MODOK: who is Marvel character, is he in Ant-Man Quantumania - and does Darren Cross actor Corey Stoll return?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the second sequel to Marvel’s Ant-Man and the 31st film in the MCU. The movie will see the return of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

The film will also introduce two iconic villains from the Marvel comics to the MCU - Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, and MODOK, who will be portrayed by an actor who has already played one Marvel villain in the first Ant-Man film.

Who is MODOK in the MCU?

MODOK is a major Marvel villain - the name is an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. The character has featured in several animated shows, including the 2021 Hulu series M.O.D.O.K. where he was voiced by Patton Oswalt.

MODOK is a distinctive villain with a mutated large head and small arms and legs - the characters uses a hoverchair to travel. MODOK was a scientist before being transformed into a supervillain and his aim is to replace all superheroes with machines that only he can control.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will mark MODOK’s first appearance in a Marvel film - the movie follows Scott Lang/Ant-Man, his daughter Cassie, Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp and her parents Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne enter the quantum realm, an unexplored dimension in the multiverse where concepts of space and time break down.

In the Quantum Realm, Scott makes a deal with Kan the Conqueror, a time travelling entity set to become the new MCU nemesis, who betrays him and attempts to trap Scott and his loved ones in the Quantum Realm for eternity. The latest trailer also includes a first look at MODOK.

Is Corey Stoll in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?

Corey Stoll will portray MODOK in the upcoming Ant-Man sequel - Stoll previously appeared in the first Ant-Man film in 2015, playing Darren Cross/ Yellowjacket.

Cross was a protege of Hank Pym but he became obsessed with Pym particles and wanted to sell the technology to the highest bidder, regardless of the human cost. He became the supervillain Yellowjacket with his own special suit which allows him to change size like Ant-Man.

Ant-Man seemingly killed Cross by destroying his suit, forcing him to shrink down to nothing as he was crushed by his own suit. However, the MCU has a habit of bringing back characters that have been killed off, whether through time travel or multiverses - and it’s possible that Cross could return.

Is Darren Cross MODOK?

A fan theory has circulated that MODOK is Darren Cross. This is primarily based on the fact that both characters are being played by the same actor. Additionally, Yellowjacket’s helmet appeared as an Easter Egg in the Disney+ series Loki - a show entirely based around a Marvel villain who has returned several times after being killed.

The way that Cross died in Ant-Man - with his body shrinking down - could also explain MODOK’s distinctive misshapen appearance. However, there has been no confirmation that MODOK and Cross are in any way related.

For Cross to become MODOK he would have had to survive being crushed by his own suit as he went subatomic, be transported to the Quantum Realm, and take on a new form and alias. Janet’s survival shows that character’s can be turned subatomic without dying - she was trapped in the Quantum Realm for 30 years. The true identity of MODOK will be revealed when the film is released

When is the release date of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 17 February. The latest Marvel film to hit cinemas, Black Pantha: Wakanda Forever, is due to arrive on Disney+ on 1 February, 11 weeks after it was first released. Therefore, it’s likely that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will arrive on Disney+ in early May.