Working for Marvel wasn’t always what it’s quacked up to be! It was recently revealed that the first studio released Marvel film almost had a very different leading man behind the bill; The duckbill that is!
Way before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comedy legend Robin Williams was set to star in the George Lucas produced sci-fi comedy Howard The Duck. While originally planned as an animated film, Howard The Duck was produced in live-action as part of a contractual obligation, which led to one of the strangest films to ever see the silver screen.
Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, Howard The Duck was both a critical and commercial failure. The film was too weird for general audiences and was decimated by negative reviews by critics. By the end of its theatrical run, Howard The Duck only managed to bring in $38 million against a $45 million budget, garnering several less than desirable Razzie Awards including ‘Worst Picture‘.
At the time of the film’s production, Robin Williams was best known as the fun and quirky alien “Mork from Ork” on the Happy Days (1974-1984) spinoff series Mork And Mindy (1978-1982). Having a box-office bomb like Howard The Duck on his resume could have absolutely destroyed his film career, but thankfully, for Williams, he bailed on the project after just three days of filming! Or at least that’s what actor Chip Zien, the actor who ended up taking his place in the title role, claims.
Zien and his Howard The Duck co-star Lea Thompson recently spoke with THR to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the infamous film where he revealed that he was a very last-minute addition to the film’s cast. Zien said he had only been brought on to the film due to Robin Williams dropping out, citing the actor’s frustration with trying to match the timing of his lines to the animatronic beak of the Duck character he was playing. Zien said:
What I was told was by the third day, Robin said, ‘I can’t do this. It is insane. I can’t get the rhythm of this. I am being confined. I am being handcuffed in order to match the flapping duck’s bill.” So, on Memorial Day 1985, I got a call from my agent who said, ‘You have to get right to the airport! Robin Williams just quit and you’re now Howard the Duck. You need to get there tonight. There is a ticket waiting for you at the counter.’ I was incredibly excited.
Robin Williams would go on to his big break with Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), which made him a household name and garnered him his first Oscar nomination. Chip Zien on the other hand…? Well, be honest. Did you even know his name before reading this? Not to discredit the actor, who has had a lengthy career of his own (including a role in Snake Eyes (1998) opposite Nicholas Cage), but it certainly seems like Williams made the right choice in bailing on this dis-quack-ster of a film.
Do you think Williams made the right choice when he flew the coop? Or do you think he made his nest and should have laid in it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to stick around Geek Anything for more Marvel movie updates!
