There really is such a thing as Marvel fatigue. I loved Wander Vision, but was underwhelmed by Falcon and Winter Solider. Loki. I haven't even started it yet.

There are really two reasons I haven't given Loki a chance yet--a decent pre-release trailer is not one of them; my fatigue with the MCU is severe and I need a little more time before I see the other Marvel feature films and I want to see a big-headed character named MODOK So, yes, MODOK is Marvel. Yes, MODOK is Marvel, but it is different. Let me explain. [MODOK (short for Mental Organism Designed Only For Killing) is Marvel's most iconic villain, debuting in 1967. Originally an enemy of Captain America, he has fought multiple Avengers over the past 50 years.

Although he has not been featured in any Marvel Studios productions in recent decades, Hulu decided to offer him his own animated show; the MODOK series was initially announced along with three other lesser-known Marvel shows: Howard the Duck, Health Tom and "Tigra & Dazzler". Since then, both "Howard the Duck" and "Tigra & Dazzler" have reportedly been discontinued.

Earlier this year, MODOK was not even on my radar. I first learned of this Hulu series when the release date was announced in February. And the moment I saw its aesthetic, I was instantly intrigued.

MODOK more or less inherited the style pioneered by Robot Chicken, so it is not surprising that the same animation production company (Stoopid Buddy Stoodios) is working on both shows. And both offer a similar irreverent comedic tone; in "MODOK" little is taken seriously and almost everything is played for laughs.

Now that Disney Plus' original MCU series is struggling to hold my attention, Hulu (at least in the US. In the UK, it's the odd little sideshow pushed onto Disney Plus' Star Channel that convinces me that Marvel has a small screen future.

One of the things that makes MODOK special is that it feels different from all the other Marvel content being put into streaming services right now.

For starters, its stop-motion action figure animation style, while not technically unique, makes it stand out from the recent overabundance of MCU content. Wander Vision was inspired by the classic TV era to keep it fresh, but by the final episode it was more traditional than unique. Of course, "Falcon and the Winter Warrior" was truly a classic Marvel Comics film.

For obvious reasons, MODOK is not set within the MCU; MODOK exists within its own canon, which has been made clear from the beginning. For this reason, it is much more flexible than the Disney-plus-Marvel program. There are gags that quote characters from other comics and play on Marvel's silly history.

The first episode of MODOK has a ridiculous scene in which the hero steals Iron Man's boots and parades around with them like a victory trophy. Such a tone is not usually found in Marvel shows. It is certainly utterly poor humor in many cases, but it is great fun. [21] [22] Patton Oswalt's superb voice performance as MODOK really helps sell the show, but what I admire most is that it is a clear labor of love. Oswalt also worked with Jason Blum on the series, and you can feel his passion for the material exuding from every frame.

MODOK is not the most groundbreaking TV series in history. Nor is it my favorite show I've seen so far this year. But it feels fresh compared to what is happening in the MCU right now, and it has held my attention more than any other series on Disney Plus.

Lately, I've seen a lot of talk about the MCU "filling a gap in the schedule." To me, this is a current problem with the MCU. Some gaps do not need to be filled. Having a break in the schedule is not a bad thing.

Some of Marvel's recent productions don't feel like they were created out of creative passion. Rather, they are content created to fulfill Disney's goal of securing lots of new content to attract new subscribers to its streaming service.

MODOK feels like the exact opposite. It is a strange show that will only attract a very limited audience, but the creators' passion for this underserved Marvel character is very clear.

Perhaps it's telling that my most anticipated upcoming MCU project (aside from "Spider-Man: No Way Home," of which I am a huge Spidey fan) is "What If," this alternate-time-focused August -focused animated series, seems to be something truly different from Marvel Studios.

It is not another visually indistinguishable film or series. Marvel characters appear as zombies, a rather outlandish storyline for the MCU. Sure, it's based on a well-known comic book series, and it's not a completely original idea, but I'm looking forward to seeing a Disney Plus series that injects something new into the MCU - even if it's all unorthodox.

And I want to see something different, so I'm setting the bar pretty high for Loki. Nevertheless, the editor says that while it is indeed a Marvel Studios production, he feels it is something different.

Despite my complaints, I would ultimately give Loki a chance. It is at least worth it. But I'm going to wait until after I finish watching "MODOK" and the Euro 2020 soccer tournament is over.