If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck, but a new poster for a supposed Marvel Studios-produced Howard the Duck movie has ruffled a few feathers.
In 1986, mainstream audiences were introduced to one of Marvel’s lesser-known characters: Howard the Duck.
The only problem? The means through which that introduction was accomplished. Director Willard Huyck’s film Howard the Duck is widely regarded as one of the worst motion pictures ever hatched.
Since then, Howard has kept a low profile, showing up for bit parts and cameos in the MCU where he’s voiced by fan-favorite Seth Green. But do these brief appearances fit the bill for this mallard?
A New Howard the Duck Movie? Maybe Not
A poster and synopsis for a remake of Howard the Duck set firmly in the MCU (with Seth Green reprising the role) has gone viral on Facebook. But much like in The Ugly Duckling, things are not quite what they seem.
Indeed, something smells a tad foul with this fowl; both the plot description and poster are completely phony, with the latter having been created through the use of artificial intelligence.
The full, bogus synopsis can be seen below:
“!!JUST ANNOUNCED!! Marvel Studios is bringing Howard the Duck back to the big screen for his very own solo movie! Seth Green is set to be the voice of the little wisequacker and it’s due out 04/01/25!”
Such fakery could serve to drive those who see it quite daffy, as they question whether or not what they’re seeing is all that it’s quacked up to be, but fabricated, AI-generated movie projects are what numerous popular Facebook pages now specialize in.
So, no, a new Howard the Duck movie isn’t hitting theaters next duck season, and nothing is currently in development.
However, Howard the Duck's on-screen future is not over: He'll likely continue showing up in the MCU in dribs and drabs (such as in the animated hit What If…?) for more duck tales, and there’s nothing despicable about that.
Back in 2017, though, Guardians of the Galaxy mastermind James Gunn denied (via Comicbook.com) rumors that he was developing a Howard the Duck movie after the director used Howard in the post-credits stinger to his first Guardians film:
”There is NO Howard the Duck movie at the present time. There are a lot of comic characters I love but I'm not making films of them all.”
Lea Thompson, who starred as the female lead in the original Howard flick from ‘86 previously pitched a remake to Marvel Studios, which she also wanted to direct (via The Hollywood Reporter).
However, according to Thompson, who worked on the pitch with Marvel Comics scribe Chip Zdarsky, the House of Ideas wasn’t interested:
“Joe Quinones did some of the art for the pitch because he and Chip Zdarsky did the last run of Howard the Duck comic books. Chip and I worked together and came up with a really great pitch. Marvel liked the pitch, but they have different plans for the different characters. I still think I could do a really good job because I feel like I am the one who really understands the fans, both of the movie and the cartoon.”
Where Could Howard the Duck Show Up Next in the MCU?
To date, Howard the Duck has shown up in five MCU projects. He sipped cocktails with the Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy, hung out with the Ravagers on Contraxia in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and played poker with the denizens of Knowhere in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
He even stepped out of a portal at the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame, toting a gun and prepared to fight, even though he was not seen during the climactic clash itself. Additionally, Howard has had a smattering of animated roles in What If…?.
But where might ol’ Howard crop up next?
Given that he’s a favorite of James Gunn (hence him being in each of the Guardians movies) and taking into account that Gunn no longer works for Marvel Studios, it seems likely that Howard the Duck’s future appearances might be fewer and farther between.
But Howard clearly covers a lot of ground in the MCU, and each of his cameos has been more or less unexpected. And as he once claimed: “You’re out of luck until you’ve gone duck.” So perhaps the powers that be at Marvel Studios will find the need to add this bird to the MCU pond in a bigger way.
All of Howard the Duck’s MCU appearances can be seen on Disney+. The 1986 Howard the Duck film can be purchased wherever movies are sold.
