The Marvel movie Robin Williams hated working on: “I can’t do this. It is insane”
With its 33 theatrically released movies yielding almost $30 billion at the box office, nobody can argue with the fact Marvel is the biggest, most popular, and most successful brand in the entire industry. Of course, that was nowhere near the case close to 40 years ago, with even a comedic genius like Robin Williams unable to wrap his head around one of the company’s comic book adaptations.
The current superhero boom that’s defined 21st Century blockbuster cinema can largely be attributed to the success found by Stephen Norrington’s Blade, Bryan Singer’s X-Men, and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man arriving between 1998 and 2002, but Howard the Duck nonetheless holds a unique place in the history books as the first feature-length film based on a Marvel Comics property, and the first of any kind to be released in cinemas since the serialised multi-part stories of the 1940s.
Of course, it was hardly a triumphant debut, considering the film would be decimated by critics, general audiences, and fans of the source material. Further salt was rubbed into the wound by a dismal box office performance and seven nominations at the Golden Raspberry Awards, culminating in a quartet of “wins” for ‘Worst Picture,’ ‘Worst Screenplay’, ‘Worst New Star’ and ‘Worst Visual Effects’.
Chip Zien may have held the distinction of voicing the title character in what’s regularly dubbed one of the worst movies ever made both in and outside of the comic book genre, but Williams was the one initially drafted in to bring Howard the Duck to life. In the end, the comedy legend only lasted three days after quickly discovering that his signature motormouth and improv-heavy stylings would need to be significantly reined in.
Due to the complexities required during shooting to have the animatronic duck’s bill and various other assorted movements operate in sync with the dialogue in a manner as convincingly as possible, Williams found himself so frustrated by the shackles imposed on him by the production that he simply quit.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Zien revealed how he ended up replacing one of the all-time greats: “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,'” he explained.
Adding: “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.”
Zien had originally been sounded out for the part during the initial audition process after a studio executive gauged his interest by asking him if he’s considered trying out “because I sound a little bit like a duck”. Howard the Duck may have overcome its reputation to find long-lasting life as a cult classic over the decades, but Williams couldn’t even make it to the end of the first week in the recording booth.
