Marvel Studios continues to make progress on Avengers: Endgame.
Even though some have argued that Ant-Man 3 wasn't necessary for the MCU to move forward, there are more Ant-Man centric stories that can be told. Cassie Lang (Emma Fuhrmann) up to 17, so she's closer than ever to likely becoming a superhero like her father. All of these characters and the continued exploration of the Quantum Realm are just a few elements that Ant-Man 3 can inherently include, but there's also room for more.
One new element that director Peyton Reed and recently hired writer Jeff Loveness (Rick and Morty) need to decide on is who the villain will be. Ant-Man has so far fought Yellowjacket and Ghost (kind of) in his two prior MCU solo films, but he and Wasp have yet to square off with a major Marvel villain from the comics — outside of their Avengers crossovers. With the film likely coming at the end of Phase 4 or early in Phase 5, Ant-Man 3 could be the right time for MODOK to make his MCU debut as the main villain.
MODOK Is One Of Marvel's Weirdest Villains
George Tarleton aka MODOK is one of Marvel's oldest, weirdest, and biggest villains ever created. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created the character in 1967 as the leader of Advanced Idea Mechanics (or AIM for short). It was there that his odd physic — a man with a giant head confined to a hoverchair — made him one of Marvel's most recognizable villains just from a design standpoint. But, Tarleton didn't always look like this.
When Tarleton originally ed AIM, he worked with them to create the Cosmic Cube for the Red Skull. He was a member of AIM's Cosmic Cube focused study and was selected to be transformed into a genius-level being who could analyze the Cosmic Cube. The experiment gave Tarleton his massive head, but it did not alter the size of the rest of his body, which was unable to the weight. AIM built the Doomsday Chair for Tarleton and he became known as MODOC (Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing). However, his increased IQ levels also gave Tarleton a hunger for more power. This resulted in him overthrowing AIM so he could lead the organization, which is when he adopted a new title MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing).
With this design alone, MODOK stands (or rather floats) apart from every other Marvel villain that has come before and after him. Throughout the character's 40+ year history in the comics, MODOK's look, a quest for power, and his insane scientist personality have made him one of the weirdest Marvel villains. Although he was introduced as a foe for Captain America, he's gone on to fight the Avengers as a whole, as well as personal battles with Hulk, Captain Marvel, the Fantastic Four, and more.
How The MCU Has Already Set Up MODOK
The MCU has flirted with the idea of introducing MODOK in previous films, most notably with Christopher Markus wanting him as the villain of led by Aldrich Killian and served as the primary antagonist to Iron Man thanks to their Extremis experiments.
Despite having an extensive comic history, Iron Man 3 is so far the only MCU project that AIM has been involved it. But, there is a chance that will change at the start of Phase 4. In the final trailer for the film's six-month delay that is — a shot of Yelena Belova on an operating table has caught the attention of fans. However, many are not concentrating on what Yelena is doing there, but rather who might have her. One item in the room appears to have "AIM" painted on it, which has sparked theories that the organization could make a resurgence in Black Widow. If that's the case, then this could be one of the ways the Scarlett Johansson solo film will push the MCU forward, and be used to set up MODOK potentially.
MODOK Fits Perfectly With The Ant-Man Franchise
With enough set up done to introduce MODOK, Marvel just needs to find the right place to do it, and Quantum Realm would play a significant role in Ant-Man 3. But, the science aspect of Ant-Man makes the third film the natural spot for a giant mad scientist to debut, while also bringing back a defunct science-driven group in the process.
Based on the current state of the MCU too, there could be some natural set up for MODOK returning in Ant-Man 3 specifically. After the Avengers learned that they could use the realm to travel through time, perhaps this discovery is something that AIM would want to harness for themselves. Their research on the Quantum Realm could replace the Cosmic Cube from the comics, which would give Ant-Man 3 a villain hellbent on discovering all the possibilities of the Quantum Realm. That would undoubtedly draw the attention of team Ant-Man and bring them into conflict with MODOK.
In addition to how well MODOK lends itself to the tone and story of the Ant-Man franchise, there is the obvious potential for some fantastic visuals as well. Having the MCU's smallest heroes battle a villain with a giant head in a floating chair immediately creates fun opportunities for the action sequences in Ant-Man 3. Audiences have already seen the franchise go small with a miniature fight between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket, but what better way to utilize MODOK's unique design than to have Ant-Man and Wasp both fight him while tiny or see Ant-Man go big while Wasp goes small.
What MODOK Means For The MCU's Future
After waiting more than a decade to introduce him and the fan-favorite nature he carries, it would be surprising to see MODOK have a one and done role in the MCU. So, if Ant-Man 3 does introduce MODOK as the central antagonist, it could present the MCU with several different directions to take his story. In the comics, he's been involved with the creation of Red Hulk — which is a transformation that could come in Phase 4 too — and MODOK could be part of that story now too. But, since he's also been a villain for so many different Marvel characters, he holds the potential to move beyond the Ant-Man franchise and pop up wherever the MCU might need him.
Of course, the MCU is not a linear story either, so Marvel could reveal that MODOK has been pulling strings for years. This could even tie directly into the Ant-Man franchise, as we don't know what happened to the Yellowjacket Particles that were stolen or who Sonny Burch was working for in Ant-Man and the Wasp. The interest in Hank Pym's work could originate from MODOK and whatever plans he develops on his own. It wouldn't even be that surprising if the MCU revealed Pym and Tarleton worked together in the past. Similarly, it could be shown that MODOK worked with Killian previously and then took over AIM shortly after Iron Man 3. There's a lot of potential for MODOK's involvement in the MCU, so now we'll just have to hope Ant-Man 3 (or another property) gets the chance to introduce him.
