Marvel's MODOK: Critics Are Loving Marvel's Latest Television Show

Adam Barnhardt

05/17/2021 04:24 pm EDT

This Friday, Marvel's MODOK hits Hulu with 10-episodes of an adult-oriented animated series featuring the likes of Patton Oswalt, Melissa Fumero, Aimee Garcia, and Ben Schwartz in lead roles. Reviews for the project have now started to surface online, and critics are loving the show from Oswalt and Community alum Jordan Blum. In fact, the show debuted with a flawless 100-percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"You really get a sense of this office comedy or this family comedy that you know, he may be this very arch-villain, but he still has to deal with all the stuff that we do, like the bureaucracy of running an organization or you know, not being able to relate to his son and finding the humanity in this, this Stan Lee, Jack Kirby monster was such a fun challenge," Blum previously told us of his take on the iconic Marvel villain.

The writer added, "He's a flawed character like all the Marvel characters are and I think that's what Marvel does so well is, you know this giant universe that's exciting and big and larger than life but the characters are so human, so relatable. I think M.O.D.O.K. is one of them and to kind of build a show around that was thrilling."

Keep scrolling to see what the critics are saying.

ComicBook.com

"MODOK never strays too far from its comedy, and that's where it thrives. It's a well-rounded offering from the House of Ideas that's one of the company's most exciting and original properties yet. It ends as fast as it starts, and that will definitely leave you wanting more. It's hilarious, surprisingly heartfelt, and entirely insane, wrapped up into one oversized noggin, and Marvel has a hit on its hands."

Read the full review here.

AVClub

"The show is just a really solid piece of comedy, from the writing, to the animation of the toy-like characters, to the (naturally) Easter egg-filled background gags, and it shows how malleable the superhero genre is once you accept the fact that people don't need to be carefully guided through a comic book universe anymore."

Read the full review here.

Den of Geek

"It's as cynical and gross as the Deadpool films without even that franchise's moral compass…which is saying something. (In contrast, when the villains comment on ethical issues, such as women using their sensuality to get what they want, or conglomerates using a creative's race to further promote their work, it puts such issues into truly stark display.) But the shock value and gross-out humor work inside the constraints of the show, and viewers who love this type of outrageous mischief will enjoy watching all of M.O.D.O.K.'s hijinks without ever being quite certain whether to root for him—or hope that someone eventually serves his just desserts."

Read the full review here.

Polygon

"There are plenty more excellent cameos, most notably Nathan Fillion playing the Avenger Wonder Man as a himbo actor with Wakandan tattoos. In one of the first real hints at the reunification of Marvel properties after the Disney/Fox merger, the X-Men villain Mister Sinister (Kevin Michael Richardson) also makes an appearance. While you don't really need to be deep into Marvel lore to appreciate the show, it's absolutely littered with Easter eggs for those who are."

Read the full review here.

IGN

"With the stop-motion stylings of Robot Chicken, Marvel's farcical M.O.D.O.K. series is a refreshing, mile-a-minute comic self-parody. Every line is a laugh, and Patton Oswalt is pitch-perfect as the iconic supervillain, whose Frankenstein origins are traded in for a streamlined saga of ego and ambition, blended with both a modern workplace comedy and a surprisingly moving family sitcom."

Read the full review here.

The Spool

"There's a lot of puzzling details in M.O.D.O.K. (including the baffling presence of fade-outs for ad breaks on a streaming show) that are emblematic of a program trying to do way too much. The ambition is admirable, but the results are less so. Still, the animation, voice talent, and the best of its jokes do make M.O.D.O.K. an agreeable diversion. Hopefully, future seasons just provide more consistency to the newest installment in TV animation's current trend."

Read the full review here.

Mama's Geeky

"That being said if you enjoy dumb humor, immature jokes, and ridiculous superhero storylines, this show is for you. The voice cast is outstanding and fully embraces their characters, allowing them to be completely believable. It should be noted that Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. is absolutely not for children. There is language, violence, and even some sex. So just let the adults and older teens enjoy this one."

Read the full review here.

*****

All 10 episodes of MODOK hit Hulu on May 21st. If you haven't signed up for Hulu yet you can try it out here.

What other Marvel characters would you like to see get an animated series? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

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