Marvel Made It Impossible To Use Iron Man’s Best Future Villain

Marvel’s MODOK offers a hilarious take on its titular villain, but it likely means the character will not appear in the MCU anytime soon. MODOK remains one of Iron Man’s greatest foes, but the Hulu series bearing his name has rendered him a complete joke, rendering a live-action version of MODOK all but impossible.

MODOK has always been somewhat of a laughing stock amongst the Marvel community. He is obsessed with crime, world domination, and all the other things supervillains tend to love. However, he has an oversized head and a tiny body, forcing him to rely on a hoverchair for mobility. The character is inherently ridiculous, but he has been a genuine threat to Iron Man, Captain America, and various other Avengers over the years. MODOK’s new adult-animated sitcom leans into the character’s contradictions, and discovers a unique blend of comedy and emotion. The show is not a part of the MCU, but it is absolutely hilarious, pumping out gags at record pace. But can a show be too funny? With its adroit sense of humor, MODOK cements its protagonist as patently pathetic. The characterization works for the series, but nearly prohibits Marvel from using the character elsewhere.

MODOK voice actor Patton Oswalt has expressed interest in playing a live-action version of the character, but the prospects of such an adaptation seem dubious at best. Because of his connection to Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.), he would’ve made an excellent choice for the future Ironheart and Armor Wars series on Disney+. A.I.M. first appeared in the MCU in Iron Man 3, and will likely play a role in future Iron-Man-related stories. But even A.I.M. has been reduced to a rather ridiculous evil enterprise in Hulu’s MODOK series, so bringing both the arms dealing organization and its villainous headman to the MCU would require some incredibly careful narrative maneuvering. MODOK has now familiarized himself with Marvel fans as an insecure and outrageous character, an iteration which would feel out of place in the MCU, even if it is a welcome departure for now.

MODOK may have rendered its protagonist unusable for future MCU projects, but that might not be such a bad thing. Part of what makes MODOK such a refreshing break from the MCU mold is its in-depth focus on a lesser-known supervillain, with an irreverent voice to boot. The MCU has been pegged as having a villain problem for years, and while it has gotten better in recent years, it is yet to afford a villain like MODOK the extensive character study that a series can offer. MODOK may be a comedy first and foremost, but it develops MODOK and the rest of his family with surprising emotional insight. Of course, it also deals in a more crude sense of humor that would never fly in the more family-friendly MCU. The series has established MODOK as an offensive jerk who is the butt of most jokes. Marvel will have a hard time converting a character like that into a truly threatening cinematic villain.

MODOK marks the end of now-defunct Marvel Television Studios, so MODOK’s onscreen future remains in question. In order for season 2 to happen, a new studio like Marvel Studios will have to pick it up. If the future of a stop-motion-animated version of MODOK is already in question, a live-action interpretation is even less likely. MODOK is a hilarious and innovative approach to superhero storytelling, but it has granted its protagonist a uniquely laughable reputation, making his odds of appearing the MCU nearly impossible.

About The Author

Cory Stillman
(139 Articles Published)

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Cory Stillman is a Movie/TV Features Writer at ScreenRant. He also contributes to Film Cred, and writes a biweekly Substack newsletter covering a whole host of pop cultural and political topics. An avid collector of both comic books and Criterion Blu-Rays, Cory is just as likely to talk your head off about why Aquaman is obviously the coolest superhero as he is to rewatch every Terrence Malick film for the umpteenth time. When he’s not writing, Cory enjoys playing video games, reading, and learning the electric guitar. You can nerd out with Cory some more on Twitter @CorsLight25 or over on his newsletter, Cory’s Reads.

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