Alright... Let's Talk About Modok 

The MCU Modok design could’ve been improved a lot if they just made his face more serious(or angry), giving him the bowl cut, and not including the golden mask.

My concern for how they'll do Dr. Doom grows every second.

I keep hoping for people to actually talk about who Modok actually is in the comic so we could see why this is actually such a tragedy.

MODOK, Abomination, and Taskmaster are some of my favorite Marvel comics villains and I’m not happy with Disney has done with them.

The thing that would have helped a ton is, if they made Modok look more evil, not always joyful. He is a giant head with baby limbs, but why does his face look like he is having the time of his life? If he were to just look a lot more evil all the time, snap quickly and yell at others, heck just explaining how much just existing hurts him now, and he would have probably worked better. Even a scene where he would describe why he is always smiling and perhaps something as rediculous that if he were to show any anger in his face, blood vesils would pop out of his head and he would die of bleeding would help out a lot by making his constant grin feel more tragic and makes us feel bad for him. But no, he is simply just a joke, a very, VERY sad one

making modok the "it's funny cause it looks funny" joke is like casting a little people in a "funny" role because their stature

They modeled teeth into his faceplate because this is how they always incorporate cool, off-the-wall designs into the movies. Make the design look like a lame, watered-down version, and then incorporate a call-back to the original design in some superficial element. In this case, they modeled the awesome original design of Modok into his faceplate. Same with Deadpool being that mute guy with the eye tattoos, and The Mandarin having the big hoodie.

Calling MODOK a « little ferrero rocher » truly is the best way to start a video lmao

I would've loved a more serious M.O.D.O.K. in the film. Imagine a man filled with anger and hatred not only because of the events of AM1, but because of his physical deformities; "I need this god forsaken chair to even live, thanks to your little STUNT my lungs can't get enough oxygen for my body, my legs would shatter like toothpicks if I tried to walk, not even my heart can pump right due to all my malformed bloodvessels." Instead, we get... "I'M NOT A DIIIICK!" while using his face as a battering ram against an energy shield, and remember, he has a DAMN MASK HE DOESN'T USE BECAUSE SOMEONE AT MARVEL IS OBSESSED WITH EVERYONE CONSTANTLY TAKING THEIR MASKS OFF. Seriously, they gave MODOK a mask JUST so he could remove it! At this point I'm convinced anyone with a gun and decent aim could dome anyone in the MCU with how often they take their protective gear off in the literal middle of a full on battle zone

The main problem with Modok is that he always looks hilarious. Guy turned into a freak, and he is happy with it. In this scene 2:54 when Modok gets angry he really looks menacing (even with this CGI). Also, your redesign looks interesting, and after it Modok in the movie looks like a little funny ball

I totally agree with your comment on the "weightlessness" of his weapons, they never feel threatening because they kinda just flop in and out of sight- actually giving them a sense of mass would really help MODOK be a more intimidating.

I just realized. Janet spent "eons" helping kang fix his ship but did not think of putting the growing disk on her suit to leave the quantum realm. Something Scot thought of while almost unconscious.

I haven't even seen Ant Man 2 or 3, but when you showed MODOK saying "I'm not a dick", all I heard was "My name's not Rick."

I actually loved his mask. Happily pleased until the face reval...

To be honest, Darren being MODOK could have worked. When Darren gets defeated, his body got mulitated and he could have used the last price of the armor from his yellow suit. He could have met Janet in the realm and she could have helped him. He also could have looked more gross. When Janet realize who is really is, she turn on him and Darren used his new powers to take over the realm. He could have been the main villain of the movie. Kang could have been saved for another movie.

Visually speaking, I think the biggest problem for me was the lack of pores in his skin. Yes, his head is huge, but if you just stretch the face with MS Paint to achieve that proportion, it starts to look plastic, and therefore fake. If they had added more pores and more details to make it look like his face actually had more SKIN to span across the elongated horizontal space, he'd look more realistic, and therefore more tragic than comical. That, in turn, would make the audience care more about his passing (without sacrificing the lols of his deathbed conversion).

Before the movie came out, I thought Kang was going to be a background villain and MODOK as the main villain. I predicted Kang would be the main one for the first 2/3 but eventually, MODOK betrays Kang and turns his army and equipment against him, forcing Kang to retreat and leave Scott and friends to deal with him, solidifying MODOK as the true main villain of the movie who was secretly plotting, and his goofy, jokey, insane personality was secretly a front so Kang wouldn't suspect him and easily trust him, when in reality Darren was playing 4D chess with everyone. I also thought he would turn Kang's quantum realm army into the MCU's version of AIM, escape with them out of the quantum realm and turn his company from the first movie to AIM HQ for future movies. Now THAT would have made the movie and MODOK as a whole a much better character. Instead of MODOK getting a stupid redemption arc, he becomes a villain that's even WORSE than Kang Edit: Also, the "I AM NOT A DICK" line could work and be taken seriously Cassie: "Darren, its never too late to stop being a dick" MODOK: "But I'm not a dick...I'm a weapon...designed only for killing"

The golden mask head looks awesome if they made that his actual face. His eyes and mouth are perfectly proportioned and have that goofy/ menacing look in the comics, it just has to be his actual face and not a gold mask that just blends into the rest of his body

Off to a good start, please keep making content of this quality.

The problem is that the people writing mcu products now don’t care about comics so they see everything in them as ridiculous and something to mock. Sure MODOK looks weird but it doesn’t have to be played for comedy. What happens to him is basically body horror, they could totally have taken it seriously

The transition from your MODOK to the official one at 3:43 was freaking jarring. I never really could summarize why I disliked the movie design, but you managed to in a few seconds. Nicely done.

Your version is definitely better and it took no time at all. What were they thinking?

wow I am impressed how you have the creative mind to design a version a million times better then people who were paid to. Subbed

I would describe MODOK as him looking like an absolute dope. The fact that he for some reason always looks happy in a goofy baby like way makes me want to laugh at him everytime he does a face reveal. MODOK always looked goofy to me in his various iterations but the MCU's version just makes me feel like I'm looking at a Teletubbies character.

When I first saw him while watching the movie I burst out laughing, he instantly broke all tension that was previously there 💀💀💀

Idk. I didn't really care about his character arc, but the second that mask lifted up, I was laughing my head off, and it definitely made good comic relief each time I saw him.

You know it's weird when Phineas and Ferb's Marvel crossover portrays MODOK better than the freaking main Marvel Universe

“This isn’t Darren Cross, this is Durian Crust” 😂😂

I thought I'd just skip through the video to know things in a nutshell as I usually do. But, wow! what a great connoiseur you are! I couldn't help sitting silent enjoying your beautifully proper edits, genuine humours and lucid flow of words. Thank you for making my day. ❤❤

I love your content. Straight to the point, not overly long- which I’m not opposed to. Keep it up.

I have a theory that Darren didn't truly change at the end. 1. Kang was an ass to him. 2. Darren's a businessman. It might be a way to leave a "good legacy."

the vfx team explained that a lot of the modok design was restricted by eye tracking issues and what we got in the movie was pretty much the best they could do without having his eyes 2 feet apart

I was really annoyed with this because I actually really liked Modok in the comics. He’s an absolute demon and he’s pretty scary sometimes. Making him a comedy character would be like resurrecting Darth Vader for the next Star Wars movie and giving his helmet a clown nose

his "redemption" was so predictable, the second the guy was being hurt by kang you kinda know oh he's gonna help them out later

I was expecting it to really play into the torturous transformation he went through. A twisted character, in permanent pain, whose motivation was to inflict that pain into others. His design should have leaned heavily into body horror. Imagine if, instead of the goofy face reveal we got, it was played out more like the moment Silva removes his facial prosthetic in Skyfall, and reveals to M what he became because of her. Instead of a redemption arc played for laughs, it could turn out that Kang won't let him die, and he finds a form of closure to his relationship with Scott and Cassie, through their willingness to kill him at the end, and end his torment. This could have worked as a more believable motivation for him working for Kang. A vague promise that if he serves him, eventually, maybe Kang will let him die. This would up the intimidation factor for Kang, and serve as an example to Scott, to back up his threat of a fate far worse than death if he fails to retrieve the power source.

3:41 looking at your version at first, I'm thinking that doesn't look much better, then you showed the original and I fell out of my chair laughing

5:22 the high pitched voice was edited so well, it actually felt like how it really sounded

Modoks most distinct feature is the extreme face scrunch worth of wrinkles they could have at least added those

I think their main problem is trying to be funny, which was okay back then because it wasn't overly done. Now it's like a mandatory thing to make jokes even if a scene should be serious

The thing that Modok is happy behind the mask is a clever idea. He wants to be treated differently, taken seriously, like he is a powerful villain. But he is not, and the only thing he can easily change is his mask - a representation of desired self.

I've been looking forward to your cover on Modok after your outstanding analysis of that one Cassie scene!

Dude, I am absolutely loving your content! It’s informative, whilst also being comedic. I love it! Keep up the great work!

Modok being turned into a comedic relief side character kinda hurts after having him as this massive threat in the comics. He’s always been in the back plotting somewhere and coming out of no where and surprising everyone with pure power of technology. Not only does he have little to do with antman as his original character was a man named “George Tarleton” but George was subjected to the most horrific surgeries and mutations that caused him to go from average guy, to smartest person in the universe and massive egomaniac. Modok never needed to physically over power people as the leader of A.I.M and relied strictly on his ability to predict and counter his opponents with his technology

This is the third time I've watched this video of yours and the comparison between your mockup and what they went with design wise is so shocking to me. I had forgotten what the official version looked like while looking at yours. When the transition happens, my eyes literally have a reaction, like I am viewing something that hasn't fully loaded in, or didn't load in correctly. It doesn't look finished, and the fact that your first attempt is as good as it is, really gives me whiplash. It is clear Disney is not treating their employees well or with the respect they deserve.

Personally i think modok could have been written to work with ant man from the middle of the movie for both of them to escape the quantum realm and defeating Kang. Ant man would have preferred to free evil modok than Kang into the world because Kang is such a bigger threat.

Love your content so far! Extremely informative and entertaining! Keep it up! 👍👍

First two videos and both are bangers. Glad the algorithm showed me your content, can’t wait for more.

Great video. Love how you explore the topic while not overstaying your welcome on it. Keeps things fresh and engaging. Can't wait to see what you put out next:)

MODOK should've been someone else too. Darren Cross's death was one of the best parts of 1st movie. It was ballsy. Shows the scary side of the sci-fi. It was consequence. Cross returning as MODOK is as hollow as everything else on this movie.

Hey man, I really like your content (even if it’s just the two videos so far). You offer a good perspective on the absurdity of modern Marvel, while also being fair to the artists. I would like to note that I heard your mic peaking a few times (mostly in the first video). I fw the calmness in your presentation, nice job 👍

Great video and analysis, thank you Those clips of previous quotes from earlier, better works honestly just make me sad

Well all I'm hoping is in the future that we can get "THE" proper MODOK that's an actual Avenger level threat like in the game

How could you leave out “That’s America’s ass” truly iconic

The point is that Darren is so insecure about who he is on the inside that he has to overcompensate with an evil mask and over-the-top weaponry on the outside. He’s trying to prove to himself and others that he is not a cheap sellout to Kang, and that he still has power even in this realm. Adding more detail to his relationship with Kang would have helped prove this, and would have given more weight to his line, “I am not a dick!” At the end of the day though, he just rides on the coattails of those in his life with true power and confidence in an attempt to emulate what they have. In Ant Man 1 it was the suit from Hank he used to project false power, and in Ant Man 3 it is the suit from Kang. Both times his false self is glaring and embarrassing, giving him the goofy and comedic arc in Ant Man 3 which makes perfect sense to me. “Make me an Avenger” had me dying and makes so much sense for his character arc! 😂

Love your channel!!! Top-tier my man!

My biggest MCU Pet peeve is the magically disappearing helmet. Even Torn Legacy did a better job by making CGI Jeff Bridges’ hair move and spring with his moving helmet.

Ser Yu, your video is great but may I just express my admiration for your wonderful voice? It sounds like molten chocolate sauce being poured over a crisp sweet crepe

weirdly enough for me Modok, Ant-Man and Kang were the only characters I could really stand in the kovie

I think it’s an incredibly cool idea that the villain of the first movie ended up becoming modok, I just really wish it was executed better.

I agree about him looking happy. He always seemed to be giddy, even when he was supposed to be angry.

I have a theory that this isn’t the only MODOK (not multiversaly talking but in our universe). When Scott is talking to him in the prison and finally understands that it is an acronym, Scott says “oooh, a MODOK” like if there where more. I think George Tarleton MODOK is already working with The Leader on Intelligencia and he has to have that more menacing look

3:41 Honestly I was so content it the redesign you did so when you pulled up the actual MODOK from the movie it was like a shock to my system seeing them side by side, how did that design actual get greenlit?

You editing skills are amazing

They could have easily made him just like the Hulk face CGI model with motion capture, keeping the same design as in the comics! It would have worked!

LOL! He's always smiling. It's like he's supposed to be in a different movie all the time.

His head/body proportions are fine, modok's head has always been unrealistically squat. The design is honestly hamstrung by the fact that it *must* look like the actor's face. Modok tends to look more monstrous, his face wrinkled and twisted into a permanent sneer, the eyes and mouth exaggerated. It really should've been a purely CG creature, as it looks now its just a normal dude you zoomed too far in on. Realistically it's *difficult* to make modok not at least somewhat of a joke, he's a giant angry head for god's sake, but if no matter what your design looks silly in what should be serious moments, just don't bother with the character. Modok's not even an Antman villain.

Remember Nerdwriter's vid on how MCU's CGI was better than DCEU? He said that DCEU's CGI simply had lesser physics, less weight. Well now, MCU doing it too. It's like they learn backwards.

I giggled loudly at "Durian Crust". that was gold, man.

This is just the latest proof that MODOK is impossible to adapt. It's also part of why The Avengers video game flopped. No matter how hard you try, it's impossible to feel threatened by a giant baby head with tiny arms and legs.

I dont mind that modok didnt look like corey stoll Even the comic virsion or any version of him didnt look like his human self. It did need more work tho Your design is good but the long head dosnt really work since modoks head has always been more of a rounded square shape

I remember an article where Corey Stoll (Yellowjacket's actor) saw himself as Modok and laughed his ass off at how ridiculous they made him look.

You know bro you're new to this but you came out swinging I am eager to see you breaking down more CGI and other effects in films or games. Heck maybe a video on holograms who knows but I'm here for it!

The lady Thor scene you showed it actually was built up to.since she got the hammer she was trying to figure out her catch phrase

"No, MODOC iS LiKe tHiS iN tHe cOmiC. He iS GoOfY." Nah, MODOK in the comic is a menace.

One thing I'm just gonna say, you can still have a character look goofy, yet also be at least a little intimidating. Fawful I think is a perfect example of that.

I've missed these kind of videos

Bro built like humpty dumpty 💀

I swear modok is the best thing that ever happend to the mcu😂 he is commedy gold

I’m so happy I waited for this to drop on Disney plus

Modok stumbled drunkenly so the High Evolutionary could walk.

Isn't Modok supposed to be super intelligent?

I'm going to be real, it was goofy but I had waaaay too much fun watching that movie. Maybe because it was late, maybe it was the friends I was with, but I honestly thought that modok was one of the best parts of that movie. His face is hillarious

I have an unpopular view regarding MODOK. I think his arc was fitting for Darren. In AM1, he was desperate for approval from a mentor and was driven insane by the Pym particles. He undertook drastic (and villainous) methods to prove that he had worth to his former mentor that abandoned him. When he was sent to the quantum realm, he found a new mentor and tried to prove himself by becoming a killing machine and put on a mask that he was confident and scary, even though deep down he still felt inferior/worthless due to Kang’s harsh treatment and maybe even a little guilt over his actions. When Cassie beats him, the mask breaks and he expresses his true insecurities, asking Cassie what he should do and she shows him that he could find purpose in doing something good for once (though the dialogue is crass and removes the seriousness). Regarding his design, I think it was pretty accurate (ignoring the hair and more deformed face) they actually made his weapons really cool with the purple FX and I think most of the jokes were fitting with his treatment in the comics and animated show.

Damn man your videos are some bangers

Quantumania is the result of years of Marvel formula imbreeding: excessive CGI, jokes, lasers, jokes, nanotech helmets, jokes, not putting enough time to make something unique, excessive jokes... When will they change? Is there any hope?

Devil's advocate here... I actually liked all the MODOK stuff, even the jokes. His face is distorted because, well, it's distorted. He shrank unevenly, and his proportions got all messed up. Darren smiling all the time seems to just be because he's smug and gloaty. Hell, I bet Kang made his mask an angry face just so he might have a CHANCE of actually looking intimidating. AND, his erratic behavior is due to him already having been a mentally unstable person, which got amplified by using pym particles without proper protection. (as per Ant Man 1 MCU rules, stated by Hank) Plus, his brain chemistry probably got even worse after his trip down to the quantum realm. All-in-all, I don't think there was really any other way to adapt MODOK into the current MCU. AIM never really took off, and even if it had, why would they make a big head with regular sized limbs? I suppose they could've had George remotely piloting MODOK, and just had a big old screen where his face should be, but then there goes the "Organism" part of "Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing".

I don't understand why Disney is against writing good stories for the MCU but it's been so bad for so long that now it's just par for the course. My idea about how the plot/story should've gone (MODOK would've been the lead antagonist): - We learn Cassie has become Hank's student, he's taught her many things. But they gather to witness first use of her invention. Quantum tunnel. (Janet spoke about the advanced-ness of the tech down there and some mcguffin resource, Cassie built the tunnel so they could use it to retrieve). - Machine "malfunctions". Scott, Hank, Cass, Hope, and Janet arrive in the Quantum Realm to find a super advanced society. Initially they think of Cass' invention as a success as they've stumbled upon a society with technology so far above their own. Beginning is them being wowed and wanting to explore, they learn that Janet was an infamous anti-regime "terrorist" when she was in the realm. - However, said society is under the rule of a tyrannical dictator known as The Conqueror, whom the general population doesn't often see though the tales of his power, majesty, and conquest ring through the realm. He single-handedly expanded the livable range of the atomic society. His head enforcer MODOK is infamous as a vengeful killing machine devoid of humanity. - MODOK kidnaps Cassie and Janet. Now Hank, Scott, and Hope have to get her back. - Upon exposition we find out MODOK is Darren and he collapsed into their society because of the pym particles (Scott breaking his suit) and was dying until Kang saved him with his future tech. (Hence the chair functioning as his life support and a weapon of great power). - We learn that MODOK kidnapped Cassie and Janet at Kang's request. - Upon meeting Kang (via hologram facetime) we learn that he's interested in pym particles having learnt about them from Darren and turning him into MODOK (wants to escape the subatomic world as he's been trapped there). After Kang saved Darren/MODOK he put him to work to recreate pym particles, he's been conducting research/running experiments. Kang has conquered vast subatomic worlds seeking resources to further this goal until MODOK noticed Cassie's beam and pulled Hank, Scott, Hope, Janet, and herself down to get it. - Kang says pym particles for Janet and Cassie. A trade is made. They release Cassie, and then MODOK executes Janet on the spot for crimes committed when she was previously in the realm. - A fight ensues. MODOK vs. Scott and Hope. Hank plays support in the background, donning an old Ant-Man suit he had hidden on him for emergencies. - Big explosion occurs. MODOK is badly injured. Hank dies. Scott, Hope, and Cassie escape. - Back in surface world. Scott, Hope, and Cassie are mourning. How are they gonna continue? (Camera hints toward Cassie. IN SEQUEL: We learn Cassie has been trained on Pym Particles from Hank. She seeks out Bill Foster again they re-create and improve Hanks formula, rid of fatigue from going large. Cassie uses new formula to become new hero, Scott and Hope retain use of old small-optimized formula.) - In post-credits: We see Kang arrive to find pym particles in the wreckage: mission accomplished. End. Other notes: MODOK would've had to use computer to talk (think Stephen Hawking). Making his rage feel so eery as it's delivered through even, unemotional, robotic speech. He talks about being in constant pain, needing the chair to live, the chair and it's weapons are controlled psychically and can even materialize intense brain waves into concussive force via the head crystal (psionic blasts). Kang is never in same room as Antman, but during hologram facetime recognizes Hank and Scott. Talk about having met them so many times before (in cool dramatic way, so we get a cooler version of that "Have I killed you before?" line)

His face should’ve just been some monitor screen or something

You deserve more than 5k subscribers!

Idk what they could've done about the writing, but I think for his appearance he could've had more distorted features. Like his whole body's completely f-ed, but his face is still symmetrical? Either way, this was a great video! It was concise, researched, and informative!

I can honestly take the Modok show's Modok more seriously. 😂

When I look at your version of Modok I can actually see his body better. It doesn’t look all mushed together.

It would be cool to see modok with some sequels after he got shrinked to death basically. In the first ant man movie he's shown as a maniac who seeks revenge at the end of the movie and they even mention that the particles affect the chemistry of the brain.. they could have done more w that

Keep going. Such a greate piece of content

I think the idea was good, that it was Darren, that Modok was used for humor, that Modok joined the heroes at the end. I think Modok's attempt at humor could have played well against Kang's bad-ass, but it didn't work. I think maybe it could have because I don't think it was all bad.

Holy shit... you just slapped me with a reality check, man. 2014 was 9 years ago... My world's bubble is crumbling.

Awesome video man

Very well said, my thoughts exactly. (Solid photoshop redraw too). Thanks -

the best "take a look in the mirror" quote i've ever heard

I think your design is waaaaaaay better than the original.