Summary
Howard the Duck was considered for the roster ofMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroesbefore being rejected by Marvel Comics. TheMarvel vs. Capcomseries is an iconic crossover series. Capcom’s partnership with Marvel started with 1995’sX-Men: Children of the Atom, and then continued withMarvel Super Heroes. In 1996,X-Men vs. Street Fightercame out, which was the first true crossover between the two brands that kick-started theMarvel vs. Capcomseries.
1998’sMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroeswas the third entry in the series, which introduced a wide variety of new characters while maintaining its 2v2 tag gameplay. Iconic characters like Ryu, Mega Man, and Morrigan were representatives on Capcom’s side, with Wolverine, Cyclops, and Spider-Man on Marvel’s. In an old 1998 development essay by Capcom producer Kenji Kataoka, he revealed some of the initial plans for the title, including how Howard the Duck was rejected from the roster.
Archived and translated byEventHubs, this essay was part of a defunct website that gave behind-the-scenes information onMarvel vs. Capcom’s development. Howard the Duck was initially pitched by Kataoka to bea joke fighting game characterin the style ofStreet Fighter’s Dan Hibiki, with the character designer on-board with the idea as well. While there was support from Marvel for Howard at first, a representative later told them that Howard the Duck had no popularity and that they wanted to use characters that actually looked like superheroes. Even after Kataoka tried to explain the joke fighter concept, the answer was still no and Howard was scrapped, only completed halfway.
Marvel vs. Capcom’s Other Roster Rejections
Kataoka also revealed thatMarvel vs. Capcomwas originally planned to be a directMarvel Super Heroessequel instead of anothercrossover game with Capcom. Kataoka revealed the initial roster for the tentativeMarvel Super Heroes 2game: Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, The Mighty Thor, Psylocke, Venom, Jubilee, Mr. Fantastic, and Howard The Duck, with Galactus poised to be the final boss. Most of these roster choices were similarly rejected. “Iron Man? No. Fantastic Four? No. Venom? No way. Howard the Duck? Absolutely not… No, no way, no how, a complete STORM of rejections,” said Kataoka.
Marvel was likely still incredibly wary of including Howard as a character in any form, consideringhow bad the 1986Howard the Duckfilm was. While the movie essentially damaged the Marvel brand for a long time, it has a cult following. Howard the Duck has made sporadic appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since then, most notably theGuardians of the Galaxyfilms. Maybe Howard the Duck could appear in the nextMarvel vs. Capcom.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
Imagine the battle: Spider-Man vs. Mega Man… Incredible! Or, who would stand victorious in Strider vs. Captain America? Amazing! Now Capcom brings this #1 smash arcade fantasy fighter to the Sega Dreamcast! Experience the world’s most insane battles between your favorite legenedary Capcom characters and Super Heroes of the Marvel Universe.Beloved Marvel characters take the stage in Capcom produced action and fighting games in this collection of timeless classics! Enjoy both English and Japanese versions of the arcade releases!All kinds of new features have been added, including online play! Experience these wonderful games with players from all over the world!Play both co-op and competitively just like back in the arcade. Take on players from all over the world!Enjoy design documents and other art in the Gallery, hone your skills in refined Training Modes, and enjoy new Filter settings!Don’t worry if it’s your first time! Use difficulty settings and One-Button Specials to ease your transition into the game!
