Ant-Man 3 Writer Jeff Loveness Got Killed By MODOK In A Quantumania Deleted Scene
It was only a matter of time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe got to M.O.D.O.K.
The character of M.O.D.O.K. (Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and debuted in Marvel Comics back in 1967 as a potential enemy for Captain America. The character has always looked ridiculous, as he is an outsize human head, about five feet tall, equipped with tiny arms and legs springing from his jaw and chin. It may be the absurd look of M.O.D.O.K., along with his silly name, that has ensured him a constant and recurring place in Marvel Comics canon. One cannot create a weird-ass character like M.O.D.O.K. and not bring him back as often as possible.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has, to date, been very good about scouring comic book history for Marvel's stranger characters and giving them their own time in the spotlight. This is the studio, after all, that made talking raccoons and walking trees into acceptable, normal parts of the landscape. It was only a matter of time before M.O.D.O.K. entered the fray. In 2021, M.O.D.O.K. was the star of his own animated sitcom, co-created by star Patton Oswalt. The Hulu series depicted the Organism as a beset, suburban dad who had to balance world domination with domesticity.
In 2023, director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Jeff Loveness brought M.O.D.O.K. into live-action in their film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," where the character was a vicious enforcer for the evil tyrant Kang. Naturally, all the other characters were weirded out by his oversized face.
In an interview with /Film's Ethan Anderton, Loveness revealed that he was granted the honor of being killed on-screen by M.O.D.O.K., a unique achievement indeed. Sadly, though, the scene was cut.
Loveness talks back to M.O.D.O.K.
Spoilers ahead for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
In "Quantumania," M.O.D.O.K. wasn't merely a mechanized organism, but a biologically altered version of Darren, a.k.a. the Yellowjacket from the first "Ant-Man" film in 2015. When the Yellowjacket was shrunk into oblivion, he landed in the microscopic Quantum Realm where his battered body was salvaged by Kang. His head was grown, his limbs shrunk, and he was equipped with head lasers and retractable weapons that he used to slaughter hundreds. He worked for Kang for years, happy to be a M.O.D.O.K. Just as Darren did, however, M.O.D.O.K. has something of a fragile ego, and tended to react violently or wounded when confronted with his own insecurities.
Jeff Loveness briefly described the scene wherein he and M.O.D.O.K. were to trade a few barbs:
"Oh, I almost got — another deleted scene — I got killed by M.O.D.O.K. [...] I got cut. That was another scene that was probably too weird. I was talking back to M.O.D.O.K. and kind of s***ing on him, and he blew me up with his head laser. [...] In the Loveness Cut, we'll do it."
The scene would have, no doubt, been hysterical.
Loveness has had a long career in comedy writing, having worked on "The Onion News Network" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" immediately after college. He also won a Primetime Emmy for his extensive work on the hit animated show "Rick and Morty" and is no stranger to comic books, having written for titles like "Shazam!," "The Amazing Spider-Man," and "Venom."
"Quantumania" is Loveness' first produced feature film, and one can only imagine his thrill in being M.O.D.O.K.ed. Luckily, extended cuts on Blu-ray are common, and Loveness may still get his moment in the spotlight. Er, death laser.