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.
