If there’s any Marvel character that needs a shot at Hollywood redemption, it’s Howard the Duck. Although, the Fantastic Four may be close behind after this weekend’s box office performance…
In 1973, writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik created Howard the Duck as a supporting character. Gerber launched a Howard the Duck ongoing series in 1976 and it quickly became a cult classic thanks to the comics’ wildly subversive and bizarre sense of humor. In 1986, George Lucas produced a Howard the Duck live-action film by director Willard Huyck.
You’d think that a film with Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins, and Jeffrey Jones would have some redeeming values…but it really doesn’t. Howard was played by a small man in a duck suit, with Chip Zien providing his voice. Maybe it would have been better in animation, as originally planned, but not if it had kept the same script. Howard the Duck is widely recognized as one of the worst movies of all time. And as a further indignity, it happened to be the very first Marvel live-action feature film since the Captain America film serials from the ‘40s!
Director James Gunn included Howard the Duck in the final scene of Guardians of the Galaxy, which effectively brought him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Vulture is taking that a step further with a new remix that places Howard front-and-center of the MCU alongside Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury.
There’s no chance that Howard the Duck will ever headline a movie again. So this trailer could be as much redemption as Howard is ever going to get.
Comic book movie fans, would you give this version of Howard the Duck a shot?
—
HT: Vulture
