Another day, another Marvel rumor. This one is related to upcoming Ant-Man sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and the possible appearance of the supervillain M.O.D.O.K. Now, there have been several rumors flying around recently regarding the character’s role in proceedings, with this latest report claiming that it will in fact be Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross slotting into the floating chair of the Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing.

Stoll’s scientist Darren Cross first appeared in 2015’s Ant-Man and was a former protégé of Hank Pym's who takes over his mentor's company and militarizes a similar version of the Ant-Man technology to create the Yellowjacket suit. During the movie’s finale, Yellowjacket is defeated by Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, with the Marvel hero sabotaging Cross’ suit and causing it to shrink uncontrollably, sending him into the Quantum Realm. While we have not heard from Darren Cross since, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Evangeline Lilly did previously hint at Corey Stoll’s involvement in the sequel, tagging the actor on a post on social media which celebrated the start of production on Quantamania.

Ever since MODOK was reported to be involved in an early version of the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania script, rumors have been flying thick and fast regarding the villain’s inclusion in the plot. While there was recent speculation that Jim Carrey was being eyed for the role, this has since been debunked, though reports have continued to state that MODOK will have a major role in the Ant-Man and the Wasp follow-up. For those unaware, MODOK began life as George Tarleton, a former employee of Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.), an arms-dealing organization specializing in futuristic weaponry, who performs experiments on himself in an attempt to increase his intelligence. Of course, this being the world of Marvel Comics, Tarleton ends up deformed and possessing telekinetic abilities, with his now grossly oversized head forcing him to use a hoverchair to get around.

Making Darren Cross MODOK would clearly require several changes to the character’s origin, but it would not be the first time that the MCU has strayed from the source material. Much of MODOK’s attributes would also be quite easily shifted onto Cross. With Stoll sent into the quantum realm, it stands to reason that he may have undergone major changes thanks both to being crushed into apparent oblivion and his prolonged exposure to the mysterious dimension.

Not much is yet known about what Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will involve, but the movie is expected to further explore the quantum realm as well as the madness of the multiverse that is slowly bleeding into the MCU. Directed by Peyton Reed from a screenplay by Jeff Loveness, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, alongside Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kathryn Newton. Loki star Jonathan Majors has also been confirmed to star as the primary antagonist, Kang the Conqueror.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 28, 2023, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. Do you think bringing Darren Cross back as MODOK is a good idea, or would you rather that the supervillain was given a more faithful adaptation? This comes to us from The GWW.