News broke of a Werewolf by Night Halloween special airing on Disney+ back in November, and thanks to San Diego Comic-Con, there’s been a few developments on the series.
Part of the news is the confirmation that Gael García Bernal will star in the titular role. However, it is unclear which version of the werewolf he is playing. (Two characters have starred in a series called Werewolf by Night. The original was Jack Russell, and the newer is named Jake Gomez. IMDB has Jake Gomez listed as being played by Jaycob Maya. Bernal will likely be Jack Russell.)
Some new news about the special is that Elsa Bloodstone will be involved in the story. Played by Irish actress Laura Donelly, Bloodstone is another of Marvel Universe’s monster hunters.
On top of that, a full plot breakdown was leaked, which makes for an interesting story. While what follows hasn’t been 100% verified, proceed with caution if you don’t want to be spoiled.
In a Twilight Zone-esque presentation, Jack Russell, already a werewolf at this point, is being tracked by a bounty hunter. After dispatching the hunter, Jack meets monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone just after her father’s death. While reading the elder Bloodstone’s will, she is tasked with taking out one particular monster—Man-Thing.
Jack and Elsa team up, but Jack can sense the pain the Bloodstone family is causing Man-Thing and tries to help the creature. But a team of monster hunters are still after it, as well as Jack, and capture them. Jack and the Man-Thing take out the hunters, and Jack is on the verge of killing Elsa when he recognizes her and reverts to normal.
While I can’t speak to the veracity of the plot synopsis, it certainly sounds like a thrilling story. It is a great introduction to three under-utilized Marvel characters. It will also set the stage for future Marvel-themed Halloween specials, or even short-form tales, the kinds of stories that don’t need six or eight episodes to tell—like the One-Shots that were included on the DVDs of Phase 1 movies.
This isn’t Disney’s first foray into the Halloween special territory. Last year they aired Muppets Haunted Mansion, a made-for-streaming special starring Will Arnet, Taraji P. Henson, and Gonzo (as well as a slew of other Muppets) in a send-up of the famous Disney Parks attraction. The show was met with middling reviews, ranking 60% with fans on Rotten Tomatoes.
Werewolf by Night is the first Marvel-themed Halloween special to date. Hopefully, it won’t be the last. As Marvel shares its universe with other supernatural beings, such as Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster, as well as the numerous other creatures that exist in the 616 universe, there’s plenty of material Disney can adapt for future specials.
One big question is: how deeply will Werewolf at Night play into the MCU? Fans of the comics know that the comic series of the same name is where readers were introduced to Moon Knight for the first time. And now that Moon Knight has recently wrapped its first season on Disney+, will this special be a jumping-off point for the second season? Will fans see Marc Spector face off against the werewolf? There’s been no word of any mentions of Moon Knight in Werewolf by Night, but a fan can dream.
