Patton Oswalt on MODOK and His Parks & Rec Filibuster

Plus, why M.O.D.O.K. is a lot like Batman.

An entire series based on the Marvel character M.O.D.O.K., the floating, large-headed supervillain who debuted in 1967 and mostly spent the next few decades getting his ass kicked, feels like something that could only happen right now. Comic book adaptations have become such a large part of the pop culture landscape that people don’t even flinch at every new announcement, and something as deeply weird and niche as Hulu’s M.O.D.O.K. can thrive. It rules, to be clear, but it’s also kind of exactly the same brand of IP overload described all the way back in 2013 by M.O.D.O.K star Patton Oswalt in his epic, unhinged Parks & Recreation filibuster rant. If you’ve never seen it, you’re welcome. 

So when we sat down with Oswalt himself recently to discuss M.O.D.O.K., we also had to ask how it feels to basically be a pop-culture prophet. We also discussed why M.O.D.O.K. is a lot like Batman, what the scrapped plans for Hulu’s The Offenders crossover looked like, and what it truly takes to bring the biggest brain in Marvel history to life. 

RELATED: Menacing Poster for Marvel’s ‘M.O.D.O.K.’ Hulu Series Showcases the Maniacal Supervillain

Check out what Oswalt had to say in the video above, and below is a breakdown of exactly what we talked about: 

• Why Oswalt and showrunner Jordan Blum believe M.O.D.O.K. is a lot like Batman. 
• What it was like behind-the-scenes as Hulu’s plans for an “Offenders” universe and crossover changed dramatically.
• Why it came down to him to write the stand-out season 1 episode, “If Saturday Be For the Boys!” 
• What goes into a voice performance when you’re switching between supervillain grandiosity and quiet character moments. 
• If he’s ever reflected on his viral Parks and Recreation filibuster from 2013 and how much it predicted about the franchise-filled pop culture landscape we have today. 

KEEP READING: ‘Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.’ Trailer Promises a Hilariously Evil Hulu Series

Here is the official synopsis for Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.: 

In “Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.”, the megalomaniacal supervillain M.O.D.O.K. (Patton Oswalt) has long pursued his dream of one day conquering the world. But after years of setbacks and failures fighting the Earth’s mightiest heroes, M.O.D.O.K. has run his evil organization A.I.M. into the ground. Ousted as A.I.M.’s leader, while also dealing with his crumbling marriage and family life, the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing is set to confront his greatest challenge yet!

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