James Gunn Denies Rumors About New Howard The Duck Movie

Unsourced rumors were heating up on social media over the last couple of days regarding Marvel Studios producing a movie based on Howard the Duck.

After the character’s 1986 movie was a critical failure and commercial bomb at the box, Howard the Duck was confined to comic book appearances until he popped up in a post-credits scene in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The character’s popularity has seen a resurgence since then, and fresh off another cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 rumors have mounted about another feature film.

But if there’s one thing James Gunn hates, it’s unsourced rumors about his involvement in a project that likely doesn’t exist in any capacity. As evidenced in his tweet, the Guardians mastermind directly addressed those claims and put them to rest.

A fan directly asked him if there was any truth to Gunn producing a Howard the Duck movie, and the director flat-out said now.

Gunn has spoken at length to how much the character means to him, citing the original stories by co-creators Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik as well as artist Gene Colan. The original Marvel Comics series toed the line between absurdity and satire, allowing Gerber and co. to examine societal norms and ills however he saw fit.

It was funny, clever, and heartfelt — so it’s easy to see why the person responsible for the Guardians of the Galaxy movies would enjoy them so much.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like a Marvel Studios movie will be a reality anytime soon, especially considering the mismatch in tone between the source material and the kinds of movies the production company typically makes.

While Marvel’s films tend to skirt different genres, they are typically straightforward superhero affairs. A Howard the Duck movie would not – could not exist in that mold.

That doesn’t mean we should cross it off our wishlists. A Howard the Duck movie done right would be very entertaining, and we hope to see it some day down the line.

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Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker(Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).