It took a long time for Marvel Studios to reveal a first look at their special presentation of Werewolf by Night, but it was certainly worth the wait. The Halloween one-shot delivered something unlike anything Marvel has produced on screen so far. While the first teaser was enough to suggest a deep-rooted homage to the old Universal horror movies of the 40s, and in a description from Disney, the inspiration behind the look and feel of Werewolf by Night has been confirmed. In a description of the special, Disney wrote:
"Inspired by horror films of the 1930s and 1940s, the chilling special aims to evoke a sense of dread and the macabre, with plenty of suspense and scares along the way as we explore a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
The details shared also included the previously announced writing team of Peter Cameron and Heather Quinn, who respectively worked on WandaVision and Hawkeye for Marvel Studios. Producers on Werewolf by Night include the regular list of Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum.
The official synopsis for Werewolf by Night reads:
"On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader," the synopsis reads. "In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader's life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster."
Werewolf by Night is One of Marvel's Most Exciting Releases of the Year
In a year that has seen the return of many popular Marvel heroes such as Doctor Strange and Thor, as well as introductions of She-Hulk and Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night has been so secretive that many actually wondered if it would be coming this year at all. However, when it was announced by Kevin Feige, with a first trailer, the style and unique look of the special made it instantly one of the most intriguing and exciting offerings from Marvel Studios, thanks to its stark difference from the rest of the MCU.
Marvel Studios have made no secret that they have been using their Disney+ output to be experimental, and after WandaVision’s fake sitcom introduction, the animated What If…? series and the legal comedy of She-Hulk, Werewolf by Night is yet again another change in style, pace and genre, and appears to be taking the MCU into darker territory that could have some implications of where one branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could head in the future.
Although we have only had our first look at Werewolf by Night in the last week, the special will arrive on Disney+ on October 7, making it one of the swiftest MCU offerings to land with less than a month between its first trailer and premiere date. For fans of the lycanthrope, this is a welcome change from the usual wait of months that many Marvel projects have.