In comic book movie history, some characters get countless chances in pursuit of a decent film, but others botch their first attempt so severely that their name becomes synonymous with failure. This is the tragic fate faced by Marvel’s Howard the Duck, who could be totally redeemed with proper use of the character.
1986’sHoward the DuckisMarvel’s first and probably worst film, plagued by terrible special effects, lackluster comedy, a bizarre romance, and subsequently awful reception. Now, 35 years down the road, superhero media rules the world, and Howard is a cameo player in the MCU, but he could gain the acclaim he was denied by his first awful film.
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Howard the Duck was created in 1973 by Steve Gerber for the iconic Marvel horror comic seriesAdventure Into Fear.His original iteration is a very direct parody of Disney’s Donald Duck but without the cartoony elements. Howard is a talking duck from a planet of anthropomorphic animals who was shunted by an undefined force to Earth, where he does not comfortably fit in. After a short-lived newspaper strip and a nasty legal battle between Marvel and Gerber, Howard was revived in the early 2000s as an irreverent mature parody character. His solo series parody countless other works, from comics to cartoons to fellow Marvel heroes. The most modern iteration of the character began his series in 2015, but Howard has made his biggest splashes in crossover events with heroes like Spider-Manand She-Hulk. In the modern day, he’s a private detective skilled in meta-comedy and never-ending self-parody.
Howard the Duck has made appearances in the MCU on a couple small occasions. His first MCU arrival came in the end credits scene of 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxy,where it was revealed that he is one of countless beings captured by The Collector. He gets exactly one line, and is voiced byRobot Chickenmastermind Seth Green. Reportedly, James Gunn despised the 80s film featuring the duck and sought to rectify that crime against the character by putting him in his film. Howard reappears inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,in abrief cameo at a Ravager bar. Finally, sharp-eyed viewers can spot Howard exiting one of the countless portals brought forth by Doctor Strange to face Thanos in the final battle ofEndgame.Howard emerges alongside a team of Ravagers, armed with a machine gun as big as his body and joins the heroes, though most probably didn’t notice his presence. These are the only times Howard has appeared in the MCU, aside from a couple ofalternate reality cameos inWhat If…?
The Marvel animated series, like the 2015Guardians of the Galaxycartoon which Howard did appear in, are typically not canon to the MCU.They exist in an entirely separate continuitythat features crossovers between series but does not affect the continuity of the films or live-action shows. This allows these shows to take massively different directions and make new decisions that would hurt the overall plotline of the MCU. Giving Howard the Duck a new animated series could allow a character built for absurdist comedy a chance to make fun of the MCU from within, while not affecting the larger universe. While comedy is certainly some part of every Marvel project, there is very little in the empire that could be considered full comedy. And even less that could verge into the world of parody.
Parody or spoof media has swiftly become a lost art. While previous decadesheld brilliant standouts in the genre, the modern incarnation of the idea holds some of the worst films ever made. The MCU, despite its total cultural dominance, has plenty of satire surrounding it, but very few good parodies. A Howard the Duck series could be the perfect venue for Marvel to parody itself, showing its audience that it has a sense of humor about its own flaws. There are countless jokes orcomplaints about the MCUthat become shared opinion amongst fans, and Marvel’s typical response is to ignore them. Howard the Duck could make fun of this concept that is so dominant in modern cinema while giving a fun character to get back into culture’s good graces.
A Howard the Duck series could come in multiple forms, as the character has taken many forms. His recent role as a private investigator has sent him on reasonable quests that swiftly turn into universe-spanning absurdity. Howard’s narratives almost always involve crossover with other Marvel characters, from workingin the same building as She-Hulkto being robbed by Peter Parker’s Aunt May. His quest could lead him across the multiverse, or land him permanently on Earth after the events ofEndgame,but Howard is the perfect character to meet the larger MCU and provide the franchise with a much-needed parody.
