'Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.' Unveils Funny First Footage And Sets The Table For What's To Come [NYCC]
After getting our first look at Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. this morning, we're back to break down some highlights from the stop-motion animated comedy's New York Comic Con panel that just aired. Co-creator and star Patton Oswalt was joined by fellow creator Jordan Blum and cast members Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), Aimee Garcia (Lucifer), and Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) to show off a couple of clips from the series and talk about what fans can expect from this oddball show about the Marvel supervillain who has a comically oversized head. Check out the full panel, or just get the highlights, below.
Marvel's MODOK NYCC Panel
The panel began with our very first look at some footage from the show, which revealed that M.O.D.O.K. (which stands for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) has essentially bankrupted his own evil organization through his shoddy leadership. Jordan Blum explained further: "He is going to have to close up shop until a tech company – a Silicon Valley, kind of Google-like tech company – swoops in to save it, and promises, 'You can keep trying to kill superheroes, just give us a tablet by Christmas, and we'll be super hands off.' And it's the complete opposite of that. Suddenly, M.O.D.O.K. finds himself having HR meetings and board meetings, and he's this control freak who loses control of his evil organization and he just spirals out of control."
For Blum and Oswalt, one of the big questions they had about the character was: after he tries to conquer New York, where does he go at night? Their answer: he goes home to his family, who live in the suburbs of New Jersey. They spoke about how they're trying to imbue the show with some heart, and pay homage to creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee while also giving the character a more comedic slant than what comic readers have seen from him before. They also talked about some fascinating cinematography techniques and the innovative technology that Stoopid Buddy Studios created to give the stop-motion series a handheld feel. (Check out the full panel for some behind the scenes B-roll revealing the creation of the puppets and how the camera works.)
In the second clip from the show, we see that M.O.D.O.K.'s wife actually makes enough money from her job to support the entire family, but the supervillain can't handle the idea of stepping away from his evil company. After that, there was a lightning round of interviews with the cast members, all of whom spoke about their characters: Ben Schwartz's Lou, Melissa Fumero's Melissa, and Aimee Garcia's Jodie (the latter of whom who has a trajectory that goes beyond expectations for typical sitcom wives, becoming a supervillain in her own right). The discussion concluded with the cast members reflecting on what it means to them to be a part of a Marvel project.
Sam Richardson, Jon Daly, Beck Bennett, and Wendi McLendon-Covey round out the show's cast. Here's the panel's official description:
Everyone's favorite big-headed, egomaniacal supervillain is coming to Hulu! Get an exclusive first look at the upcoming adult animated series, Marvel's M.O.D.O.K., hear from creators Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum and meet our hilarious cast of characters voiced by Aimee Garcia, Ben Schwartz and Melissa Fumero.
Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. is coming soon to Hulu, and after this panel, I can't wait to check it out.