In what may be an 'April Fools' prank, it has been reported that the home of 'Donald Duck' is bringing together Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios for a fresh live-action reboot of creator Steve Gerber's "Howard The Duck".
"With production now firmly underway on 'Star Wars: Episode VII', we feel the time is right to explore further opportunities within the Lucasfilm portfolio," said Disney CEO Bob Iger.
'Howard the Duck' is a three-foot-tall anthropomorphic duck, who generally wears a tie and shirt, and is almost always smoking a cigar. In the 1970's, Disney originally threatened Marvel with legal action due to Howard's resemblance to 'Donald Duck', forcing Marvel to redesign the character.
His near-constant companion and occasional girlfriend is former art model and Cleveland native 'Beverly Switzler'. Howard found himself on Earth due to a shift in the 'Cosmic Axis' from a world similar to Earth.
"Howard the Duck is a beloved character with a rich history in Marvel's comic book world," said Iger, "so it makes perfect sense that he takes center stage in our first co-production between Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios."
Created by the late Gerber and illustrator Val Mayerik, "Howard the Duck" debuted in Marvel's "Adventure into Fear" #19 in 1973, and by 1976 was given his own title. George Lucas then produced a live-action version in 1986, with music by John Barry.
"'Howard the Duck' was the first Marvel adaptation to reach the big screen and now he's set to become an integral part of the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe'," said Marvel Studios' president of production Kevin Feige.
"While our focus for 'Phase Two' is mainly to build upon 'The Avengers' with 'Iron Man 3', 'Thor: The Dark World' and 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', 'Phase Three' will see us exploring new avenues and directions as we look to enrich that universe. We are confident that 'Howard the Duck' will make a fine addition to our Phase Three line-up alongside the likes of 'Guardians Of The Galaxy', 'Ant-Man' and 'Doctor Strange'."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Howard The Duck"...
