Disney+ Just Completely Changed Marvel's Werewolf By Night Genre

Werewolf By Night is set to make history as Marvel Studios' first Halloween special, and the anticipation surrounding the project has been sky-high ever since its first trailer premiered at this year's D23 Expo. 

Directed by veteran composer Michael Giacchino, the upcoming project stars Gael Garcia Bernal as the titular werewolf, with the special following a group of monster hunters as they compete for a powerful relic.  

Aside from that basic premise, the exact plot details are still shrouded in secrecy. Still, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hyped up Werewolf By Night by teasing it to be "scary but fun scary.”

Werewolf By Night Receives a Change of Genre 

Ahead of Werewolf By Night's premiere next month, Disney+ updated the listed genre of the Halloween special from "Comedy" to "Horror," two very different story types on their own despite the two genres sometimes intermixing in popular horror comedies like Scream and Get Out. 

Some fans have speculated that the change was done due to the complaints of the MCU being too "comedic," but it is unknown if this was the case for this listing change

Alongside horror, Marvel Studios' Halloween special is also listed as fantasy, superhero, and action-adventure. 

Why Werewolf By Night Will Still Have Comedic Elements 

Based on the trailer, it's clear that Werewolf By Night will still have comedic elements despite this new update. While some would criticize this move, this was further validated by Kevin Feige's earlier statement of it being "scary but fun scary."

Through the years, Marvel Studios has been thriving by incorporating humor into its projects, and it seems that it is one of the reasons for the studio's success. 

In fact, Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo explained that Marvel Studios and Feige's "secret sauce" is to make his films entertaining, noting that the executive listens to how much the audience is enjoying the film, indicating how important humor is to the way Feige looks at his work.

That said, humor is expected to still be part of any project, and Werewolf By Night is not an exception. 

Moreover, a previous casting call for the Halloween special also proved that comedy is present. POC Culture shared that Werewolf By Night is looking for an actress to play Betsy, an "aspiring hero" who requires a strong background in comedy.

All in all, Werewolf By Night will look to entertain fans by combining the right balance of comedy and horror when it premieres on Disney+ on Friday, October 7.