu's Patton Oswalt-voiced animated series "M.O.D.O.K.," the hilariously irreverent take on the Marvel character that was prematurely canceled after only one season, or the heavily modernized version featured in the popular video game "Marvel's Avengers." Now, Marvel Studios is set to put the biggest spotlight yet on the supervillain with his introduction in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." For better or worse, however, it appears that the film's merchandise has already beaten it to the punch.
The Funko POP! figure, described only as "M.O.D.O.K. from Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,'" gives us our best look yet at the newly-updated design for the character's live-action debut. With his infamous Doomsday Chair and the power of that unusually large brain, there's no telling just how much of a threat he'll pose for our favorite characters in the movie. Until then, however, at least you can buy the "Ant-Man" enthusiast in your life a perfectly nerdy holiday gift!
The officially released trailer didn't spare so much as a glimpse of this big bad, but keep your eyes peeled for the inevitable reveals as the release date for "Quantumania" — currently set for February 17, 2023 — gets closer and closer.