Ant-Man’s MODOK Was Inspired By The Simpsons
Ant-Man and the Wasp screenwriter Jeff Loveness admits that MODOK was partly inspired by Frank Grimes, a character from The Simpsons.
The Simpsons has either predicted everything or inspired everything that has come after it. The Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be no exception as the Ant-Man character MODOK seems to have drawn inspiration from Homer’s Springfield Nuclear Power Plant co-worker and archrival Frank Grimes, according to an interview with writer Jeff Loveness. Corey Stoll will be playing the giant head in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, according to Games Radar, and the writers couldn’t be more pleased to have the over-the-top villain in the movie.
The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania screenwriter said, “MODOK is maybe my single favorite thing that I got in the movie. Obviously we are very faithful to the comics with the design and the look, but then there is a little bit of extra we put into him.”
MODOK stands for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, but the supervillain is the evolution of technician George Tarleton as mutagenic experiments designed to make him more intelligent also gave him a freakishly large head on a small body, all of which is carried around on a hoverchair. In his madness, he kills his creators and takes aim at the superpowered vigilantes like Captain America and the Hulk. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the first appearance of MODOK in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his involvement with other heroes in the comics hints that his role is not confined to Scott and Hope’s adventures.
MCU fans looking forward to seeing Kang the Conquerer in his first appearance in Ant-Man’s third movie are getting an extra surprise with the inclusion of MODOK. The character was first spotted in the trailer for the film, looking really creepy with glowing yellow eyes set in a giant gold mask. He is one of the next major supervillains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, alongside Kang the Conquerer as he forms the dynasty that is expected to be the next major battle for the Avengers and their associates.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the inaugural film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 5, which is set to include Secret Invasion, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Captain America: New World Order, and Thunderbolts, so it makes sense to introduce MODOK now. In the comics, he has fought Ms. Marvel and had interactions with characters like Red Hulk, the X-Men, the Scarlet Witch, and Captain America. The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars storylines are a part of Phase 6, so if Marvel Studios is setting him up to be a major villain for the next phase, they’ve given themselves plenty of time to display his capability for destruction.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness also credited Kevin Kline’s character Otto in A Fish Called Wanda as part of the inspiration for MODOK’s character. Otto is a bit of a narcissist who is great at killing, but deeply insecure underneath the entitlement and madness. The character of Otto mixed with the middle-management attitude of Frank Grimes from The Simpsons promises a frightening villain that will be injected with humor and who audiences will be excited to see taken down.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters on February 17, 2023, bringing MODOK to the big screen for the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The trailer has already been nominated for an award in its field, so the movie promises to be really entertaining as it opens the door to Kang the Conquerer and reveals the fate of its heroic team.
