Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Werewolf by Night.The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to balloon in size with sequels, spin-offs, and origin stories on the big and small screen. This year alone, the MCU’s roster of projects includes Morbius, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Moon Knight, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as well as the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But the Marvel Studios Special Presentation Werewolf by Night stands out from the (wolf)pack for many reasons. Yes, it’s part of the MCU canon, but it is very much its own contained story. Anyone, no matter their level of knowledge or interest in the MCU, will be able to devour what is perhaps one of Marvel’s most creative and impressive storytelling feats. A lot went down in this under-one-hour special. What’s going on in Bloodstone Manor, and what role does our titular monster hunter play in this marvelous new tale?

First things first: Who are the Bloodstones? As explained in the gloomy opening narration, they are a family of monster hunters who explores the darkness to “hunt and slaughter [monsters] with pride.” Ulysses Bloodstone, the patriarch of the powerful family, has been the sole controller of the ancient relic known as the Bloodstone, which has supernatural powers and is considered a “weapon unlike any other.” But, he just died, and now the Bloodstone is without a “master.” A small group of the best monster hunters from around the globe meet up at Bloodstone Manor to honor their deceased and fearless leader and are greeted by Verussa (Harriet Sansom Harris), Ulysses’ eccentric widow. Among the seven attendees are Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal), who is hiding a hairy secret, and Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), reluctant monster hunter and daughter of the dearly departed.

A veiled and vengeful Verussa expresses her frustration to Elsa for being absent for 20 years. Now, when the Bloodstone is up for grabs, she decides to show up? Pretty convenient. Elsa frankly doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks, and just wants what she considers to be rightfully hers. And who wouldn’t want the Bloodstone? It offers protection, strength, and longevity. Despite showing promise at a young age, Elsa seems to have abandoned the monster-hunting life she was expected to live, and thus has lost her birthright to the stone. But given the impressive fighting skills she shows off, it’s clear she’s done some training on her own. The monster hunters gathered for this “ritual” all have quite a few kills under their belt, but no one has nearly as many as Jack, whose kill count is around 100. How is this possible? Let’s find out.

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Image via Disney+

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Verussa informs the group that a ceremonial hunt will take place to determine who is worthy to be Ulysses’ successor. Whoever tracks down and kills this mystery beast on the loose in the maze and retrieves the Bloodstone in its back is the rightful owner. Everyone is pretty peeved that Elsa is even allowed to compete given her bare resume, but Verussa allows her to take part. (Perhaps because she doesn’t think she has a chance.) Roars of the monster sound in the night sky as the hunters make their way through the maze, and since it is every hunter for themselves, things get pretty bloody. Elsa quickly proves to be the most badass hunter of them all as she takes out her opponents with their own weapons.

One of the many jump scares takes place fairly early on when the arm of the beast in question shoots out from the foliage and grabs Jack. But instead of freaking out, he starts to… laugh? He actually looks relieved. That’s because Man-Thing, the swampy beast that everyone is trying to kill, is actually Jack’s friend. Apparently, this isn’t the first time Jack’s saved his butt, either. Jack isn’t here to kill Man-Thing, but to save him yet again. Jack realizes that one of the hunters overheard him, and runs to safety in a room, where Elsa happens to be taking a breather. She admits she only wants this Bloodstone to finally get her father and stepmother off her back. The two bond over not really wanting to fight, with Jack saying that he is “not that type of hunter.” Okay, so, if he isn’t, then why does he want the stone so bad? Actually, he doesn’t.

Elsa and Jack agree to help each other get out of this mess. It’s pretty simple, really. If Elsa helps Jack let the monster escape, then he will help her get the Bloodstone. The plan is for Jack to throw a tiny bomb device at the nearest perimeter wall with a giant crack and make a run for it. He encourages Elsa to be friendly to the hideous beast when they meet and to be sure to call him by his name: Ted. Does he look like a Ted? Sure enough, Elsa calling him by his name calms him down, and she’s able to yank the stone from his back. But when Jack grabs the coveted relic, it sends him flying backward and leaves him crippled. That’s because the Bloodstone is allergic to monsters, and Jack is actually a werewolf. This revelation angers Verussa and Elsa, leaving them to feel betrayed. “I can’t wait to find out what breed of evil you are,” Verussa growls. Elsa, however, speaks up and says that no one except her deserves the stone, landing her behind the same set of bars as Jack.

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Image via Disney+

Understandably, Elsa is furious that Jack concealed his monster identity, and is pretty positive he is going to kill her as soon as he turns. While he assures her they have time to figure things out (the full moon isn’t for five days), she tells him that the Bloodstone is so powerful that it can transform him in five seconds. In an effort to save Elsa, he sniffs her (yes, sniffs her) to get used to her scent. Verussa mercilessly blasts the Bloodstone at him and within a few furious seconds, we see Jack’s shadow transform into the beast he becomes once a month. The guards’ tasers cannot contain him, and he breaks free from the top of the celled dome. A terrified Elsa watches as the werewolf rips through all in his path. Will she be next?

The werewolf bites Verussa’s hand, but she manages to escape his grip. She even gets a hold of the stone again, blasts him, and almost kills him, but Elsa manages to fling a weapon into her back and yank her away. Elsa tries to reason with the beast, hoping he remembers her scent, but he lunges and knocks her down. Remembering Jack’s rule to never break eye contact, she holds his gaze, and he lets her go before he runs off into the night. Verussa stands up and gets ready to kill Elsa for being a disgrace to the family, but Man-Thing, er, Ted, breaks through the ceiling and burns her alive before setting off on his search for Jack.

Elsa sits down in her chair among the rubble and holds the Bloodstone like a boss. As "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" plays, the black and white screen turns to color, revealing her red jacket. Jack wakes up in the woods the following morning with Man-Thing greeting him with French-pressed coffee. Through his snarls, he assures Jack that Elsa is okay, and the two agree to grab some sushi.