‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is nothing if not jam-packed with iconic characters. But even so, there were still a few who didn’t quite make the cut. And in this case, that list includes a certain wisecracking waterfowl.
That’s right, Howard the Duck. One of the more… offbeat characters introduced by Marvel in the 1970s, Howard was best known (outside of comic book circles, that is) for headlining the 1986 film – itself a legendary turkey – which bears his name. That is, until he made his modern cinematic debut with a post-credits cameo in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, and another in the course of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2’.
But despite appearing in both ‘Guardians’ films, Howard has yet to actually interact with Star Lord’s merry band of outlaws. That was to have changed in his would-be ‘Infinity War’ cameo, however. Speaking to Fandom, co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo summed up the scene thusly:
“Yeah, it was Quill trying to track down some information from Howard the Duck on some outlier planet and interrupting him during a poker game.”
In addition to Howard, the scene would have also included Ken Jeong, thus continuing the Russo Brothers’ tradition of incorporating cameos by former ‘Community’ stars into their Marvel films. Though the Russos describe the brief scene as “much loved,” it was ultimately cut because “it just didn’t end up fitting at all.”
Though neither elaborates on exactly what they mean by that, the sad fact is that ‘Infinity War’ is already a two and a half hour movie. And while this scene was by all appearances a short one, the fact remains that any unnecessary material in a movie that long risks leaving the whole affair feeling bloated.
Directed by the Russo brothers from a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ counts Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olson, Sebastian Stan, and three gentlemen named “Chris” among its gargantuan cast. The film, which represents the culmination of a decade-long effort by Marvel Studios, is now available on blu-ray, DVD, and a variety of digital platforms. ‘Avengers 4’, the sequel and concluding chapter, is set to land in theaters on May 3, 2019.
