The Marvel Cinematic Universe has evolved to the point that relatively obscure characters like Rocket Raccoon and Groot are now household names and fan-favorite characters. James Gunn (Slither, Super) took the little-known team of ragtag misfits and made Guardians of the Galaxy an extremely profitable and popular franchise.
Directing a big studio film like Guardians of the Galaxy didn't stop the director from injecting his trademark weirdness into the movie, and we were introduced to bizarre individuals such as Benicio Del Toro's Collector and Kurt Russell's Ego the Living Planet. This marked the perfect opportunity for certain other characters from the oddest corners of the Marvel Universe to waddle into the light.
One such character who made his MCU debut via Guardians of the Galaxy is Howard the Duck, voiced by Seth Green. The beloved waterfowl has made appearances in both Guardians films in addition to a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Avengers: Endgame.
We got the opportunity to speak with Green in support of Robot Chicken's upcoming 200th episode, and we took the chance to discuss the inspiration for the voice as well as the similarities between Howard and Rocket. Check out what the Emmy-winner had to say below!
Joe: It's crazy, because we've evolved to a point where it's totally normal for you to voice Howard the Duck in live-action. What can you tell me about that experience?
Seth Green: It's awesome, man. I went to see the original Howard the Duck movie in theaters and I have particularly loved this more sincere interpretation or translation of all these characters and ideas. So getting to play a character like Howard the Duck even in as limited a form as I have is a thrill! It's a genuine honor.
Joe: What inspired the voice you use for Howard the Duck?
Seth Green: James Gunn and I just talked about it a little bit and he said he saw him as kind of a Danny DeVito - we always imagined him being sort of a gruff and cynical sarcastic character. Howard doesn't know what the Earth species of duck even is and doesn't think of himself that way and is offended by that generalization.
Joe: It's funny because he's a lot like Rocket, who you also voice in animation.
Seth Green: Yeah, I've gotten to play Rocket before. There's sort of a similarity in those characters just because they look like an Earth species but are sentient and have an intellectual acuity beyond Earth, and I can see that they both have a cynicism and are wildly misunderstood which, for Howard at least, makes him a little mad.
Joe: Do you know if you're going to be involved with Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or the What If? show on Disney+?
Seth Green: I think even if I was sure of that, it's not something I could mention.
Do you think we'll see Howard the Duck appear in the MCU again? If you're interested in listening to the audio component of the interview with Seth Green, you can hear it below, otherwise, be sure to share your thoughts on the actor's comments in the usual spot!
Taken to a futuristic laboratory, the Robot Chicken is taken out of suspended animation by a masked scientist, revealed to be a descendant of the mad scientist who first reanimated the Robot Chicken.
Robot Chicken airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 12 AM EST (Sunday into Monday) and fans can catch up with a free 24-7 marathon here!