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It may be hard to imagine, given the success Marvel Studios films have had over the decades, but it’s true. There was a time when signing up for a movie based on the works of Marvel Comics didn’t instantly give you a ticket to stardom. Perhaps the best example in this universe and others is the 1986 bomb. howard the duck.
Still, while the film was a disaster and likely helped delay the emergence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by several decades, it didn’t have to be that way. In fact, with Marvel’s recent pivot to R-rated movies and MCU’s emphasis on comedy, Howard the Duck may be exactly what Marvel needs right now.
So why did something go so horribly wrong in 1986? Here’s why howard the duck We’re screwed.
Howard the Duck as president
Created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik, Howard the Duck originally appeared as a side character in “Man-Thing in Adventure into Fear” #19. He quickly became a favorite of Gerber, and Howard the Duck published his own book in 1976. The book features overt social satire and crude humor that sets it apart from other Marvel comics.
Howard the Duck was a popular character throughout the late ’70s, and his fictional 1976 presidential race garnered thousands of write-in votes in real-world elections. Of course, the character’s reputation as a cool, counterculture comic book character was destroyed in 1986 with the release of George Lucas’ film. howard the duck. And he never recovered.
Duck Relationships Doom Howard Movie
The film, which starred Lea Thompson and also featured a puppet voiced by Chip Zien, was a huge flop, grossing only $38 million on a $37 million budget. The film is briefly set on Duckworld, a planet much like Earth but with two moons and populated by anthropomorphic ducks.
It won’t be long before our famous characters are launched into space and land in Cleveland, Ohio. There he befriends Beverly Switzler, whom he saves from a robbery. He uses a martial art called Quack-Fu.
The Marvel movie hints that a creepy interspecies romance will materialize at some point in the film, with things quickly escalating when Beverly invites Howard to her house for the night.
After a fight breaks out at Beverly’s show, Howard saves the day once again. He is eventually asked to become the band’s manager, which he accepts.
This series of events ultimately leads to a very uncomfortable scene between Howard and Beverly, full of sexual tension and actual intimate contact. This part of the movie can only be described as pure bestiality.
Howard the Duck can’t find balance
That’s one of the big problems with this Marvel adaptation, or any PG-rated movie that tries to shoehorn adult humor into its plot. On the other hand, a PG rating allows it to reach a wider audience, which is usually good for the overall box office. On the other hand, some people probably took their kids to see this movie because it was about ducks, but they probably had to explain things to them on the ride home.
howard the duck It was too childish for adults to understand, and too adult for children to avoid being traumatized. Given the level of creepiness, ducks, and human intimacy, I’d imagine there were some traumatized adults as well.
While all of the above is happening, there is a B-plot in which Howard and Beverly seek the help of Phil Blumbert, played by Tim Robbins, to return Howard to his home planet. Lab assistant Phil thinks that if he can reverse engineer the laser spectrometer that accidentally brought Howard to Earth, he can also send Howard back to Duckworld. In doing so, they accidentally bring another life form back to Earth, who possesses Dr. Walter Jenning and subsequently calls himself the “Dark Lord of the Universe.”
Why did Howard the Duck fail?
While most of today’s Marvel movies that we know and love do a great job of building several concurrent storylines, howard the duck I was left with a solution that completely missed the point and was unsatisfactory. Expressive puppets, heartless humor, and an unforgettable plot were all highlighted in overwhelmingly negative reviews.
It’s no exaggeration to say that this Marvel movie wasn’t very well received. howard the duck Not only was it a box office success, but it was also nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards. It’s one thing for a movie to be nominated for a Razzie Award, much less for it to be nominated for seven Razzies. howard the duck It won four of the awards: Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst New Star, and Worst Visual Effects.
The film was such a disaster that star Lea Thompson now blames it for ruining his career. Speaking on the Celebrity Catch Up Podcast, she revealed:
“It was devastating. In one year I had the biggest hit and the biggest bomb, so that probably destroyed my film career. I went on to do some good work after that, but really It was difficult…”
What is the hit that Lea Thompson is referring to? back to the future This film, co-starring Michael J. Fox, was the beginning of one of the greatest trilogies of all time. It’s easy to see why she would watch these two movies side by side.
Co-starring with Tim Robbins howard the duckand it doesn’t seem to have affected his career trajectory. Two years later, he starred in what is still considered one of the funniest comedies in cinema. Bull Durham. Two years later, he starred in a heart-pounding cult film. Jacob’s ladder. Two more years later, he was starring in an indie thriller film playerAnd after another two years, something iconic was born. classic The Shawshank Redemption.
howard the duck It was supposed to be a big deal. It was supposed to be the beginning of the Marvel movie era. After all, the same people who made Star Wars produced it.
howard the duck “Captain America” was the first movie to be released in theaters since the “Captain America” series in 1944. George Lucas was enthusiastic about adapting Steve Garber’s comic book of the same name, praising its film noir character and inherent absurdity.
If you look at it howard the duck There’s a lot more to this movie than just a scary Marvel movie, but a proof of concept. The final iteration of the actual duck costume on the actual big screen left a lot to be desired, but the special effects throughout the film, done by Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic, were actually quite impressive in some cases. Excellent.
A series of poor decisions led to the project’s failure, including shooting a live-action film in favor of an animated film due to contractual obligations and time constraints.
Marvel’s future in the duck movie business
After a long hibernation, howard the duck He is slowly starting to regain his personality. He remains a constant presence in the comic book world and is slowly being reintroduced to non-comic book readers through the MCU. He has made several cameo appearances in films such as: guardians of the galaxy and avengers/endgame. With Seth Green still consistently voicing the character, he’s primed for a comeback.
Multiple ideas have been floated for a Howard the Duck project in the MCU. An animated adult comedy was planned for Hulu with Kevin Smith writing and producing, but the show was canceled in 2020 along with other Hulu shows. Rob Zombie and Lea Thompson have both pitched films about the character, but those pitches were made before the MCU produced R-rated movies.
and deadpool and wolverine It’s been a huge success as an R-rated comedy-centric movie, but maybe it’s time for Disney to take another look. howard the duck. Like Deadpool, Howard has a raunchy sense of humor and a brash but endearing personality that lends him well to adult comedy. The standard PG-13 MCU brand of comedy doesn’t really suit this character, but he could help establish Marvel as a home for adult comedy.
Unlike the MCU’s other comedic characters, Deadpool and She-Hulk, Howard the Duck’s comedy is rooted in broad social commentary. He is not a superhero parody, and his jokes are often about real-world political and social issues.
The MCU is becoming increasingly self-involved, and characters who actively comment on or mock our real world could help the series feel relevant again. George Lucas’ Howard the Duck has given the character punch lines for decades, but he still has a lot of charm. As Disney looks for ways to reinvent the MCU, they should ignore the ’80s movies and give Alien Duck another try.
Marvel needs a bold move to survive, and reviving the company’s biggest flop in history may be just what they need.
