Posted in: Hulu, streaming, TV | Tagged: bctv daily dispatch, hulu, jordan blum, M.O.D.O.K., modok, patton oswalt

Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.: Oswalt, Blum Discuss Bringing Character to Screen

Disney+ has become the perfect platform for bringing a variety of characters from the Marvel universe to the small screen where they might otherwise not fit for a theatrical release. Among them is MODOK with series creators Jordan Blum star Patton Oswalt talking to Variety about the D-list supervillain's upcoming TV series. "I have loved the character since I first saw him. It's that Jack Kirby design, where he's this big, floating head monster, and yet he's also incredibly human in the way that Stan Lee wrote him," Blum said. "He is this guy who sees himself as this Dr. Doom elitist villain, but deep down, he knows he's not, and it drives him crazy. His ego always gets in the way of his plans to conquer the world, and I think that's very relatable. But, besides the visuals, we haven't seen a world of villains explored and that led us to ask questions like, "Where does this guy go after he finishes fighting Captain America?" I've always been fascinated by the oddballs of the Marvel universe who don't quite fit in, and I think MODOK is the ultimate supervillain underdog.

Oswalt plays the title character. "We love the backbenchers," he said "The idea of a C, D-list supervillain who is just as upset at the other supervillains as he is [at] the heroes because he thinks he should be at the top rank of villains. He's someone who is genuinely hyper-intellectual but has no emotional intelligence. Having him on the screen trying to conquer the world felt very timely and like a fun sandbox to play in." One of the defining attributes about MODOK is the conflict he has within himself.

"I think this is a story about a super talented guy who is so focused and has such a sense of what he's meant to do in life that he gets lost along the way," Blum said. "When all of that is challenged, he has to step back and reevaluate who he is and what he wants from life, and if that's the same thing that has been driving him for years. That's a crisis that a lot of people go through. So, you apply that to a character consumed by violence that floats around in a hover chair, and you're still exploring a human story through a fun Marvel backdrop." "When I was voicing him, I tried to connect to my lizard superego brain, at least emotionally and in the voice acting," Oswalt added. "There was no voice modulation, so everything flowed easily from there once I tapped into that part of myself." Obviously, this isn't Oswalt's first foray in the MCU given his turn on ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. For more on how he and Blum talk about the inspiration behind the animation of M.O.D.O.K., casting, and his family, you can read the rest at Variety. Marvel's M.O.D.O.K., which also stars Nathan Fillion,  Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Hader, Jon Hamm, and Melissa Fumero, is available to stream on Hulu.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!