Werewolf By Night has seen tremendous success on Disney+ since its release on Oct. 7. The project, helmed by Michael Giacchino, is currently regarded as one of the best in Marvel's Phase 4. However, it's neither a television show nor a feature film. Instead, Werewolf By Night is described as a "Special Presentation" with a 50-minute runtime, the first of its kind in the MCU.
Marvel Studios has seen animated shorts, multi-season shows, and theatrical films, but a special is something new for the MCU. Brian Gay, who served as Co-Executive Producer on Werewolf By Night and Director of Production & Development at Marvel Studios, recently sat down with Collider and discussed the possibility of more special presentations in the future. "We haven't set out a schedule or a master plan or something like that. But I think what's really exciting about the special is its unique, right? Disney+ lets us do something that doesn't have to be a three-hour movie," he explains. "It doesn't have to be a 10-episode series. It lets us dip our toe in, introduce something, bring out a new character, and give you what I've been calling an appetizer of hopefully what's more to come with seeing these characters, or at least the ones that lived, continue on in the MCU."
Werewolf By Night introduced a few new characters into the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Jack Russell/Werewolf by Night (Gael García Bernal), Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), and Man-Thing (Carey Jones & Jeffrey Ford). Gay wants to see some characters expanded upon, whether in another special, series, or film.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Arrives in December
Marvel covered Halloween with Werewolf By Night, and now audiences will receive a holiday special with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The project has long been in the works, with a release date finally inching closer as it's set to debut on Disney+ sometime in December this year. Details surrounding the project are scarce, although we do know it's set between the events of Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
If the GOTG Holiday Special turns out to be another success, Marvel will undoubtedly look for more opportunities to implement special presentations on Disney+. The cast will return, including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, and Karen Gillan. In addition, James Gunn is writing and directing the MCU project, as he has done with the previous two Guardians of the Galaxy films. With the star power attached, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has the potential to far surpass Werewolf By Night in viewer numbers.
Fans should learn more about the special as we move closer to December, and don't be surprised if Marvel Studios begins to introduce the format even more. An Avengers April Fool's Special? Probably not, but fans can certainly hope.