The unveiling of a trailer for a highly-anticipated film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) typically incites a flurry of online activity, as audiences eagerly dissect and speculate about the upcoming release. Such was the case with the recent release of the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which revealed the first look of MODOK. However, amidst the excitement and analysis, some have noted a peculiar similarity between the design of one of the film’s new villains, MODOK, and a cult-classic film from the early 2000s.
What is The Controversy Over MODOK’s Design?
We have seen MODOK in several animated shows like The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and most recently Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, but now we’re finally getting to see what Marvel Studios can do with this iconic villain. The design of the MODOK featured in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, however, has been met with some controversy, as many have remarked that it bears a striking resemblance to the antagonist in the 2005 cult classic film. The cult classic in question is easily one of the greatest fantasy, science fiction, and kids’ films ever made: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is a 2005 American fantasy adventure film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Rodriguez and his children. Despite mixed reviews, the film has gained a cult following over the years. The main villain in the film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is Mr. Electric, also known as “The Electric.” He is a powerful, sinister figure who seeks to control the dream world and enslave its inhabitants. He is portrayed by actor George Lopez.
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Like the MODOK we saw in the trailer of Ant-Man 3, Mr. Electric appears as a giant robot, with a large spherical screen for a head, displaying his face. The similarity in design is hard to ignore and has led some to question whether the creators of Quantumania may have drawn inspiration from Mr. Electric for their version of MODOK. The striking resemblance between the two characters has definitely caught the attention of fans and has sparked a debate about the origins of MODOK‘s design.
The history of MODOK in the Marvel Comics
To understand whether the character design of MODOK is inspired by Mr. Electric we need to get to the roots of this character. MODOK, short for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, is a long-standing character in the Marvel Comics universe. His comic book debut was in Captain America #93 back in 1967.
He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. In the comic book version of MODOK, the character has a similar design to the one seen in the Ant-Man 3 film. He appears as a giant robot with a large spherical screen with his face on it as a head and elongated limbs as a result of him being genetically altered by the organization A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) to enhance his intelligence and make him more agile and faster. Overall, it seems that the Ant-Man 3 team has stayed true to the comic book version of MODOK’s character design.
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Although this will be the first time that the big-headed supervillain is coming to live-action, the design was already in Marvel decades before Mr. Electric. MODOK’s comic book design is often considered iconic, with many fans praising the unique look of the character. The character’s large head and elongated limbs have become a staple of the character’s design, and are often replicated in other media, such as animation and video games.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will come out on 17 February, 2023.
Source: CBR
