From the dodgy CGI to his rushed redemption arc, there were plenty of missed opportunities with M.O.D.O.K, so comparing him to Darth Vader – arguably the fiercest and most beloved villain of all-time – might ruffle some feathers.
Let’s face it, M.O.D.O.K was a pretty big disappointment when he finally debuted in the MCU as the secondary villain to Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The character was botched so badly that he’s pretty much become synonymous with everything wrong with the movie. So how dare someone have the gall to put him in the same bracket as Vader? The two aren’t even close!
Even so, there are some parallels between the two, as much as it stings to admit, and the similarities were pointed out in the Marvel Studios subreddit. They shared a series of images that show just how blatantly Marvel copied Lucasfilm’s homework, (although maybe it gets a pass considering both studios have the same parent company now).
Even some of the shots look almost identical to Star Wars; it’s been right under our noses this whole time! Now that someone’s pointed it out, it can’t be unseen. M.O.D.O.K and Darth Vader really do have a lot of parallels when it comes to their origin story and character arcs.
Fellow Redditors had fun in the replies, as they conflated the two characters mixing some iconic quotes from Vader with M.O.D.O.K, “Luke, I am… such a dick.” And we all know that the climax of Return of The Jedi could have been so much better if Vader had yelled “My name is Anakin Skywalker, and I… am not… A DICK!!!”
In all honesty though the comparison has caused quite the stir amongst the fandom; whilst some saw the funny side others were less than impressed.
“No you didn’t. I’m sure you didn’t just compare Modok to the greatest villain in cinema history.”
“Comparing a legitimate threat and op sith lord to a bad character. They are not the same(comments meant to be a meme)”
“MODOK is the “Bus Replacement Service” version of Vader.
Can’t have you disrespecting the chosen one like this, good sir.”
To be fair, disbelief and shock and feelings of nausea are some pretty natural reactions to this comparison. But like it or not, the truth hurts. Of course, this whole comparison hinges on one detail and one person was brave enough to ask the question: “Depends – what’s Vader’s butt like?” We can only assume it’s pretty charred.