The Marvel fanbase is buzzing as the Ant-Man 3 trailer gives us our first glimpse of MODOK and with good reason. Eagle-eyed fans have pointed out that the giant-floating head is played by Corey Stroll. The actor previously played Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket in the first Ant-Man movie. Many presumed that Yellowjacket had died after his battle with Ant-Man. It can be recalled that Scott Lang messed with Cross’ Yellowjacket suit causing it to malfunction, shrinking the villain down to non-existence. Well, it appears that Cross somehow survived the ordeal with Ant-Man and ended up as the cybernetic being called MODOK.
Who is MODOK in the MCU?
MODOK stands for “Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing” and is one of the most recognizable villains in the Marvel comic books. The supervillain has had encounters with Captain America, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Incredible Hulk. The cybernetic villain looks like a giant floating head with small arms and legs. The comic book version of the character sacrificed his body to gain the world’s largest brain, granting him hyper-intelligence. MODOK possesses psychic abilities and wears a large headband to turn his mental powers into energy beams. The floating head is supported by an exoskeleton suit which is equipped with weapons such as lasers and missiles. Viewers only see MODOK twice in the trailer. The first instance is when Kang walks with Ant-Man and his daughter Cassie while MODOK and some henchmen follow. This shot gives us a clear glimpse of actor Corey Stroll as the villain. The second shot is a mid-fight sequence where MODOK wears a battle mask over his head. We see his arms and legs transform into weapons in the scene. According to speculation, when Cross was defeated by Ant-Man in the first movie, he was sent to the Quantum Realm instead of dying. It is possible that he met Kang the Conqueror in the microverse and transformed him into MODOK using advanced technology from the future. This variant of Kang is reportedly stranded in the Quantum Realm after Janet van Dyne messed with his ship. Kang is searching for an item within the Quantum Realm that can repair his ship and transport his army across the multiverse. If the speculation is true, then the MCU’s version of MODOK is a huge departure from his origin story in the comic books. However, it is in line with the narrative Multiverse Saga and the importance of the Quantum Realm. Will MODOK be similar to the supervillain in the Marvel comics? We will find out when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premieres on February 17, 2023.
