Marvel Studios got off to an incredibly strong streaming start with their slate of Disney+ television projects with WandaVision back in early 2021, and the premieres of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier followed by Loki just proved that Marvel action can work as well streaming on the small screen as on the big screen. Now, Marvel Studios is reportedly producing a Halloween special centered on a monstrous hero. A werewolf is set to be at center of the special for the spookiest holiday of the year.
The search is on for Marvel Studios to find a Latino actor to star in the Halloween special, according to The Wrap, which further reports that the project does not yet have a name. The lead character will reportedly be a werewolf, which might have seemed like a somewhat outlandish choice up until shows like WandaVision, Loki, and even What If...? proved that viewers are happy to go along for the ride for projects that aren't exactly as based in reality as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. So, who could this werewolf lead be?
The Halloween special hero is said to potentially be based on a character known as "Werewolf by Night," although that still doesn't narrow down the potential lead to one for certain. There have been two Marvel Comics heroes to go by the title of Werewolf by Night. The first was the aptly-named Jack Russell, who debuted on the pages of Marvel Comics back in 1971. Although he did get an ongoing series of his own, it ran for just 43 issues before ending in 1977.
The second Werewolf by Night is a more recent addition to Marvel Comics. Jake Gomez made his debut as the character less than a year ago, back in October 2020, so he might be the version of the werewolf hero that most modern fans are familiar with, or at least aware of. Jake Gomez is a member of a Native American tribe, and comes to his situation thanks to his family being cursed with lycanthropy.
No details are available as to which version of Werewolf by Night would be at the center of the Halloween special, or even confirmation that Werewolf by Night will be the star. Interestingly, however, the Jack Russell comics run featured the debut of the character Moon Knight, who of course has his own series in the works that will star Oscar Isaac and is expected to make its Disney+ debut in 2022.
As the Halloween special is reportedly searching now for the Latino actor who would star and aiming to begin production in early 2022, is it possible that whoever this werewolf character is, he could tie to Moon Knight in some way? Wilder things have happened; just look at the six episodes of Loki for proof that all bets seem to be off when it comes to Disney+'s Marvel projects.
With production evidently beginning in 2022, fans shouldn't expect to see any werewolf Halloween specials ready to go in time for the spooky season this year, but it's something to look forward to. For now, you can always revisit the Marvel Studios projects already available streaming on Disney+, and/or dive into all of what may have been packed into that unforgettable Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer.
