At the D23 Expo’s Marvel Studios panel, Kevin Feige talked about further expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and provided information on Phase Five projects, including the Thunderbolts team-up. But the biggest surprise was the first look at the long-anticipated Halloween special Werewolf By Night. Amid all the recent revelations about the MCU’s future, Werewolf By Night was kept in the shadows by the studio, and what a great revelation it received at D23.
Kevin Feige unveiled the special’s trailer, which gave us a glimpse at the black and white classic-like horror from Marvel starring Gael García Bernal. The trailer had a subtle creepy and eerie vibe, which is somewhat new to an MCU entry. Earlier, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness did experiment with horror, but Werewolf By Night, which comprises ghosts, creatures, and bloodthirsty beasts, seems to go with a unique and fresh style and narrative.
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Talking to the audience about the show, Kevin Feige addressed it as a “little” darker and scarier special but assured everyone that it would retain the original MCU fun. His response was shared by Ryan Penagos, Vice President, and Creative Executive at Marvel Studios.
Feige has always refrained from explicitly using horror to describe any Marvel Cinematic Universe project. The idea of catering to the younger demographic, especially the kids, has always kept the MCU films’ tone and setting relatively lighter and full of humor. It would be interesting to see how Werewolf By Night finds a balance between being frightening and funny.
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The special’s trailer featured several characters, seemingly a group of monster hunters who have captured a new creature. The trailer featured Bernal taking the lead role alongside Laura Donnelly’s Elsa Bloodstone and Harriet Sansom Harris’ Verusa. The trailer featured the members of the Time Variance Authority, meaning that universe-changing events might occur in this classic monster’s story. One of the surprising glimpses from the trailers was of Marvel Comics’ favorite Man-Thing.
The show’s official synopsis reads:
Werewolf By Night, stylized as Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation, is slated to stream on Disney+ on October 7. The special will straight-up tie with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s being directed by Michael Giacchino, who has composed several films set within the MCU, as well as films like The Batman, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jurassic World, and most notably, Up, for which he received an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
This would be the first television special from Marvel Studios and will be set in Phase Four of the franchise. A lot has to be revealed about Werewolf By Night, but given the imminent release of the special, it’s possible that we’ll see the best of it immediately on the day it streams.
