Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Werewolf by Night

  • UPDATED: Veteran MCU Creative DOES NOT Confirm Return for Mystery Project

    UPDATED: Veteran MCU Creative DOES NOT Confirm Return for Mystery Project

    UPDATE: It seems that Deadline’s poorly worded article mislead many of us into thinking Giacchino was back for a new Marvel project. Upon further review, it looks as though the project referred to as his follow-up to Werewolf By Night is a unrelated project at Warner’s.

    Over the past decade, Michael Giacchino‘s distinct scores have helped shape the MCU’s first Spider-Man trilogy, 2016’s Doctor Strange and, most recently, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. In between, Giacchino found time to direct the studio’s first Special Presentation, the wonderfully violent Werewolf By Night.

    Following the success of the standalone project, Marvel Studios Parliament member Stephen Broussard indicated that the studio intended to move forward with more horror projects, teasing an interest in “keeping our toe in that horror side of things.”

    Well, I will say that we’re starting to introduce some cool characters that are in the darker side, the more monster side and the supernatural and the occult, in a very organic way as you’re seeing these characters pop up. I think in very organic ways, it feels like there could be ways to continue those stories in ways that feel very fresh and new and keeping our toe in that horror side of things.

    -Stephen Broussard

    Over three years later, the only word that’s come down about potential follow-ups to Werewolf By Night came when fans learned that the studio had been developing a Terror Inc. series…by way of learning the project had been scrapped. And Giacchino—who was once a fan-favorite to pick up directing duties on the studio’s long-delayed Blade film before ruling himself out of contention–went back to work on composing incredible scores. However, it now seems as though he’s set to return to the director’s chair…

    While discussing how he scrapped and rewrote the score for The Fantastic Four: First Steps after viewing the film’s final cut, Giacchino revealed that his next project with Marvel Studios will be a follow-up to Werewolf By Night which he will direct.

    Interestingly enough, in February 2024, insider Daniel Richtman reported that Giacchino was being eyed to direct Midnight Sons. While it’s development has never been officially addressed by Marvel Studios, it’s been believed to be in the works for several years and rumored to see characters such as Jack Russel, Man-Thing and Elsa Bloodstone team up with Blade and others from Marvel’s roster of horror characters and, reportedly, take on Sacha Baron Cohen‘s Mephisto.

    Given the volume of reports and rumors over the years, Midnight Sons does seem like the most reasonable assumption for Giacchino’s next project; however, Fede Alvarez has also been rumored to be interested in the film as well and it still hasn’t even been officially announced by the studio. Regardless, whether it’s ultimately Midnight Sons or something else entirely, it seems as though fans will (sort of) soon be getting what they asked for with Giacchino back behind the camera.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Werewolf By Night’ Was Just the Beginning of Marvel Studios’ Foray into Horror

    ‘Werewolf By Night’ Was Just the Beginning of Marvel Studios’ Foray into Horror

    Marvel Studios’ first Special Presentation, Werewolf By Night, was largely successful with critics and audiences alike when it debuted in late 2022. The self-contained story didn’t explicitly set the table for another Marvel Studios horror romp, but it did make it clear that monsters have and continue to exist in the MCU. The studio’s long-awaited Blade film is gearing up for a late May start of production and will introduce audiences to another dark corner of the universe but according to Marvel Studios Parliament member Stephen Broussard, these two projects are just the beginning of Marvel’s foray into horror.

    “Well, I will say that we’re starting to introduce some cool characters that are in the darker side, the more monster side and the supernatural and the occult, in a very organic way as you’re seeing these characters pop up,” said Broussard. “I think in very organic ways, it feels like there could be ways to continue those stories in ways that feel very fresh and new and keeping our toe in that horror side of things.“

    Marvel Comics has a long and distinguished stable of monsters, ghouls, ghosts and demons that would make for thrilling streaming series or films. Werewolf By Night only skimmed the surface of a giant pool of possibilities and gave fans the itch for more. Keeping the talented Gael García Bernal‘s Jack Russell at the center of their efforts would be a wise choice and telling more stories involving the surprisingly wonderful relationship between Russell and Man-Thing while they meet and introduce new monsters to the MCU might just be the surest path to success.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Marvel Studios Developing a Pair of Follow-ups to ‘Werewolf By Night’ (Rumor)

    Marvel Studios Developing a Pair of Follow-ups to ‘Werewolf By Night’ (Rumor)

    Marvel Studios has had to learn and adjust on the fly over the past two years as they’ve rolled out streaming content onto Disney Plus. The first batch of streaming series was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the second wave of series was, according to social media, too long and too short all at once. Part of the adjustment to that criticism was the evolution of Special Presentations, two of which debuted to leave reviews late this year and, it seems, Marvel Studios is going with the old axiom of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” when it comes to those.

    A new rumor from insider Daniel RPK indicates that after the howling success of their first Special Presentation, Werewolf By Night, Marvel Studios has two more Halloween-themed specials in the works. There’s no word on what characters or teams might be the focus of these two follow-ups but there’s also no shortage of intriguing possibilities.

    One Above All Kevin Feige has been keen on bringing Marvel’s Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider, to the MCU and a Johnny Blaze Special Presentation might help the head honcho speed up his rumored goal of getting Danny Ketch into the fray sooner rather than later. Another possibility could simply be a direct sequel to Werewolf By Night that follows up the continuing adventures of Jack Russell, Ted/Man-Thing and Elsa. Of course, outside of these two possibilities, there exists any number of new characters that the studio may wish to introduce ahead of a potential Midnight Sons team-up that Moon Knight star Oscar Isaac is championing or the must-see-TV that would be a Legion of Monsters series.

    This is certainly one of the most reasonable and realistic rumors we’ve heard this week and while it’s hard to pin down who to expect, it seems a safe bet that a Werewolf By Night follow-up or two is on the way.

  • ‘Werewolf by Night’ Star is Ready for More Marvel Horror

    ‘Werewolf by Night’ Star is Ready for More Marvel Horror

    Marvel Studios had an exciting year with various projects exploring the different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the biggest surprises was their first Special Presentation Werewolf by Night as long-time composer Michael Giacchino takes on the director’s role to give us the MCU’s first true horror entry.

    Inspired by the pulpy Hammer and Universal monster movies, it gave us a very unique and standalone project. It introduced us to the MCU’s take on Man-Thing, its leading star in Gael Garcia Bernal as Jack Russell, and Laura Donnelly as the iconic monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone. In an interview with The Wrap, Donnelly got a chance to talk about if we might see her return in a future project and to further explore the more comic-accurate version of the comics moving forward.

    Yes, certainly. The thing that I love about this particular story for Elsa is that we get such a sense that we’re only at the beginning of something for her; she’s not introduced as the character that we know from the comics. It’s her pre-that or maybe she has been that and something has happened — we don’t know. And so it does feel like it’s only this little taster of many, many layers that are there underneath and a huge backstory.

    Laura Donnelly

    She goes on to highlight she’s definitely down for more exploration of Marvel Studios’ horror corner and especially to reunite with Bernal.

    Any opportunity to explore [a follow-up], I would leap at, and I would also love to explore that relationship between Elsa and Jack as well. That’s just one that is just touched on and you see the beginning of something blossoming and we don’t know what that is. And I love working with Gael. I would be very, very happy to — just call me.

    Laura Donnely

    With no news about when we’d see them next, there’s hopefully a chance that Bloodstone could be our guide through the horror corner of this franchise, especially with how many iconic characters there are that could be explored in other Halloween specials. Still, we’ll have to wait a little longer until we get more news on what Marvel Studios has planned for these characters.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Werewolf By Night’s Michael Giacchino Rules Himself Out of ‘Blade’ Director Search

    ‘Werewolf By Night’s Michael Giacchino Rules Himself Out of ‘Blade’ Director Search

    Production on the highly anticipated Mahershala Ali-led Blade movie is currently shut down after losing director Bassim Tariq. After Tariq’s departure, it was revealed that Beau DeMayo had agreed to rewrite the script. With the hiring of DeMayo, it was expected that Marvel Studios would quickly fill the director position, but instead, the studio has slowed down to “deepen the search” for a new director, while also taking time to further strengthen the film.

    One name has received a lot of attention as a potential new director for Blade after the recent success and critical praise of Werewolf By Night. In fact, some think director and composer Michael Giacchino should be the architect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s horror future.

    On Comicbook.com’s Phase Zero podcast, Giacchino addressed whether he could take the reins on Blade. Unfortunately for fans, it looks like the list of potential directors does not include the Werewolf By Night director. Giacchino expressed that Blade would conflict with some of his other projects in the works timing-wise:

    “I mean, look, I love Blade. I think that’s an amazing, amazing character. It’s one of my favorites. But I feel like that thing is already in motion in a way that is like, and I’m in motion on other things as well, and there’s just– It’s a whole… you know. It’s just, timing-wise, it’s a little crazy. So I feel like, you know… I want that to be a great movie. I want that to be an awesome movie, because that character deserves it in a huge way. But yeah, right now, I mean, no.”

    Michael Giacchino

    Fans will have to keep waiting for news on who will replace Tariq. Marvel Studios has given itself more time to get Blade in order, as it delayed its release date to September 6, 2024.

    Source: Phase Zero

  • ‘Werewolf by Night’ Concept Art Reveals Monster in Color

    ‘Werewolf by Night’ Concept Art Reveals Monster in Color

    Marvel Studios’ first Special Presentation, Werewolf by Night, was unique for quite a few reasons. Chief among them, however, was the short film’s commitment to displaying its dark new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost entirely in black and white. The spooky aesthetic helped cement the monsters of the world as memorable figures in the MCU’s character roster, but the visual filter wasn’t always going to be a part of the project. It took director Michael Giacchino a few tries to convince Marvel boss Kevin Feige to make the switch away from their traditional look, and in that time, it seems a few passes were made at designing the titular werewolf for a story told in full color.

    Concept artist Billy Christian recently took to his Twitter account to unveil the final approved design for Gael García Bernal‘s Werewolf by Night. In the post, he confirms that he was unaware the special would eventually be done in black and white and says his art was intended to be used as a style guide for the rest of production. It was clearly still influential, as the practical look of the monster was essential to the overall vibe of the hour-long short.

    The art is perhaps the best idea fans will get as to what Marvel’s werewolf may look like when he ultimately crosses paths with other heroes in their own colorful projects. A similar appearance can currently be seen in costume form at Disney Parks’ Avengers Campus, as an actor roams the lot dressed in full Werewolf by Night regalia.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • A Potential ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 Could Feature ‘Werewolf By Night’ Characters

    A Potential ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 Could Feature ‘Werewolf By Night’ Characters

    After the raging success of Marvel Studios’ first Special Presentation, Werewolf by Night, fans are anxiously awaiting Jack Russell’s, Ted Sallis’ (Man-Thing), and Elsa Bloodstone’s returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The special itself appeared to open the door to the MCU’s monsterverse, but it has also been confirmed that Werewolf By Night has no intention of being a pilot for future series. Of course, there are Midnight Sons and Legion of Monsters rumors and theories. And there’s always Blade, though the film is in a rough spot after recently losing its director. But perhaps the answer—or one of the answers—is a bit less obvious. After star Oscar Isaac’s comments that there is more Moon Knight in the MCU’s future, it may not be too farfetched to think that characters from the monster special could appear in a potential second season of that series.

    The most obvious connection Moon Knight has to these characters is that his first appearance was as an adversary in Werewolf by Night #32 in 1975. Originally, Moon Knight was written as a mercenary hired to capture Russell, which explains his moon-themed persona and silver weapons. By the end of his original two-issue appearance, Moon Knight changes course and helps the titular werewolf instead. From here, the character went on to have his own solo and team-up careers unrelated to Werewolf by Night. Moon Knight’s connections to Man-Thing and Elsa Bloodstone are less obvious, though the three of them were all part of a relatively recent Midnight Sons lineup in the Damnation crossover event. Still, Man-Thing’s connection to the Nexus of All Realities makes his general presence in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga make sense, and Jack and Ted were set up as a pair in Werewolf by Night.

    While Marc Spector has a colorful resume, he is not particularly well known for his connection to monsters. As such, there are not many clear storylines from the comics that a Moon Knight Season 2 could adapt from the comics. But without a doubt, Moon Knight is the first character aside from Doctor Strange to truly open up the paranormal and supernatural worlds of the MCU. That aspect of the universe is gaining more steam, but in terms of seeing Werewolf by Night or related characters sooner rather than later, there do not seem to be a lot of obvious options at this moment. Phase 6 is almost entirely unannounced, and so is a second season of Moon Knight. Still, an appearance in the series might be fundamental to the steady rise of the monsterverse and its related projects.

    While Moon Knight is not generally found constantly battling or working with monsters, the vigilante is certainly not foreign to them. In the series alone, the character had to face some rather monsterous Ancient Egyptain-themed creatures, and the finale was aptly titled, “Gods and Monsters.” The supernatural angle of the character was definitively established in Moon Knight. In the comics, the actual existence of Khonshu is sometimes debated as the stories play around with Marc Spector’s unique mental state. But in the MCU, Khonshu’s presence and related supernatural truths are presented as fact. While, so far, the live-action of the character has been limited to the very specific Egyptian god-focused aspect of the supernatural, Moon Knight has ample reason to encounter more. After all, a key component of the vigilante in print is that, as the Fist of Khonshu, he is a protector of those who travel at night—and plenty of things go bump in the night.

    While nighttime is clearly special for Moon Knight and monsters alike, the concept also highlights the stylistic compatibility of characters like Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight. Both rely on supernatural themes, but the series and Werewolf by Night are noticeably some of the MCU’s darkest projects both literally and figuratively. The potential seedy and gritty vigilante life of Marc Spector, Khonshu’s ghostly presence, and surreal psychological components could easily accommodate some additional bizarre components. Even more, Moon Knight’s character and Werwolf by Night have a reputation of (by MCU standards) particularly brutal or gruesome violence.

    For these reasons, it would not be entirely surprising if Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, or other related characters made some type of appearance in a second season of Moon Knight. They likely would not be a major part of the full season, but rather could be integrated in a similar way to Moon Knight’s comics introduction. If the MCU’s Marc Spector does take on the vigilante lifestyle as expected, perhaps he has run ins with various beings causing havoc, including an out-of-control Werewolf by Night. It is easy to picture Marc Spector being hostile to monster-type creatures before understanding that they are not necessarily villains, which could be a vital moment in the building of teams like the Midnight Sons or Legion of Monsters or crossover of related characters. Or, perhaps the hero gets caught up in the Bloodstone’s longer narrative in the MCU, as the likely alien relic ties together the MCU’s supernatural side before the big events of Avengers: The Kang Dyanasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Only time will tell if Marvel Studios announces a second season of Moon Knight. Either way, fans will get much more of all of these characters in the MCU’s future.

  • ‘Werewolf By Night’ Confirmed to Take Place Post-Endgame

    ‘Werewolf By Night’ Confirmed to Take Place Post-Endgame

    Unlike nearly every other Marvel Studios project, Werewolf By Night took place entirely in its own corner of the MCU. No cameos. No callbacks. Just a self-contained special presentation that introduced a neatly retrofitted history of monsters and those who hunt them. As wonderful as it was, however, its ability to stand on its own (short of a 2-second reference to the Avengers) made it tough to determine just where it exists within the MCU’s ever-expanding timeline. Fortunately, Disney Plus has put it in its place.

    Outside of a few dates on the graves of the Bloodstone family, there was really nothing given to place WHEN the events of Michael Giacchino’s project took place and the black and white presentation of it certainly makes it feel “longer ago” than when it actually was…which as it turns out, is right now in Marvel Studios’ present day. According to Disney Plus, the events of the night depicted in Werewolf By Night take place just around the same time as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Ms. Marvel and Thor: Love and Thunder. That means that not only does the MCU have a long history of monsters, it has a present which means it could have a future!

    With Werewolf By Night’s timeline established, it leaves Black Widow as the only Phase 4 project set outside of the present day as its events took place prior to Avengers: Infinity War, making them part of the Infinity Saga. It’s of note that since Werewolf By Night does take place in the present day, the idea that the Bloodstone could play a role in the coming events in projects such as Avengers:The Kang Dynasty remains firmly on the table.

  • ‘Werewolf By Night’ A First for Marvel Studios in More Ways Than One

    ‘Werewolf By Night’ A First for Marvel Studios in More Ways Than One

    Marvel Studios Werewolf By Night debuted to praise from fans and critics alike, being hailed as a unique project for the studio in terms of both content and tone. The first of what’s expected to be many more Special Presentations for the studio, Michael Giacchino’s horror homage introduced a world of monsters and those that hunt them and was a little more violent than typical Marvel Studios’ fare. But being the first Special presentation and opening up a whole new world of characters and stories wasn’t all for the project as it also became the first Marvel Studios’ project on Disney Plus NOT to include some sort of post-credit tag.

    Dating back to WandaVision, Marvel Studios has included at least one post-credit or mid-credit scene in every one of their Disney Plus streaming series, both live-action and animated. An argument can be made that the post-credit scenes have become a distraction, often taking away from the discourse around the body of the project and focusing on “what’s next.” And so despite rumors that actor Jaycob Maya would appear as lycanthrope Jake Gomez in a Werewolf By Night tag, he was nowhere to be found.

    Giacchino recently stated that he had no intention of his project serving as a pilot for future horror installments, so it’s not entirely surprising that he put a bow on the story without teasing anything more. Sure, fans can wonder what Elsa, Jack and Ted might get up to next and exactly what the nature of the Bloodstone might be, but there were no promises made via a post-credit scene and that’s ok. Not even a “Jack will return” text appeared on screen. Too often, those promises aren’t kept or generate speculation that ultimately leads to disappointment. So while it might not mark the END of the tradition, it’s nice to see that the creators don’t feel beholden to it, allowing for them to use them as they see fit.

  • ‘Werewolf by Night’ Isn’t a Pilot for a Future MCU Series

    ‘Werewolf by Night’ Isn’t a Pilot for a Future MCU Series

    Many were excited when Marvel Studios unveiled its new approach for its first-ever holiday special, Werewolf by Night. They had a great touch by calling git a Marvel Studios Special Presentation, which also opened up the possibility to further explore the concept with other projects. It’ll very likely make a return with the upcoming The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and maybe even more explorations of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s monster world.

    Yet, many wondered if Werewolf by Night may act as a setup for something given the introduction to some iconic members of the comics, Jack Russell, Elsa Bloodstone, and Ted. With Marvel Studios’ expansion on Disney+, many wondered if this might lead to a new series, especially with Midnight Sons theories making the rounds since Moon Knight’s entry into the franchise.

    Well, director Michael Giacchino has swiftly pointed out that this project was never meant to act as a backdoor pilot for anything. It’s a standalone project but doesn’t discount the possibility that “anything can happen. We’ll see.” Man-Thing’s arrival in the Multiverse Saga seems perfectly timed given his connection to the Nexus of All Reality. So, we’ll definitely see these characters again, and hopefully, Giacchino will also return to the director’s chair sooner rather than later. Perhaps a recent seat vacancy could begin his road to his first theatrical directorial debut (if you don’t count film festivals).

    Source: Variety