Earlier this week, rumors began to circulate that a new Howard the Duck film was in the works with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn said to be the driving force behind the project. Naturally, these rumors took on a life of their own online, enough so that Gunn actually had to take to Twitter to debunk them shortly thereafter.RELATED: Howard the Duck’s Lea Thompson Dubs Herself the ‘First Marvel Queen’.In a series of tweets yesterday, Gunn reaffirmed that a new Howard the Duck movie is not in the works, despite rumors suggesting otherwise. The director, who is known for being open with fans through social media, initially responded to a tweet that stated rumors were "heating up" regarding a Howard the Duck movie. He was quick to dismiss the rumor before going on to make it clear that they were just that -- rumors.

RELATED: James Gunn Loves Howard the Duck, But Thinks the 1986 Movie ‘Sucks’

After his surprise cameo in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, fans have been eager to know if the character had a bright future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While his second cameo in the recent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 would suggest he'll remain as an Easter egg of sorts in coming Guardians films, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has previously teased that Howard could pop up where fans least expect him. So, while a film isn't in the works -- at least, not yet -- the character could return in future movies.

The original (and as of right now only) Howard the Duck movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD. The Willard Huyck-directed film stars Chip Zien as Howard T. Duck, Lea Thompson as Beverly Switzler, Tim Robbins as Phil Blumburtt, Jeffrey Jones as Dr. Walter Jenning, David Paymer as Larry and Paul Guilfoyle as Lieutenant Welker.

(via MCU Exchange)