Though Marvel Studios has largely stuck with more universally embraced superhero storytelling in the first dozen years of its existence, Kevin Feige & Co. have been more willing to branch out into darker and weirder tales through Disney+ projects, with WandaVision opening the basement door to witches and the Darkhold and more! Fans can soon look forward to the MCU embracing the Halloween season thanks to the upcoming untitled special that’s currently in development, and it sounds like the special has locked down an excellent first cast member for the main monstrous role.
Marvel is rumored to have signed on the always impressive Gael Garcia Bernal for its Halloween special, and the report from Variety would make a certain amount of genre-tethered sense, considering Bernal was last seen on the big screen in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror mystery Old. (His most current TV role is in the recently released Netflix animated series Maya and the Three, which is far outside the horror realm, but still.) According to the outlet’s sources, Bernal is potentially taking on the role of a howl-worthy Marvel monster, Werewolf by Night.
Even though plot details are being hidden behind locked doors, the presence of Werewolf by Night has helped to give fans an idea of what to expect from the Marvel Halloween special. Namely, that we’ll probably be seeing some badass werewolf transformation effects and makeup, which isn’t usually Marvel’s flavor. But considering we’re at a point when the MCU will soon(ishly) introduce both Moon Knight and Blade to the multiverse, it’s perhaps the perfect time for the comic studio to bring out the big claws with Werewolf by Night.
And if Gael Garcia Bernal is any indication of how the rest of the special will be cast, this will no doubt be another hub for great MCU performances. Though Bernal is not necessarily a household name in the way that Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr. or even Moon Knight’s Oscar Isaac is, the actor is always one of the best things about whatever film or TV show he’s starring in. From the Emmy-winning Mozart in the Jungle to Y tu mamá también to Bad Education, the actor has proven himself to be a thoughtful and powerful performer that will no doubt deliver similar goods with his entry into Marvel’s mystery-driven multiverse.
Considering nothing is fully confirmed yet, it’s unknown if Gael Barcia Bernal would be portraying the Jacob Russoff/Jack Russell iteration or the Jake Gomez alter ego of Werewolf by Night. The character first appeared in Jack Russell form in 1972, through Marvel Spotlight, and landed its own self-titled run later that same year. Meanwhile, the Jake Gomez version was introduced far more recently, in October 2020, for a then-new Werewolf by Night series.
Either way it goes, I'll be pumped to see Gael Garcia Bernal joining the MCU in any capacity going forward. While waiting to hear more, check out everything yet to debut this year with our 2021 Fall TV premiere schedule.
