WonderCon@Home 2021: ‘M.O.D.O.K.’ Executive Producer Teases “Epic Finale” At A Bar Mitzvah
by Erik Amaya
Although Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. has yet to debut on Hulu, executive producer Jordan Blum is already teasing an epic season finale.
The tease occurred during the program’s WonderCon@Home Q&A panel, in which voice talents Patton Oswalt — who is also an executive producer on the series — Aimee Garcia, Melissa Fumero, and Ben Schwartz answered prerecorded question from fans of the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. One question revolved around the cast describing their characters, and just as Schwartz finished describing Lou, M.O.D.O.K.’s “normal” son, Blum added this intriguing note: “I think we’re the only Marvel show to have our big finale — our epic finale — take place at a bar mitzvah.”
“I speak Hebrew in this!” Schwartz added.
The character is part of the series’ unique take on the beloved Marvel villain. When he’s not at work trying to kill the Avengers, he’s dealing with his family in suburban New Jersey. Lou, for instance, is a hyper-positive young man without his father’s physique, self-loathing, or desire to control the planet. Naturally, this makes him the black sheep of the family. M.O.D.O.K.’s daughter M.E.L.I.S.S.A. (Fumero) takes much more after her father — she is literally a floating head who uses her abilities to become top dog at her high school.
And if you expect M.O.D.O.K.’s wife Jodie (Garcia) to be the traditional, long-suffering sitcom wife, Oswalt mentioned one of the key choices was to maker her less of that stereotype. In fact, her home business is more successful than M.O.D.O.K.’s A.I.M. Garcia also said Jody supports M.O.D.O.K.’s “supports his vision to take over the world.”
“She goes on a messier journey than M.O.D.O.K.,” Oswalt added. Part of that journey includes a relationship with Wonder Man when she and M.O.D.O.K. separate. Nathan Fillion will lend his voice Wonder Man — a part he’s been tangentially connected to for years.
Other guest voices revealed at the panel include Jon Hamm as Iron Man, Whoopi Goldberg plays Poundcakes, and Bill Hader as both Angar the Screamer and the Leader
“Marvel has this amazing world of B, C, and D-level characters who are just as human as their big, out-front, A-level characters and they’re rarely explored,” Oswalt said of the show’s overall philosophy. “The fact we start with the base of a frustrated supervillain who is just as angry at the other supervillains as the heroes is very, very unique. But in his mind, [his belief that] ‘I should be powerful enough to maintain a marriage and family’ just shows you the damage and hubris this guy is operating under — I just love that so much.”
Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. debuts May 17th on Hulu.
