Ant-Man 3 Redesigned Marvel’s Most Dangerous Villain
Ant-Man 3 shows off a redesigned MODOK, making the criminally underutilized character appear much more fearsome and dangerous than how he is normally depicted.
When the latest trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania dropped, Kang (Jonathan Majors) stole the show, giving the world our first look at the next Thanos-level villain in the MCU. As cool as it is to see the classic villain in his full glory on the big screen, there was another villain, shown very briefly as the trailer reached a climax, that has really excited Marvel comic fans. Caught by CBR, Ant-Man 3 will be the debut of a redesigned MODOK, one of the most dangerous villains in the comics.
Ant-Man 3 is kicking off phase 5 of the MCU, and has been described by director Peyton Reed as being essential viewing for the future of the franchise, which goes beyond just the addition of MODOK. While yes, there was a M.O.D.O.K. solo series on Hulu starring Patton Oswalt as the titular villain, it was played for laughs, something that the comics have done with the character as well. It speaks to the flexibility of the original goofy design of MODOK (which stands for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing), that he could be both comic relief and a dangerous villain, while still remaining true to the character.
In the quick glance we get in the Ant-Man 3 trailer, the classic MODOK design of a giant head with tiny limbs, has been honored and evolved into something much more fearsome. The bulky, battle armor design is in-line with the look of the villain from the recent Marvel’s Avengers video game, though the MCU version also includes a wide base for the “head,” making him similar to another classic Avengers villain from the comics, Korvac. MODOK’s main weapon traditionally, is a blast of pure mental power that manifests from the gem on his forehead, so it’s a deadly redesign to give the villain large, powerful limbs coming out of his frame.
Returning in for the third outing are Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) and making their debuts are an older Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton, the third actress to play the character), Krylar (Bill Murray), Quaz (William Jackson Harper), Jentorra (Katy M. O’Brien). Technically, and this makes sense in the MCU multiverse, Jonathan Majors will debut as Kang the Conqueror, a variant of whom he played in Loki. Not listed in that round down of the Ant-Man 3 cast is someone playing MODOK, as officially, no one has been announced in the role.
Disney is holding a few cards close to their vest, and the involvement of Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), the villain Yellowjacket from the first film, has not been widely mentioned by the studio. Ant-Man 3’s MODOK appears, in the trailer, to be played by Corey Stoll, leaving open the question of “how does he become MODOK?” Is it a result of Scott Lang messing with the timeline at the behest of Kang, or is it just another variant character?
Those questions, and more, including why was Scott’s friend renamed from Kurt to Veb, will be answered soon. The long wait for Ant-Man 3 ends on February 17th, starting Kang’s dynasty, potentially ending the story of Scott Lang, and best of all, gracing us with the debut of MODOK, in all his murderous glory.
