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In terms of actual financial losses, Willard Huyck's 1986 bonkers fantasy/comedy "Howard the Duck," based on a Marvel Comics character, is hardly the biggest bomb of all time. It earned $38 million on a $37 million budget. That's a large bomb by the weird standards of Hollywood accounting, of course, but "Howard the Duck" didn't lose nearly as much money as, say, "Krull" from three years previous. It's also not the first Marvel movie, as some believe. 

In terms of its reputation, however, "Howard the Duck" might be one of the most notorious bombs of all time. It was a weird concept to receive blockbuster levels of cash, and many were baffled by the fact that George Lucas was one of the film's producers. The film is about a live-action anthropomorphic duck named Howard (voice of Chip Zien) who is sucked to Earth from a parallel duck dimension. He is lost...

The MCU is one of the highest-grossing franchises to ever exist. Containing several characters from Marvel Comics and featuring productions with special effects and action, the films of the MCU are guaranteed blockbusters. Yes, the MCU, at this point, is no longer just a series of interconnecting films but a license to print money. However, this hasn't always been the case. Before the world-building and clashes between superheroes and their arch-rivals, there was Howard the Duck. Released in 1986 and considered by many to be one of the worst movies to ever hit theaters, Howard the Duck has long been the subject of ridicule and mockery and is also considered by some to be a cult classic.

Howard, a walking duck from another dimension, can best be described as a surly, cigar-smoking, and beer-drinking curmudgeon whose existence on earth through a failed science experiment requires suspension of disbelief from the audience.

If Marvel's first plans for a movie franchise had succeeded, the MCU probably wouldn't exist today. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown exponentially throughout the years, going from the Avengers' monumental team-up in 2012's The Avengers to their universe-defining battle against Thanos in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, and from Marvel Studios' first venture into streaming with WandaVision to the multiversal war at the center of Avengers: Secret Wars, as well as more than a dozen upcoming MCU projects in the next few years.

Kevin Feige's ambitious plans for an interconnected franchise made the MCU what it is nowadays: an ever-growing behemoth grossing almost $30 billion and gathering Hollywood's biggest stars. Sixteen years after Iron Man marked the beginning of the franchise, the MCU now comprises over thirty-four movies, fifteen shows, and two Special Presentations, plus a few shorts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is so successful that C-list characters have become fan-beloved...

George Lucas is one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, having defined the modern blockbuster with the success of Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. However, such is his filmmaking prowess that even the rare duds he has produced in his prolific career have the capability of reshaping the cinematic landscape.

George Lucas produced 1986’s Howard the Duck (Credit: HBO).

In 1986, Lucas delivered one of the biggest flops of his career when he produced Howard the Duck, an adaptation of the Marvel comics character of the same name. While the film’s disastrous performance at the time tarnished Lucas’ career, it benefitted the Star Wars and Marvel franchises in hindsight, and here is why.

George Lucas’ biggest flop proved to be a blessing for Star Wars and Marvel

After finding fame with his Star Wars franchise, George Lucas produced the superhero comedy film Howard the Duck. Based on...

Spoiler Alert !!!This Article Contains Spoilers for 'What If...?' Season 3 Episode 4.

Welcome to What If…?, a show where the Marvel Cinematic Universe throws out its rulebook and lets imagination run wild, in the best way possible. Three seasons in, fans have seen many absurd storylines play out including Agatha living the life of glitz and glamor in Hollywood and The Avengers in 1602. However, nothing could have prepared us for what was to come in season 3.

Seth Green’s Howard the Duck and Kat Denning’s Darcy Lewis in What If…? Season 3 Episode 4 | Credits: Marvel Studios Animation

Season 3 of What If…? recently released its fourth episode and boy was it a rollercoaster ride! The episode features a love story between Jane Foster’s intern Darcy Lewis and one of the Collector’s specimens, Howard the Duck. No, we really aren’t kidding. No matter how absurd it sounds, it...

Warning: This post contains Spoilers for What If...? season 3For all the success of the MCU era, there have been some dark days in Marvel's comic book movie past, and one of them just took an even darker turn thanks to the last major superhero release of 2024. Prior to the MCU, there were several attempts to adapt Marvel Comics, from the early age of serials, with 1940s adaptations for both Captain Marvel and Captain America through to the weirdness of the late 1970s Spider-Man and Captain America movies.

But it wasn't until the 1980s that studios started throwing real money behind Marvel rights, well before Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and the original X-Men movies changed everything. It's something of a forgotten period for Marvel, but in 1986, George Lucas threatened to ruin the good name of Marvel with a movie so terrible that it belongs in a museum. I never thought I'd be writing this,...

In the first season of What If…? Thor tore up Vegas in a party state. In the process, human Darcy (Kat Dennings) met duck-alien Howard the Duck (Seth Green). During the wild Vegas weekend, they fell in love, leading to the events of “What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?” The sequel episode brings the same silliness one would expect from a Howard the Duck story. However, you might need to tune in to “Howard the Duck Got Hitched” for later consequences in the What If…? storyline. While “What If… Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?” brought a buddy team-up to life, “What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?” is far weirder.

Related “I need the cigar-chomping rude boy”: Tim Robbins is Not Returning to Marvel Universe Unless They Make One Big Change to Howard the Duck (L-r): Howard The Duck (Seth Green) and Darcy (Kat Dennings) in Marvel Animation’s What If…...

Since breaking through with his second feature "Memento" in 2001, Christopher Nolan has been one of the most critically celebrated and commercially popular filmmakers on the planet. He's been nominated for eight Academy Awards (winning Best Picture and Best Director in 2024 with "Oppenheimer") and currently ranks seventh on the list of highest-grossing directors of all time (not adjusted for inflation). Career-wise, you can't do it much better than Nolan: he kicked off with two indies, dipped his toe in the studio waters before tackling a major franchise with "Batman Begins," didn't overstay his welcome with said franchise, and is now a brand name himself à la Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. With his track record, he can make just about any film he wants at the studio of his choosing.

Now that he's about to embark on feature number 13, you'd think we could look back over his 26-year career...

This article contains mentions of an actor who is a registered sex offender as of 2003.

Well ahead of Beetlejuice 2's release, it was confirmed Jeffrey Jones would not be returning as Charles Deetz, a character from Tim Burton's 1988 movie. Charles was the Deetz family patriarch in the original Beetlejuice, moving to Winter River with his wife, Delia, and teenage daughter, Lydia, from a previous marriage. Unless business opportunities were involved, Charles was basically aloof to everything going on in the Maitland home until Beetlejuice's ending, when the bio-exorcist made himself known to Charles and Delia. Ultimately, Beetlejuice was sent back to the Neitherworld, leaving Adam, Barbara, and the Deetz family in peace.

A handful of characters return in Beetlejuice 2, including Winona Ryder (Lydia), Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), and Catherine O'Hara (Delia). Though Jones isn't reprising his role as Charles, a new member of the Deetz family will...

Every now and then, a movie is so spectacularly, brilliantly, and gloriously bad that our brains catalog it in the “good” category anyway.

It’s hard to define what makes a movie good or bad since it’s all subjective, but for me, a bad movie becomes good when it’s still enjoyable despite being a terrible film.

While there’s plenty of room for debate on what movies are considered bad in the first place, I’ve come up with a handful that I think we can all agree aren’t exactly masterpieces.

(Universal Pictures/Screenshot)

In looking back over some of the worst movies I’ve seen, I asked myself one question to determine if it was so bad, it’s actually good.

Would I watch it again?

When the answer was yes, as it was for all of the following, I figured that was enough to give...

An awesome new artwork allows Wonder Woman to shine like a true '80s icon with a variant cover in the style of a poster for an old-school power fantasy. Diana has had a lot of amazing adaptations over the years, but this cover makes one pine for a long-gone cinematic era.

As 2024 winds down, fans are getting a peek at what lies ahead in the new year thanks to DC Comics' batch of solicitations for February 2024. The month is full of exciting new offerings, including the revival of Green Lantern Corps. But Wonder Woman fans are going to want to check out this month's variants, including one by David Talaski.

Talaski's cover shows Wonder Woman standing confidently against a black background. She's backlit and glowing as her Bracelets of Submission gleam and her Lasso of Truth shines in the darkness, a tableau not unlike posters from '80s action movies.

It's fair to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on the downslide ever since the release of "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019. The McU's many, many fans haven't seemed as excited about the many installments to have come out since, with some of them even becoming huge flops at the box office. Even the commercial hits -- like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Deadpool & Wolverine" -- have tended to be nostalgic victory laps rather than new, exciting beginnings. From 2008 until 2019, however, Marvel stood astride the pop landscape like a mighty colossus, with essayists and cinephiles carefully examining the history of Marvel movies and why they came to ascend in the late 2000s.

Among the recent successes was James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3," a very long, very weepy farewell to the eponymous characters. Gunn became one of the guiding voices in the MCU after the first "Guardians...

It's a bit of trivia that you can use to stump friends at parties, especially those folks who fancy themselves a know-it-all about how the film industry works: doesn't a major motion picture based on a Marvel comic produced by "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" guru George Lucas during the peak of his filmmaking career sound like a sure-fire hit? Of course, it's a trick question, as the movie in question, 1986's "Howard the Duck," was a notorious flop, one which sent Lucas back to the "maybe I should think about making some 'Star Wars' prequels" drawing board and very likely helped keep more Marvel properties off the big screen for several years. Although the film was certainly not a complete waste of time — its long research & development process regarding the title character eventually led to what became Pixar — its status as a flop tarnished the careers of Lucas, director/co-writer Willard Huyck,...

Quick Links What Is Howard The Duck About, and Who Is In It? Reception to Howard The Duck Why Fans Have Grown to Love Howard the Duck

Before Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, and Thor were on the big screen, there was Howard the Duck. Sometimes, critics and fans dont agree with how good (or bad) a movie is. Often, its the former that pans a film while the latter gives it two enthusiastic thumbs up. In the case of the 80s superhero comedy Howard the Duck, the film has received dismal reviews from both camps. Yet somehow, its one of those films people love to talk about, watch, re-watch, and eventually begin to appreciate for what it is. In fact, the movie has developed a cult following over almost 40 years since it premiered back in 1986.

Some may have heard the title Howard the Duck but never watched it.

Warning: This article discusses topics of sexual assault, racism, and violence.

There are plenty of amazing 80s sci-fi movies, but some havent aged well. The 1980s is a brilliant decade for cinema, and titles from this time are generally some of the best movies of all time. Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, and Friday the 13th are just a few of the greatest franchises from the era, and each of them has changed the film industry forever. Science fiction is a particularly prominent genre from the 80s, a time full of hope and potential for the future.

However, some movies arent up to standard. Although they are a product of their time, some of these films have aged awfully and are now criticized for things like inappropriate storylines, offensive stereotypes, and poor special effects. Even a selection of the best 1980s sci-fi movies, while timeless classics, aged badly in certain ways.

The Howard the Duck movie, which came out in 1986, was a disaster on all levels. Howard the Duck became synonymous with bad comic book movies years before stinkers like Elektra and Green Lantern overshadowed it. Since then, it’s become one of Marvel’s skeletons in the closet and almost entirely ignored. Now it’s time to […]

Is Howard The Duck The Most Cringeworthy Marvel Movie? Written by Rick Austin for Fortress of Solitude...

In late 2019, the Marvel Television brand, which technically operated independently of Marvel Studios, was shut down. As reported by Variety, Marvel television productions were integrated into the Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment banners. This preceded a new wave of Marvel series on Disney+, where the shows were produced by Marvel Studios instead, with a stricter continuity between the television shows and movies set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the unfortunate casualties of the dissolution of the old Marvel TV banner and reintegration into Marvel Studios was a previously announced animated series for Marvel's Howard the Duck. Indie film icon Kevin Smith and Aqua Teen Hunger Force co-creator Dave Willis were attached to write and executive produce the animated series. While Howard the Duck has made some cameo appearances in the MCU over the last ten years, it's time for Marvel Studios to give the duck his due and...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of October titles. The Tubi October 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library: over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi October 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

Documentary

Famously Haunted:...

Kevin Smith is back with his latest effort, the quasi-autobiographical coming-of-age story, The 4:30 Movie. Set in 1986, the film follows a group of teenage boys who spend the day at their local movie theater, sneaking in and out while attempting to fulfill their teenage dream: sneaking into an R-rated movie with a girl.

The 4:30 Movie stars a quartet of young actors in the leading roles: Austin Zajur plays Brian David, a character based on a teenage Kevin Smith, while Nick Cirillo and and Reed Northrup play his two best friends, with Siena Agudong as Melody, the girl of Brian David's dreams. In addition to its young leads, The 4:30 Movie boasts an all-star roster of supporting players in minor roles, including Kevin Smith regulars like Jason Mewes, Justin Long, Jason Lee, Jeff Anderson, and Method Man, among many others, including some cameos we won't spoil here.

Related Every Unmade...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently building toward Avengers: Secret Wars, and a new theory suggests that Earth-616 may not get far in the upcoming multiversal war. Everything known about Avengers: Secret Wars suggests that the film could show the combination of every Marvel property ever put on film. From Howard the Duck to Venom: The Last Dance, no specific property would be unfit for inclusion in the McU's enormous team-up film. With such an enormous scale to pick from, however, it becomes hard to see how well the McU's own heroes would fare in such a fight.

Marvel's Multiverse Saga has been a tumultuous patch in the franchise's history, with some significant successes and some major failures. The interweaving of different stories has also been difficult, with some of the shows in the MCU timeline further complicating how the overall franchise approaches its stories. However, when it has worked,...

Ryan Reynolds has seemingly turned things around for the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that "Deadpool & Wolverine" has crossed the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. But while Reynolds might be the McU's savior in 2024, he's not the first actor to rescue Marvel from cinematic obsolescence. Back in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. changed Hollywood forever when he played the titular hero in Jon Favreau's "Iron Man," launching what would become the biggest blockbuster franchise in cinema history and proving Marvel could make icons out of the heroes it hadn't yet licensed to other production companies. But even Rdj wasn't the first savior of Marvel. No, the first actor to truly give Marvel a cinematic hit was Wesley Snipes with the unimpeachable "Blade."

In 1998, Snipes debuted as the effortlessly-cool daywalking vampire hunter in a film that would make $131 million on a $45 million budget. Compared to the kind of returns the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees,...

Before Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" and Bryan Singer's "X-Men," there was Stephen Norrington's "Blade." The 1998 action-horror flick wasn't the first film based on a Marvel Comics title, but it was the one that proved the House of Ideas might just have a future in the movie business after years of financial failures. Wesley Snipes would go on to reprise his role as the titular daywalker in the sequels "Blade II" and "Blade: Trinity," the latter of which paired him against Ryan Reynolds as a wise-cracking, kill-happy Marvel superhero.

No, not that one. 

Indeed, it would be another 20 years before Snipe's Blade shared the screen with Reynolds as Wade Wilson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover "Deadpool & Wolverine," with the two characters coming face-to-face upon being banished to The Void by the Time Variance Authority. If you're doing the math in your head, you may already realize that...

Prime Video is the place to be in August with an incredible month of new releases. The month kicks off with the premiere of the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader on Aug. 1. The series was produced by J.J. Abrams and The Batman‘s Matt Reeves. We also return to Middle Earth this month with the premiere of The Rings of Power season 2 on Aug. 29.

As far as movies go, the Amazon original Jackpot! arrives on Aug. 15 starring Awkwafina and John Cena. This comedy is set in a world where Lottery winners have to survive until sundown in order to claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot – anyone who kills them before that gets to claim their prize.

The Hobbit trilogy also joins the Prime Video library this month, as do 21 and 22 Jump Street, Superman I-iv, Superman Returns, Night Swim, Drive Away Dolls, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Here’s everything coming...

[This story contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.]

Unsurprisingly, much of the discussion surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine, both positive and negative, has focused on the so-called cameos in the film. Is it simply fan service? Do we care about seeing those characters again? Are they the purpose of the movie? Does it say anything about us as a culture? The answers will naturally vary and lead to a vast amount of discourse, much of it exhausting.

Deadpool & Wolverine is being used as a litmus test for various things, art, commercialism, consumerism, and the capability to have fun or not. None of those tests are particularly interesting, and I’d argue they are outside of the parameters of what Deadpool & Wolverine is actually about, which is: who decides which stories matter?

Do you remember the first Marvel movie you saw? Maybe it was Blade (1998), Spider-Man (2002), Iron Man (2008), The Avengers (2012), or any of the other numerous comic...

Comparing box office runs over the past decades is a tricky, because the movie business has undergone so many shifts. Around 40 years ago, a typical theatrical run could be 6 to 12 months, as films typically debuted in large urban centers before eventually being distributed to smaller towns and rural areas. It seems impossible now, but in the time before the widespread adoption of home video and pay cable, it could be years between a film's theatrical run and a home viewing experience. "Star Wars" (1977) was first released on video (VHS and Betamax) in the United States in May 1982, five years after its May 1977 premiere, and it would appear on pay cable nine months later before finally airing on American broadcast TV on February 26, 1984.

These new technologies drastically altered the marketplace, making "I'll wait for it on video" a perfectly reasonable decision. The digital revolution of the 2000s further accelerated this trend.

Tim Robbins played Lt. Sam "Merlin" Wells in Top Gun, stepping in to replace Goose after the latter's death. Robbins makes his role memorable and believable as a pilot, supporting Maverick without stealing the spotlight. Robbins likely didn't return for Top Gun: Maverick due to a principle of avoiding sequels, despite the film's success.

Some people may not remember, but Tim Robbins was in Top Gun, though surprisingly, he didn't return for Top Gun: Maverick. It's hard to describe just how influential Top Gun is in the action drama genre, but if the number of movies like Top Gun that came out after Tony Scott's film is any indication, the movie continues to influence Hollywood decades later. Over 30 years after the original, Top Gun: Maverick came out to worldwide acclaim and a massive box office, proving that the Top Gun brand was as powerful and sensational as ever.

Top Gun...

Back to the Future star Lea Thompson stated that her mainstream film career ended after she had her kids. Thompson was a rising star through the 1980s but she was pushed to TV roles in the ’90s. Thompson found success in her role as Lorraine McFly in Robert Zemeckis’ three-part time travel flick. Before that, she was Tom Cruise’s pair in the 1983 film, All the Right Moves.

Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox in a still from Back to the Future | Universal Pictures

Thompson met Howard Deutch during her popular teen film Some Kind of Wonderful and married the filmmaker in 1989. She had her first child, actress Madelyn Deutch, in 1991 and her second child, actress Zoey Deutch, in 1994.

Lea Thompson Says She Lost Her Movie Star Status Due To Motherhood

Tom Cruise with Lea Thompson in a still from All the Right Moves (1983) | Lucille Ball Productions

Lea Thompson played the mother of Michael J.

Cristin Milioti is lending her voice to Season 2 of the Hulu adult animated series “Hit-Monkey,” Variety has learned exclusively.

As previously reported, Season 2 will see Monkey (Fred Tatasciore) and the ghost of American assassin Bryce (Jason Sudeikis) travel from Japan to New York. It is due to premiere on Hulu in July 15.

Milioti will star as Iris. Her official character description states, “Iris has grown up vowing never to be like the father, Bryce, who abandoned her, but when fate brings them back together, she realizes that she and her old man are cut from the same cloth as they hurtle towards a final reconciliation.”

This is the second comic book role Milioti has taken on recently. She is also set to star in the upcoming Max DC series “Penguin,” playing the role of Sofia Falcone. Milioti is known for her roles in projects like the “USS Callister” episode of “Black Mirror,...

Tim Robbins has been a prominent actor in the industry ever since his impressive films in the 90s. His incredible performances in Jacob’s Ladder and The Shawshank Redemption made him a household name. He went on to earn an Oscar for his heartbreaking performance in 2003’s Mystic River.

Tim Robbins in 1990’s Jacob’s Ladder

Robbins made a surprising entry into the superhero world with the 1986 film Howard the Duck. The film was a colossal flop at the time of release and was not received well. However, Robbins is not against returning for a proper modern revival of the character, but he wants it to have a different tone than the over-the-top nature of the 1986 film.

Tim Robbins Will Only Return to the Marvel Universe in a Badass Howard the Duck Film Tim Robbins’ Howard the Duck film was a complete misfire

Among his illustrious work in the 80s and 90s,...

Quick Links Who Is Howard The Duck, and When Did He First Appear? Howard the Duck's Quirkiness Made Him Offbeat and More Appealing Did George Lucas Regret Not Being Involved in More Marvel Experiences?

Fans of fantasy and sci-fi the world over almost lost out on the legend that George Lucas became as the creator of Star Wars and all the success he went on to have as a filmmaker. That's because he almost became a professional race car driver until a serious accident caused him to go into filmmaking instead. Thankfully, it all worked out, and he became an icon for sci-fi geeks everywhere. By the '80s, Lucas had already established himself with the enormous success of the first two Star Wars films and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Those three films alone instantly propelled him to iconic status and made him one of the most famous filmmakers in the world.

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.

Read full article on The Direct.

Dianne Crittenden, casting director on some of the most notable features of the 1970s and ’80s including “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope,” “Days of Heaven” and “Pretty Woman,” died March 19. She was 82.

She died Wednesday in Pacific Palisades, Calif., according to her friend and mentee Ilene Starger.

Crittenden would go on to have a prolific career in casting lasting over 40 years. Crittenden’s credits include “The Thin Red Line,” “On Golden Pond,” “Witness,” “Badlands,” “Oh! God,” “Howard the Duck,” “Wise Guys” and “Spiderman 2.” She was nominated for a CSA Artios award for “Witness.” She worked with some of the industry’s most prominent directors, such as Ridley Scott, Peter Bogdanovich, Wes Craven, George Romero and Brian De Palma.

In a 2010 featurette included in the Criterion Collection release, Crittenden spoke about her experiences working with Terrence Malick, or “Terry” as she calls him, on his WWII drama “The Thin Red Line.

Marvel's canceled Hulu shows, including Howard the Duck and Tigra and Dazzler, were too offbeat for the official MCU timeline. The off-piste nature of The Offenders team-up made it difficult for Marvel to integrate these animated series into their broader plans. M.O.D.O.K. and Hit-Monkey were the only shows to air before Marvel shifted focus to Disney+, canceling the rest for quality control.

Between the Avengers, Revengers, Defenders, and everyone in between, the MCU has been rife with superhero teams practically from the jump, but one of its most bizarre nearly sprang from a string of 4 canceled Marvel TV shows just 5 years ago. Marvel's TV offerings have undergone a significant journey since Marvel began taking full creative control of its IPs in the late 00s, with today's array of MCU Disney+ shows preceded by a long line of shows that fell under the "Marvel Television" banner. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D....

Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. star Wendi McLendon-Covey recently expressed her frustration with the animated show's cancelation.

While speaking with Screen Rant, Mclendon-Covey — who voiced the title character's workplace arch-nemesis Monica Rappaccini/Scientist Supreme — reflected on M.O.D.O.K.'s cancelation after a single season. "Oh, I was so irritated, but also I thought, 'I'm sure this is really expensive,' because stop-motion animation takes forever. And I just remember being there and being shown the characters and stuff and thinking, 'Oh, this is so cool, but wow, this is going to take a long time to get it launched,' which it did," she explained. "I was so mad, I was so disappointed. I loved playing on that show, it's such a strange world, and yet I loved M.O.D.O.K., he was such a big-faced, crazy-looking little dude. [Chuckles] But yeah, I was bummed that that didn't go further."

Related 'Never Say...

Warning: There are Madame Web Spoilers ahead

Madame Web has become the worst Spider-Man movie ever due to its awkward dialogue, weak script, underdeveloped characters, forced franchise nods, and unintentional comedy. Madame Web fails to take advantage of its connection to Spider-Man, and simultaneously fails to deliver a standalone movie. Two of Madame Web's most baffling flaws are its confusing Marvel lore and its decision to leave the most interesting parts of its story for a future sequel.

Sony's Madame Web makes it difficult for any viewer, Marvel fan or not, to defend it. Despite the talented cast of actors in Madame Web, and despite the fact that it takes inspiration from Spider-Man's extensive comic book lore, the fourth installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe fails to tell a standalone story that justifies Spider-Man's absence from the franchise. By the time Madame Web's sequel tease arrives at the end,...

Deadpool 3 has its official title: Deadpool & Wolverine. The first teaser trailer for the movie hit the internet during Super Bowl Lviii, giving superhero film fans their first glimpse at the wackiness it will offer.

One of the biggest reveals from the trailer was confirmation of the longstanding rumor that the Time Variance Authority would appear in the movie. The Time Variance Authority (or Tva for short) is the temporal enforcement organization seen in the Disney+ Loki series, which ensures time flows as it should in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Most people assume Deadpool and Wolverine will be tasked with killing rogue variants of live-action Marvel characters who deviated from the Sacred Timeline. However, a new theory by the YouTube channel New Rockstars suggests they’ll be tasked with fixing the lousy writing and plot holes in various live-action Marvel Studios and Fox superhero films.

Wade Wilson getting recruited...

These days it's strange to think of Marvel struggling to outdo DC at the box office. But believe it or not, there was a time when the latter was the undisputed champ of superhero filmmaking. Director Richard Donner kicked off that winning streak with 1978's "Superman," the film that provided the blueprint for the modern blockbuster. Next, Tim Burton solidified DC's box office prowess with 1989's "Batman" — a film that made a heck of a lot of money at the box office and established the principles of modern blockbuster marketing.

Meanwhile, Marvel had this comparatively abject filmography to offer: 1986's "Howard the Duck," 1989's "The Punisher," and the direct-to-video "Captain America" in 1990. By the time DC and Warner Bros.' "Batman Forever" hit in 1995 and made $336 million globally (an impressive number for the time) it seemed DC would rule the superhero blockbuster space for a long time to come.

Of course,...

Venom is a powerful alien symbiote that grants incredible strength to its host, but certain elements are also pretty gross when you think about it. Howard the Duck asks Venom if he wears clothes under the symbiote, a question many fans might also wonder about. Symbiotes can take on any form, including clothing, and characters like Eddie Brock and Cletus Kasady have been seen without clothes when separated from their symbiotes.

Warning! Spoilers for Howard the Duck #1 ahead!Venom is one of Marvel's scariest and most dangerous heroes, but Howard the Duck also pointed out how Venom is kind of the grossest hero as well. The symbiotes are some of the strongest aliens in the Marvel Universe, and they grant their users incredible strength, but they also have a few attributes that are pretty gross when someone stops and thinks about them.

While Venom is a respected member of pretty...

In Howard the Duck's 50th Anniversary Special,Spider-Man's heart is broken when he realizes that there may not be any universe within the Multiverse where he's "doing okay." Peter Parker has faced a great deal of loss and trauma in his life, making him one of the most beaten-down heroes in comics. The new Ultimate Marvel Universe may offer a version of Spider-Man who is well-adjusted, and continues to mature as a person and a hero.

Spider-Man is well-acquainted with the Marvel multiverse. Both in comics and in the MCU, Peter Parker has met alternate versions of himself, other people who have taken on the Spider-mantle, and universes where he's made of Legos. All of these characters have had their share of hardships, but a multiversal truth has just completely broken Spider-Man's heart.

In Howard the Duck's 50th Anniversary Special – which features work from writers including Daniel Kibblesmith and Chip Zdarsky,...

Marvel has thrived on the multiverse for some time, with comic book runs and films set across different timelines. Since its debut in 2021, Marvel's animated series What If...? created a format where Marvel's greatest heroes and villains are free to explore realms and universes unbound by the conventions of the MCU canon. This year, just in time for the holidays, Marvel's What If...? is back for its second season, ringing in the season of hope and good wishes with two action-packed tales of goodwill. Premiering on Disney+ starting December 22nd and airing a new episode every night over nine nights, What If...? Season Two is a great holiday treat for Marvel fans.

"What If...Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" reimagines a world where Ronan the Accuser has deposed Thanos, leaving the world under a shield, enforcing isolation against an impending invasion. Nebula, her loyalty sworn to the Nova Corps, must...

Marvel Studios is reportedly exploring a new project titled ‘Adventure into Fear’, bringing the classic horror comic series to television. This news comes from DanielRPK, a well-known industry insider. The comic series, which ran from November 1970 through December 1975, spanned 31 issues under the title ‘Adventure into Fear’. Its unique blend of horror and fantasy captivated readers for years.

An ‘Adventure Into Fear’ TV project is reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios.

(Via: @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/h371gXP8rP

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) December 3, 2023

Initially, the first nine issues, simply titled ‘Fear,’ were reprints of stories from Marvel’s pre-superhero era. These included tales from ‘Journey into Mystery,’ ‘Strange Tales,’ ‘Tales to Astonish,’ and ‘Tales of Suspense.’ Most of these early stories were penned by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, featuring artwork from legends like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck.

The comic took a new direction with issue...

Howard the Duck, despite turning 50, is deemed "cameo material" by Marvel, highlighting his limited role in the Marvel Universe. This special one-shot explores Howard's history and reveals his unsuccessful stint as President of the United States. The decline in quality after Steve Gerber's departure led to Howard's character drifting through the Marvel Universe without finding a true place to call home.

Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!

Marvel has just called out a harsh truth about Howard the Duck, calling him “cameo material.” Howard the Duck turns 50 this year, and to celebrate, Marvel has released a special one-shot featuring a bevy of all-star creators. Howard the Duck takes readers on a journey through Howard’s history, and in the process makes a harsh revelation about Howard’s role in the Marvel Universe.

Howard the Duck is written and drawn by a variety of creators, including Chip Zdarsky, Annie Wu and Jason Loo.

Marvel celebrates Howard the Duck's 50th anniversary with a nutty one-shot that captures his satirical and surreal charm. Howard the Duck broke new ground in the Marvel Universe as an outsider character who criticizes and pokes fun at society. The one-shot tribute hits on Howard's infamous presidential run and interactions with other Marvel heroes, honoring his darkly humorous tone.

Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!

Marvel has given Howard the Duck an appropriately nutty celebration for his 50th anniversary. A cult icon since his debut, Howard the Duck has wandered the Marvel Universe, trapped in a world he never made, as his tagline goes. Howard’s profile has increased in recent years, thanks in large part to an MCU cameo. Now, on the occasion of Howard’s golden anniversary, Marvel has released a special one-shot to celebrate—and it perfectly captures what makes him great.

Howard the Duck is a “jam” issue,...

Marc Thorpe, the visual effects artist who worked on various Star Wars and Indiana Jones films and created the Robot Wars concept in the early 1990s — around the same time he was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s — died November 24 of complications of the disease. He was 77.

His daughter Megan Feffer announced his death in a Facebook post. Thorpe’s official website confirmed the news.

A noted Hollywood model-maker and puppet engineer, Thorpe joined George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic in 1979 and went on to work on effects for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and other instal.ments of those franchises.

Other film credits through the 1980s include Dragonslayer, Poltergeist, Howard the Duck and, in 1990, The Hunt for Red October.

Thorpe developed the concept for what would become Robot Wars while...

Marc Thorpe, the visual effects artist who worked on several “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” films before launching the bot battling competition Robot Wars, has died. He was 77.

Thorpe died Friday of complications related to Parkinson’s Disease, his daughter Megan Feffer shared on Facebook.

“For him, early onset Parkinson’s disease started out with relatively mild tremors and then over time progressed toward less and less bodily autonomy — something particularly torturous for a fiercely independent artist like my dad whose joy in life was to create things with his hands,” Feffer wrote.

“While the disease itself is not technically considered terminal, it does eventually remove crucial functions like movement and swallowing – functions essential for life,” she continued. “To say the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, were challenging for my dad would be an understatement, and I am grateful that he is finally at peace.”

Thorpe...

Marc Thorpe, the visual effects artist who created the hit television series “Robot Wars” in which customized radio-controlled robots fight in metal arenas, has died. Thorpe was 77.

Thorpe died on Friday at a hospice facility in Alamo, California, according to his daughter Megan Feffer. Thorpe’s death resulted from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Doctors first diagnosed Thorpe with the progressive nervous system disorder in 1993.

“But if there’s one thing I know for sure it’s that my dad would want to be remembered – and not for his Parkinson’s Disease. He would want to be remembered for his art,” Megan Feffer wrote on Facebook.

She added: “From being a model maker at Ilm on ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ to his creation of ‘Robot Wars,’ he made many, many beautiful, weird, detailed and strange things.”

In 1979, Thorpe started working at Industrial Light and Magic/Lucasfilm as a model maker and animatronic designer.

Special effects legend Marc Thorpe has passed away.

Per THR, it has been reported that Thorpe died on Friday due to complications from Parkinson's disease. His daughter, Megan Feffer, confirmed Thorpe's passing, revealing that he'd died at a hospice facility in Alamo, California. Thorpe had first been diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1993, and Feffer wrote more about this journey with a statement shared online. He was 77 years old.

“For him, early onset Parkinson’s disease started out with relatively mild tremors and then over time progressed toward less and less bodily autonomy — something particularly torturous for a fiercely independent artist like my dad whose joy in life was to create things with his hands," Feffer said. "While the disease itself is not technically considered terminal, it does eventually remove crucial functions like movement and swallowing — functions essential for life. To say the last few months, and especially the last few weeks,...

Marc Thorpe, who created special effects for Star Wars and Indiana Jones films before launching Robot Wars, which feature radio-controlled gladiators in events he called “festivals of destruction and survival,” has died. He was 77.

Thorpe died Friday of complications related to Parkinson’s disease at a hospice facility in Alamo, California, his daughter, Megan Feffer, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was first diagnosed with the progressive disorder that affects the nervous system in 1993.

“For him, early onset Parkinson’s disease started out with relatively mild tremors and then over time progressed toward less and less bodily autonomy — something particularly torturous for a fiercely independent artist like my dad whose joy in life was to create things with his hands,” she wrote on Facebook.

“While the disease itself is not technically considered terminal, it does eventually remove crucial functions like movement and swallowing — functions essential for life. To say the last few months,...

After eight live-action Spider-Man movies, the most recent of which made unbelievable profits, the webhead is well and truly established as an icon of the superhero genre. We all know how things started, with Sam Raimi's 2002 "Spider-Man" giving us our first proper live-action Spidey film. But things could have looked very different if James Cameron's Spider-Man movie ever got made.

There's been a lot written about the director's ill-fated "Spider-Man," which would have been a much more adult, R-rated experience than Raimi's effort. The script was peppered with profanity and featured a love scene between Peter Parker and Mary Jane, who were supposed to be played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Nikki Cox respectively. Cameron was working on the project after the now-shuttered Carolco, which produced multiple blockbusters including Cameron's own "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," acquired the rights to Spider-Man in 1990. Had the director followed through with the project,...

It took a very long time for Hollywood to take Marvel Comics seriously, and "Howard the Duck" gets a lot of the blame for that. By the mid-1980s, films like "Star Wars" and "Superman: The Movie" had incited a proper revolution in the film industry. Genres that previously weren't big hits — financially or critically — didn't just make lots of money, but they made movie stars out of actors nobody had previously heard of, and even won awards. All of a sudden, sci-fi/fantasy and pulp heroes weren't just "kids' stuff." They were surefire recipes for four-quadrant success.

But even though Marvel was churning out superhero TV shows like nobody's business — not just Saturday morning cartoons but primetime hits like "The Incredible Hulk" and "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" — Marvel's first big budget foray into live-action theatrical features wasn't based on one of their most iconic costumed crimefighters. Instead it was "Howard the Duck,...