Lea Thompson, star of 1986’s Howard the Duck has indicated she’d be willing to return as director on an MCU reboot of for the feathered superhero. Thompson, who is perhaps best known as Marty McFly’s mom in the Back to the Future trilogy, also had the dubious honor of starring alongside Marvel’s cosmic waterfowl in the box office flop that has widely come to be regarded as one of the worst movies of all time. Earning four Golden Raspberries and a Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Picture, it also holds the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes for any film that has ever been produced by Lucasfilm.

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Despite the film’s poor box-office reception, the character has still managed to attain a cult following in the years which have followed his big-screen debut. Not only did Howard return for MCU cameos in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame, there was even a Howard the Duck animated series that was being developed by Kevin Smith before its cancellation. It was also announced last month that the original film would be getting a new 4K re-release in honor of its 35th anniversary.

Most recently, Howard has also appeared in the newly released trailer for Marvel’s What If?, causing the character to begin trending on Twitter. Taking note of the buzz, Thompson chimed in, once more offering her services to direct a fresh MCU reboot. Check out her original tweet below:

Given that Howard is already an official part of MCU canon, perhaps an eventual solo film may not be entirely out of the question. James Gunn has already conclusively proven that some of Marvel’s more eclectic characters can translate well in live-action films. In a cinematic universe that already features talking trees and trigger-happy raccoons as key protagonists, there is no reason that a wise-cracking duck can’t headline his own adventure. Who better to bring Howard back to the center of audiences’ attention than the actress who had to make out with him back in the 80s? After all, this isn’t the first time Thompson has raised the idea of a Howard the Duck reboot.

Aside from boasting a long and distinguished career in front of the camera, Thompson also has many directorial credits to her name, including working on Young Sheldon and The Goldbergs. She also has dipped her toe into the rival DC universe by directing an episode of last year’s Stargirl. Should Marvel Studios ever entertain the possibility of a solo Howard the Duck film, Thompson should probably be one of the first people Kevin Feige reaches out to.

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Source: Lea Thompson

Key Release Dates
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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TC Phillips
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TC Phillips is a scribbler, mess maker, and storyteller by nature. He is also a publisher and an author of his own special brand of warped fiction, and he revels in delving headfirst into all things strange, bizarre, and fantastical. A self-proclaimed nerd of the highest order, the vibrational energy generated by his constant state of fanboy excitement should probably be harnessed to power a small city. When his pancreas is not screaming under the pressure of his dietary habits, he is constantly befuddled by his three children and amazed that his long-suffering wife has not yet taken it upon herself to murder him in his sleep. He Tweets at @T_C_Phillips

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