After Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brought horror elements to the MCU earlier this year, the superhero universe is getting spookier with a special coming to Disney+ just in time for Halloween. As it was just revealed at Marvel’s D23 presentation Saturday afternoon, Werewolf By Night is heading our way in about a month and we have a first look at the scary bland and white horror thriller
The trailer for Werewolf By Night has debuted online (above) and the fright-filled Marvel special seems to emulate early monster horror films like The Mummy, Dracula or Frankenstein. Werewolf By Night centers around the comics character that has roots in the 1950s, the titular character is set to be played by Mozart in the Jungle’s Gael García Bernal.
The Halloween special was reported to be in the works back in August 2021, but now we officially know that one of Marvel’s most offbeat characters will make his debut in the MCU, and soon. The trailer has a creepy but comical vibe, and it's surprising that it's completely presented in black and white. Also among the cast is Outlander’s Laura Donnelly (reportedly playing a monster hunter similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Elsa Bloodstone, alongside Desperate Housewives’ Harriet Sansom Harris and The Muppets’ Kirk R. Thatcher.
As far as the premise goes, it looks like it’s setting up a literal game of Werewolf, where a group of hunters are assembled to capture the real wolf but cannot tell that it's Gael García Bernal's Jack Russell -- as long as he remains in his human form. As the Werewolf By Night trailer reveals, Jack will very much turn into his werewolf self and have an entire group of hunters to dodge.
In Marvel Comics, Jack Russell is one of two versions of the comic publisher’s take on the wolfman, the other being Jake Gomez. Jack comes from a long line of werewolves after his family was cursed with lycanthropy in Transylvania around 1795 after being bitten by a female werewolf working for Dracula. Generations later, Jack inherits the curse on his 18th birthday and uses the abilities from the curse to fight crime.
The Halloween special is one of many pieces of news during Marvel Studios panel at the D23 Expo on Saturday, which CinemaBlend is in attendance for. The mega company also released the first trailer for Secret Invasion and more details about Captain America 4. With the D23 announcement, Marvel Studios also revealed a poster. Check it out here:
Werewolf by Night is set to stream for those with a Disney+ subscription on October 7. A Marvel holiday special in the form of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is also set for release this December. All in all, it definitely looks like the MCU is getting more festive this year, and I'm here for it.
