Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was far from a cinematic disaster, but it’s safe to say Marvel Studios won’t be over the moon with its reception. The Ant-Man sequel is now sitting at 47% on the Tomatometer, meaning it’s tied for the ignominious honor of worst-reviewed MCU movie with Eternals. Quantumania has also stumbled at the box office — $450 million is nothing to sniff at, but it pales in comparison to recent MCU hits.
One of the most criticized aspects was how it treated MODOK, who in the comics is a sinister and disturbing-looking giant head in a robot suit. While Marvel Studios has found success in bringing bonkers concepts from the comics to the screen, it seems MODOK is where they drew the line and greatly toned down his look. That, coupled with some pretty ropey CGI, left comics fans distinctly underwhelmed.
But it could have been very different if they’d gone with this alternative concept:
While we’d still be sad that this isn’t a comics-accurate MODOK, at least the screen over this version of the character’s head would have hidden his face a little more. Sadly, the events of the movie indicate that MODOK won’t be back in the MCU, though Quantum Realm-based shenanigans may leave the door just a little ajar if Kevin Feige really wanted him to mount a comeback.
So, like much of Quantumania, we’ll chalk MODOK up to a big missed opportunity. Not since Spider-Man: No Way Home has Marvel Studios put out a film beloved by the fanbase, so let’s hope Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 nails it when it lands in early May.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in theaters.