Werewolf by Night

In Screen Gab No. 55, our resident Marvel expert breaks down a new Halloween special, we catch up with '30 Rock's' Jack McBrayer and more.

[Moon Knight](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-04-20/moon-knight-episodes-marvel-oscar-isaac-guide) made his first appearance in the pages of the “Werewolf by Night” comics. I loved the cultural exposure and educational elements of [“Sesame Street”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-08-21/hbo-max-sesame-street-episodes-removed-warner-bros-discovery) ( [HBO Max](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-03-23/best-tv-shows-hbo-max-what-to-watch), PBS Kids). [“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-11-26/mister-rogers-widow-legacy-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood) (PBS Kids). Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) are among the influential Latinos profiled in this new documentary. But I especially loved the fun and playfulness of [“The Electric Company”](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jan-19-et-electric-company19-story.html) (Hulu). Our critic weighs in](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-10-05/reginald-the-vampire-let-right-one-in-anne-rice-interview-with-vampire-review): With “Let the Right One In,” “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” and “Reginald the Vampire,” the undead are having a TV moment. Here’s a quick (spoiler-free) rundown of everything you need to know about the MCU’s first TV special, out now on Disney+. [the undeniable Niecy Nash-Betts](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-09-27/niecy-nash-betts-wife-jessica-betts-the-rookie-feds-dahmer-netflix) as Simone Clark, a guidance counselor turned probationary FBI agent, but conveniently attached to a new unit of “out of the box thinkers” — where, as the farthest out of the box, she is immediately crucial to cracking cases. [stars Channing Tatum](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-02-17/dog-review-channing-tatum-veteran-ptsd), after all. [‘All of us are still friends’: A generation later, ‘The Love Boat’ crew sails on](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-10-04/the-love-boat-cast-members-ted-lange-jill-whelan-real-love-boat): Reuniting for “The Real Love Boat,” original castmates Ted Lange and Jill Whelan reflect on the show’s guest stars, racism in ‘70s Hollywood and more. [How an ‘incredible’ real-life feat gave a TV show about the Troubles its happy ending](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-10-03/netflix-derry-girls-series-finale-creator-lisa-mcgee-good-friday-agreement): “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee breaks down the Netflix series’ final season, including its “tricksy” timeline and that surprise cameo. [After a major cast shake-up, ‘SNL’ confronts its weaknesses — but can’t overcome them](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-10-02/snl-miles-teller-kendrick-lamar-new-cast-season-premiere): After a sharp meta-opener and a send-up of Armie Hammer, it was all downhill for the Season 48 premiere of the beleaguered sketch show.

From the minute I saw the classic Marvel intro overlaid with spooky music and werewolf gash marks, I knew I was in for a treat. Gael García Berna plays Jack ...

At the center of Werewolf By Night is a monster known as Man-Thing, or his actual name, Ted. Werewolf By Night is as gruesome a show as Marvel has ever produced. [Get HBO, Starz, Showtime, and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels](https://www.amazon.com/b/?rh=i:instant-video,n:2858778011&ie=UTF8&filterId=OFFER_FILTER=SUBSCRIPTIONS&node=2858778011&ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1465430649312&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=fs-livedrops1-20&linkId=90b2815fb79ba0e403137c68e139db16%E2%80%9D) It had all the makings of a classic werewolf movie, minus the questionable CGI. Werewolf by Night pays homage to the Universal monster movies of decades past. Marvel’s Werewolf By Night is the perfect Halloween treat ahead of the spooky holiday!

The scion of the Bloodstone monster hunters, Elsa has made a name for herself in cult comics such as Nextwave: Agents of HATE and Monsters Unleashed. But those ...

[Avengers](https://www.denofgeek.com/the-avengers/) [Nick Fury](https://www.denofgeek.com/nick-fury/) assembled in 1959, and later as the leader of various monster hunter organizations, including the Covenant. But there are still plenty of monsters in the MCU, monsters that might draw the attention of Elsa Bloodstone. The Bloodgem choker worn by Elsa gives her the ability to shoot energy blasts and the ring worn by her brother Cullen gives him ESP. After all, living with Ulysses has taught Elsa Bloodstone who the real monsters are. She did not return to Boston until after Ulysses’s death, at which point she began wearing the Bloodgem as a choker and started her own monster hunting career. In theory, Bloodstone’s primary quest drove him to search for other pieces of the inter-dimensional meteor from which the Bloodgem spawned and to get revenge against the Hellfire Helix, a creature from the Bloodgem’s dimension who killed Ulysses’ prehistoric tribe. But he was literally a throwback, a caveman sustained and evolved by the Bloodgem. The scion of the Bloodstone monster hunters, Elsa has made a name for herself in cult comics such as Nextwave: Agents of HATE and Monsters Unleashed. In her last appearance, Elsa and Cullen discovered their ancient half-sister Lyra, who was thought to be long-ago sacrificed to a monster by Ulysses. If the special piqued your interest, here’s a quick look at the history of Elsa Bloodstone, her father Ulysses, and the Bloodgem. The story of the Bloodstone family begins with the Bloodgem, a fragment of an interdimensional meteor that crashed onto the Earth eons ago. The upcoming Halloween special [Werewolf by Night](https://www.denofgeek.com/werewolf-by-night/) seems like a continuation of that approach, pushing lesser-known wolfman character Jack Russell to the forefront.

The inheritor of a family curse, Jack Russell debuted in Marvel Spotlight #2, written by the trio of Roy Thomas, Jeanie Thomas, and Gerry Conway, with pencils ...

In 1972, Marvel added to the canon with a take on a classic trope with Werewolf by Night. Giacchino digs deep into Werewolf by Night lore, bringing along a few other beloved Marvel Characters. Most of the Atlas beasties transported to the Marvel Universe in a new form, as did famous monsters like Godzilla and Count Dracula, to regularly do battle with the Avengers and the X-Men.

From vampires to zombies to a certain teleporting swamp monster, let's break down the important monster characters of the Marvel Universe and why these ...

The MCU is a bit lacking in the superhero team department these days. Daimon, the self-proclaimed “Son of Satan,” is committed to ridding the world of his father’s evil. That scene suggests Blade is interested in more than just slaying vampires, but is keeping an eye on the various supernatural artifacts of the MCU. The Marvel Universe is home to several demonic characters who may or may not be Satan. Introducing FrankenCastle to the MCU could be one way of making the hyper-violent Punisher work within the confines of this PG-13 universe. Now Mahershala Ali is taking over the role in the upcoming reboot. Dracula is arguably the most powerful vampire in the Marvel Universe, but he’s hardly the only one. Though it appears the MCU version of Elsa is a little more reluctant about entering the family business. Marvel’s Dracula is basically the version popularized in Bram Stoker’s classic novel, though he’s had a few run-ins with other Marvel characters over the centuries. Any shared universe worth its salt has a version of Dracula, and Marvel is certainly no exception. Marvel has two major werewolf characters, but only one of them has a Disney+ series to their name. Even Kevin Feige has teased that this special is the start of

Marvel Studios' chilling Special Presentation Werewolf by Night is now streaming exclusively on Disney+, inviting fans to explore a new corner of the Marvel ...

“Collaborating with Jeff was great because as I was writing the score in one room, he was editing the film in the next room, so I would go back and forth. “Sometimes you get a better idea in the moment,” he says. This is what this character is going through.’ It was a great way to communicate.” “But I was like, ‘No, I want the most obscure, weird thing you have—and as a kid, that was Werewolf by Night.” Drawing inspiration from classic black-and-white monster films, his idea for Werewolf by Night presented an opportunity to take yet another big, creative swing for Marvel Studios. “I’ve actually been making movies since I was 9 years old,” he clarifies. “Music was something I did for a very long time and loved,” he says.

How did Ulysses Bloodstone die before the events of Marvel's Werewolf By Night? The answer may have been right in front of us.

[Mahershala Ali](https://www.denofgeek.com/mahershala-ali/) is ready to unfurl his wings as Blade in the MCU, and with the daywalker having a penchant for hunting down blood-sucking vampires, he’d be well-matched to join Elsa and Jack on their next mission. [ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/why-blade-and-moon-knight-dont-appear-in-werewolf-by-night-revealed-exclusive/)) that Moon Knight and Blade wouldn’t be in Werewolf by Night, the special’s atmosphere and shooting style means there are calls for him to take over from [Bassam Tariq to direct Blade](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/marvel-blade-reboot-troubles/). [Heavy Spoilers](https://youtu.be/srP94h50G-0), a rough translation of the Latin in Werewolf by Night suggests that Jack was the one who killed Ulysses Bloodstone. The events of Werewolf by Night are triggered by the death of Ulysses Bloodstone. Although their Latin is a little rusty, the opening credits that give us the Bloodstone backstory apparently say something along the lines of: “This tearful Bloodstone, Ulysses the seventh son, as far as the stones are concerned, is slain, and is slain on the last full moon of the year, at the end of the blood/bloodshed.” Connecting the dots, it’s not too much of a leap to imagine Jack killed Ulysses thanks to his death falling on the night of a full moon. [Werewolf by Night](https://www.denofgeek.com/werewolf-by-night/) made its bloody debut as the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation.

Marvel Studios' Werewolf by Night has premiered on Disney+, paying homage to classic horror movies and referencing comic book lore with plenty of Easter ...

This song fits perfectly with the colorful scene, as The Wizard of Oz famously transitioned from black-and-white into full technicolor when Dorothy arrived in the Land of Oz. Jack’s appearance as a werewolf is very similar to that of the iconic Wolf Man, with Jack retaining a humanoid face and figure while taking a frightening bestial form. At one point in the film, Jack and Elsa hide from the other hunters in a crypt containing the coffins of Elsa’s ancestors. When she sits down, her body becomes filled with color as Judy Garland’s song from The Wizard of Oz, Over the Rainbow, plays before the film cuts to Jack and Man-Thing, both also in color. Also in the opening scene, the film shows a sketch of Ulysses Bloodstone using his trademark jewel in his battle against the Sasquatch. As a family of monster hunters, the Bloodstones have come across various creatures throughout the ages.

Werewolf by Night on Disney Plus introduces the swamp monster known as Man-Thing, whose powers help Gael García Bernal in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe ...

Swamp Thing was eventually retconned to be an elemental force of nature who only thought it had once been a human scientist, and Man-Thing was always more of a cult fave than a best seller at Marvel. At the time the that writer Len Wein was coming up with Swamp Thing, his roommate Gerry Conway had put Man-Thing on the page over a year previous. He becomes agitated by negative ones, and burns his opponents with chemical-mystical fire. Fleeing less scrupulous mad scientists with the only evidence of his serum, Sallis injected himself with the chemical just before crashing his car into a magical swamp. But there’s another monster making his debut in Werewolf by Night, with one of the most infamous names in Marvel Comics history: Man-Thing. Werewolf by Night calls together a cadre of elite monster hunters in a competitive hunt to decide who will take up the coveted Bloodstone, which has some sort of power that forces monsters to reveal themselves.

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Werewolf by Night.The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to balloon in size with sequels, spin-offs, and origin ...

Understandably, Elsa is furious that Jack concealed his monster identity, and is pretty positive he is going to kill her as soon as he turns. Verussa stands up and gets ready to kill Elsa for being a disgrace to the family, but Man-Thing, er, Ted, breaks through the ceiling and burns her alive before setting off on his search for Jack. He encourages Elsa to be friendly to the hideous beast when they meet and to be sure to call him by his name: Ted. That’s because the Bloodstone is allergic to monsters, and Jack is actually a werewolf. As "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" plays, the black and white screen turns to color, revealing her red jacket. Jack realizes that one of the hunters overheard him, and runs to safety in a room, where Elsa happens to be taking a breather. Sure enough, Elsa calling him by his name calms him down, and she’s able to yank the stone from his back. The plan is for Jack to throw a tiny bomb device at the nearest perimeter wall with a giant crack and make a run for it. Despite showing promise at a young age, Elsa seems to have abandoned the monster-hunting life she was expected to live, and thus has lost her birthright to the stone. The two bond over not really wanting to fight, with Jack saying that he is “not that type of hunter.” Okay, so, if he isn’t, then why does he want the stone so bad? A veiled and vengeful Verussa expresses her frustration to Elsa for being absent for 20 years. As explained in the gloomy opening narration, they are a family of monster hunters who explores the darkness to “hunt and slaughter [monsters] with pride.” Ulysses Bloodstone, the patriarch of the powerful family, has been the sole controller of the ancient relic known as the Bloodstone, which has supernatural powers and is considered a “weapon unlike any other.” But, he just died, and now the Bloodstone is without a “master.” A small group of the best monster hunters from around the globe meet up at Bloodstone Manor to honor their deceased and fearless leader and are greeted by Verussa (Harriet Samsom Harris), Ulysses’ eccentric widow.

Videos of a creepy-looking Werewolf by Night, who just happens to make his Disney+ debut in a Halloween special tonight, began popping up online.

Videos of a creepy-looking Werewolf by Night, who [just happens](https://deadline.com/2022/09/marvel-werewolf-by-night-halloween-special-gael-garcia-bernal-laura-donnelly-premiere-date-trailer-1235114357/) to make his Disney+ debut in a Halloween special tonight, began popping up online. [Werewolf by Night](https://deadline.com/tag/werewolf-by-night/), who is capable of transforming into a werewolf while retaining human intellects. [Gael Garcia Bernal](https://deadline.com/tag/gael-garcia-bernal/) and [Laura Donnelly](https://deadline.com/tag/laura-donnelly/) star in the special, shot in the tradition of the classic black-and-white monster movies.

Director Michael Giacchino tells IndieWire how his work as a composer prepared him to direct the gnarly, supernatural Marvel special.

“We had a black and white monitor so I could see how it was going to look that way but we also knew it would work in color if we had to do that,” the director said. “In the process of making the movie I did write the theme for it,” Giacchino said. In his work as a composer, Giacchino has scored films directed by the likes of the Wachowskis, Taika Waititi, and J.J. It’s already enough to ask for someone to believe werewolves are real, but I felt like we would have a better chance of pulling it off if it actually was a real person on set in the costume.” The special is presented in black and white and it looks stunning, replicating the lighting, the aesthetic of the visual effects and even little imperfections in the presentation like cigarette burns. [Werewolf by Night](https://www.indiewire.com/t/werewolf-by-night/),” audiences may be surprised by how much of the actor’s face can be seen behind the practical makeup and prosthetics/ that is the core of what director [Michael Giacchino](https://www.indiewire.com/t/michael-giacchino/) wanted to do with the Marvel special.

Halloween is just around the corner, and with it comes premieres of plenty of new spooky films — and this year, Marvel's getting in on the deal.

There's a lot of moments in cinema, in horror, because what you don't see and what you don't listen to is as important as what you see and what you listen to. And so I am really glad to be, and so lucky to be part of a world like this. And so I love being part of this because it is the way I like, also, to do films. And so the whole world of monsters and definitely of werewolves is absolutely open, where the opportunity to engage into this project was a chance to really be free to interpret and to color this character the way we wanted. And I wanted to know, because this film is so, or this special is so heavily inspired by old horror films of the '30s and the '40s and the '50s, was there anything you looked to specifically when you were researching the role? During this interview, Bernal discussed the kind of research he did for the role, as well as what in particular draws him to horror, and what it was like making a Marvel special in only five weeks.

'Werewolf By Night' is a rollicking monster mash from the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell. Review.

Written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron, the premise for Werewolf By Night is simple: In the dead of night, a secret cabal of monster hunters are summoned to the art deco Bloodstone Temple following the death of their patriarch, Ulysses. Quinn and Cameron's script is full of hilarious asides like Jovan's comments on Jack's "whole look" and Ulysses' standing coffin emblazoned with the words "this way up." Self-aware of his own violent potential, he takes great pains to choose peace and prevent beastly chaos as much as possible, with "systems to manage the hurt I could cause." The Bloodstone hunt provides the majority of the action, set in a labyrinthine arena equipped with a Bioshock-style crackling gramophone, where Giacchino builds dread with every gorgeous frame, every suspicious stare, and his classic horror score, peaking in impressive, brutal fight scenes. From the Marvel Studios logo shown powered by Frankenstein-style electricity to 1930s-style title credits and the whole thing being shot on black and white film (but for the coveted red Bloodstone), Werewolf By Night director and composer Michael Giacchino sets up a rollicking time for fans of old school horror. [monster movies](https://mashable.ziffmedia.global/article/best-monster-movies-of-decade) often function as a manifestation of our own fears, shredding the facade and exposing who we truly are.

Werewolf by Night co-executive producer Brian Gay explains why the eponymous character was introduced in a special as opposed to a movie or TV show.

It was also similarly reported that Marvel was working on [more "Special Presentations"](https://www.cbr.com/marvel-studios-developing-more-special-presentations-report/) in the same vein as Werewolf by Night, though no confirmation about such projects has been given by either Marvel or Disney+. ](https://www.cbr.com/marvel-werewolf-by-night-avoids-horror-sadism/) [Kevin Feige](https://www.cbr.com/kevin-feige-shocked-werewolf-by-night-pitch-marvel/) was originally astounded by his pitch for the special. Werewolf [by Night],'" and Giacchino reiterated his interest in tacking the title character, with the two talking more about it. [a more 1930s aesthetic for the special](https://www.cbr.com/werewolf-by-night-shot-like-1930s-halloween-special-mcu/), with the production team doing all the practical effects that they could. "And it turns out the answer was yes," he concluded.

Exclusive: Werewolf By Night director Michael Giacchino reveals the moment of on-set panic that stayed with him after the Marvel project wrapped filming.

When we got through the whole group, I said, ‘That’s what we want to do for some kid out there who’s going to watch this.’ We want this to be that future story for them. [Werewolf By Night](https://www.denofgeek.com/werewolf-by-night/)] was for me, and I said, ‘Tell me something that scared you as a kid, whether it was a movie or an incident, or just something that still gives you chills to this day.’ I think we all have those things, whether it was from a horror film we watched in the dark as a kid – maybe we were too young to watch – or any number of things. “There was a whole section [of the cage] that could come off, so that the actors could go in and out when they needed to. Asked if there were any particular parts of the shoot that stayed with him after the cast and crew had wrapped filming, he recalled a very specific on-set “panic moment” during the sequence where Donnelly’s Elsa is locked in a cage with Bernal’s transforming lycanthrope by a fierce cabal of monster hunters. Let’s do it.’ To their credit, they really supported me in the direction I wanted to go,” but it was important to him that the one-off monster movie truly be a unique and scary experience for younger MCU fans that they wouldn’t be able to forget in a hurry. It’s also a one-off special that doesn’t really set up any further adventures for the central characters of werewolf Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) or hunter Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), but we certainly hope to see them again!

Man-Thing is a major player in Marvel Comics with the multiverse, but what role does he play in the newly-released special Werewolf by Night?

This mutual understanding is enforced by the end of the film when the sun rises, and Jack reverts to his human form. Not only did Man-Thing know how to help him revert to his human form, but he knows the routine that helps him readjust to being a human after the transformation. Their relationship is friendly and understanding, Jack repeats multiple times that he has had to save Ted a lot and that this is the last time he will be sticking his neck out for him in a situation this dangerous. Ted didn’t want to become a multiversal plant man, and Jack didn’t want this werewolf curse that is His comic history is pretty crazy, but the basic gist is that Ted was a scientist who was trying to recreate the supersoldier serum in the Florida Everglades. Man-Thing is a major player in Marvel Comics with the multiverse, and his appearance in this could be yet another stepping stone Marvel has laid out for the upcoming Secret Wars.

Werewolf by Night is a scream and it's on Disney Plus now. Here's what you need to know about the comic characters, horror homages and MCU connections.

[She-Hulk](/culture/entertainment/she-hulk-release-schedule-when-does-episode-9-hit-disney-plus/) just brought back [Daredevil](/culture/entertainment/she-hulk-episode-8-recap-daredevil-returns-plus-marvel-easter-eggs/) and now heads for its finale next Thursday Oct. Stuart Immonen is thanked for his work defining the look of Elsa Bloodstone in anarchic comic series Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. In that case, the black-and-white sections denoted the 'real' world, and color signaled a shift into the fantasy realm of Oz (which may have been a dream). You'd think the tomb in which Elsa and Jack are momentarily trapped would be ripe for Easter eggs, but the various names on the headstones aren't obvious Marvel comics references. This use of color is probably just a stylistic nod to a classic movie, but we're here to overthink things so it's tempting to wonder whether this is some kind of comment on the nature of reality in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As well as appearing recently in Star Trek: Picard, Thatcher is perhaps best known as the punk rocker who encountered Spock on a bus in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Interestingly Werewolf by Night is the reverse of The Wizard of Oz, which shifted to luminous [Technicolor](/culture/entertainment/technicolor-100-years-the-gulf-between/) for most of the story then ended by going back to monochrome. The TV movie is a tribute to vintage horror from roughly the first half of the 20th century. From the vintage-styled opening credits to the contorted, maze-like graveyard setting and crackly 1940s gramophone tunes, there are nods to the expressionist horror of silent movies like 1922's Nosferatu and 1920's The Cabinet of Dr. With Elsa's help, Jack helps the hunt's prey escape, revealing the tentacled terror Man-Thing is more of a gentle giant (named Ted). But the hunter with the most kills, Jack Russell, is not the deadly slayer he professes to be: Instead of killing creatures, he frees them. (Not because this article is scary, just because of spoilers).

Werewolf By Night could get a follow-up "if it all makes sense", with director Michael Giacchino explaining that he has "a lot of ideas" for the characters ...

The series launches on Disney+ in Spring 2023.](/videos/marvels-secret-invasion-official-trailer) [Hocus Pocus 2 - Official Teaser TrailerCheck out the teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2.It's been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now that it's out the door, I think we have some time to look back and think about everything we've done and where we want to go. [Keanu Reeves' Dream MCU Role is One That Fans Want Him to Play Too4h ago - Johnny Blaze in the MCU? S, and Stadia in 2023.](/videos/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-liberty-teaser-trailer) [Marvel’s Secret Invasion Official TrailerMarvel Studios released the first look at Secret Invasion at Disney’s D23 Expo 2022. Giacchino explains that his focus up until now has been on getting his first feature into the world, but he now has the time to think about what could come next: " I don't know which direction it's going to go. Speaking to IGN, Giacchino made clear that he doesn't necessarily see them as a one-off partnership despite the standalone feature they appear in:

Werewolf by Night, Marvel's first horror special, has a rich history in the comics that hint at a future MCU team of monsters.

Whether that comes to fruition or not, it feels fortuitous that three of Marvel’s original horror characters, Morbius, Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing, were brought to screens this year, alongside a Doctor Strange film that leans into Cthon and the Darkhold. If Marvel continues to carefully build a bridge between the two, then I think the longevity and variety of the MCU will benefit from it, pulling in more fans and winning back those who have grown weary of square-jawed Avengers and want something with a little more bite. It certainly doesn’t seem like as big of a longshot given Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures’ renewed collaboration that has allowed for characters to crossover between the MCU and Sony’s own universe. But what’s interesting is that the character is key to the formation of both the Legion of Monsters and the Midnight Sons. Many of these characters operated on their own in the Marvel Universe, with limited comic book crossover, and perhaps that’s the way to keep them for now. He linked Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and Ghost Rider together, eventually leading to the founding of the Legion of Monsters in 1976. The Halloween special pits a group of monster-hunters against each other, and a common threat, for ownership of the Bloodstone, a powerful artifact that allows its wielder to weaken and control monsters. It seems likely that Doctor Strange, The Scarlet Witch, Moon Knight and Agatha Harkness will be the strings connecting Marvel’s horror world to the larger battles of the Avengers, eventually. But Marvel has something novel here, and has clearly benefitted from starting small and aiming to do something entirely different from what audiences expect from the franchise. Fans have expressed hopes that the TV special will tee-up an MCU version of the Legion of Monsters or the Midnight Suns, formally Midnight Sons. With Werewolf by Night, Giacchino, best known as the go-to composer for blockbuster films like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Batman, firmly situates himself as a double-threat in the entertainment world. The shadows of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are pooling together, forming a new corner in this ever-expanding franchise.

Werewolf By Night sees several monster hunters competing in a ritual hunt, with the winner acquiring the Bloodstone - a powerful artifact that can deal great ...

[a game like ](https://gamerant.com/evolve-dedicated-servers-shutting-down/) [Evolve](https://gamerant.com/evolve-dedicated-servers-shutting-down/) and a battle royale project could be ideal. Giving players the chance to briefly team up or kill each other off could lead to some exciting moments, and hunting players down as a character like Man-Thing would result in an awesome power fantasy. The entire match could have a black and white filter, with color only returning when the monster has been killed or all the hunters have died. As for potential monsters, Marvel has no shortage of strange characters that could function as a big threat for hunters to fight and fear. Placing some powerful weapons throughout the arena could also be a fun way to shake things up a bit and make each match feel different. Werewolf By Night is the MCU’s first special presentation, and it has gotten the short film format off to a great start.