Werewolf by Night is the forthcoming horror special taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe releasing on Disney Plus next week that may seem like a one-off experiment, but could actually have repercussions that will be felt in the franchise for years to come.
Renowned composer Michael Giacchino — who is responsible for a number of memorable movie scores including the Oscar-winning Up, Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, and DC’s The Batman — is helming not only the conductor’s dais but the director’s chair for Werewolf by Night in what will be his biggest project behind the lens by far.
Starring Gael García Bernal as a lycanthrope superhero named Jack Russell, he uses the abilities given to him through a curse in his bloodline to fight evil. That may sound like a good premise for a self-contained story, but according to Marvel boss Kevin Feige, the 52-minute special will introduce “a world that will ultimately become quite important to the future of the MCU,” as revealed in a new behind-the-scenes featurette.
With a new Blade film in the works starring Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire slayer — and slated for release to theaters on Nov. 3, 2023 — we can only guess Werewolf by Night perhaps ties into that film since werewolves and vampires tend to go together like peanut butter and jelly.
We previously got a tease for Blade and even heard Ali’s rendition of the character offscreen when he spoke to Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman during an end-credit tease in Eternals. Dane, per the comic books, seems destined to claim the birthright of his family’s heritage by wielding the Ebony Blade and becoming the Black Knight. It seems entirely possible one of Dane’s ancestors might even show up in Werewolf by Night since there is that Blade connection.
Perhaps we’ll find out more about how lycanthropes and vampires play into the MCU’s future when Werewolf by Night comes to Disney Plus on Oct. 7.