Marvel Studios will reportedly be bringing Werewolf by Night into the MCU through a Disney+ Halloween special, reveals The Wrap. While Marvel didn’t reveal which version of the character it’s adapting, the studio is looking to cast a Latino male in his 30s and intends to start production in early 2022.
The first Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell, was introduced in 1972’s Marvel Spotlight #2 and was created by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog from an idea by Roy Thomas. Stan Lee baptized the comic book series, and Roy and Jean Thomas defined the plot for the first issue, making Russell a rare superhero created by five different people. In the comics, Russell comes from a long lineage cursed with lycanthropy. Still, he remains fully aware of most of his transformations and controls his powerful werewolf body to fight evildoers.
The second Werewolf by Night, Jake Gomez, was introduced last year by Werewolf by Night (Vol. 3) #1. This character incarnation was created by Taboo of the Black-Eyed Peas, Benjamin Jackendoff, and Scot Eaton. While the original Werewolf is white, the new hero is a young man of Hopi descent, which means Marvel's casting description doesn’t fit either version of the character. However, the most likely thing is that the MCU will change Jack Russell’s ethnicity, as the character has a deep connection with the character of Moon Knight, who is getting his own solo series next year starring Oscar Isaac in the title role.
With the expansion of the MCU to Disney+, Marvel is surely embracing the weirder side of comic books. Last January, WandaVision introduced witches to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More recently, Loki confirmed the existence of vampires before the bloodsuckers get unleashed in the upcoming Blade movie starring Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali. An upcoming episode of Marvel’s What If…? will also release zombies, and next year Moon Knight is expected to deal with Ancient Egypt curses and mummies. Now, with a Werewolf by Night special in the oven, almost all the classic monsters are canon. So, when is the Frankenstein monster coming? And, yes, Marvel Comics does have a Frankenstein.
It’s also noteworthy that Marvel Studios seems to be committed to the idea of one-shot specials, as the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is already in pre-production. Helmed by James Gunn, the Holiday Special is expected to be available on Disney+ for Christmas 2022, while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be released sometime in 2023. Since Gunn says that some plot points of Vol. 3 are connected to the Holiday Special, these specials are essential for the MCU moving forward.
As more news of the Disney+ Halloween special featuring Werewolf by Night is revealed by the full moon, you can expect to read all about it here at Collider.