A new rumor has fans buzzing with excitement—and perhaps a hint of cautious optimism. According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has quietly restarted development on a Midnight Sons movie. Although the project hasn't been officially announced, its foundation has been laid through meticulous character introductions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its adjacent titles for over a decade.
The Midnight Sons, a rotating team of Marvel's darker and more mystical characters, navigate a world filled with vampires (including Blade), monsters, ancient magic, demons, and other terrifying creatures. If a Midnight Sons project moves forward, it could bring back several popular MCU characters that fans have clamored to see more of in the sprawling superhero universe and others that have yet to make their official MCU debuts.
10 Marvel Characters on the Shortlist for a Midnight Sons Movie
Dane Whitman (Black Knight)
Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) made a quiet but intriguing MCU debut in 2021’s divisive Marvel movie Eternals, playing the affable boyfriend of Sersi—until the cryptic post-credits scene. In that scene, he nervously approaches the ominous Ebony Blade, an ancient weapon with a cursed legacy, before a mysterious off-screen voice (later confirmed to be Mahershala Ali’s Blade) interrupts him.
With other events from Eternals—namely, the giant corpse of the Celestial Tiamut emerging from the Indian Ocean—finally being addressed in 2025's Captain America: Brave New World, the time is ripe for another breadcrumb from the movie to pay off in a big way.
Despite his mixed feelings on the role, Harington expressed a desire to continue playing Whitman in an interview with Screen Rant in 2024:
“I hope that they do something with that character. I think that character is fascinating and brilliant. And I love his trajectory in the comics. I love the idea of a good guy being turned bad by his superpower. I think that's brilliant. I'm not sure whether we've had a protagonist that's like that, so I think it's a really strong idea. I'd love them to [revisit him].”
In the comics, Whitman becomes the Black Knight, a hero cursed with bloodlust by his family’s ancestral sword. He’s had multiple stints with the Midnight Sons and fits the team’s darker, supernatural tone perfectly. Fans have been waiting years to see what happens to him after his surprise meeting with Blade, and a Midnight Sons film is the best place to explore it further.
Blade
Blade’s rocky path to the MCU has become as legendary as the iconic vampire hunter himself. The character, first brought to life by Wesley Snipes in three films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has been set for a reboot starring Jurassic World: Rebirth star Mahershala Ali since 2019.
Since then, the film has undergone repeated delays, rewrites, and other creative shakeups, with the film eventually being removed from Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate.
That said, the famous dhampir (the offspring of a vampire and a human) has already made his debut as a voice cameo in the MCU. As of 2025, Ali’s only work in the MCU is the post-credits scene of Eternals, where the off-screen Daywalker poses an ominous question to Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman.
Blade's full return to the MCU has been a long-awaited event. Snipes’ version made a much-lauded comeback in 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine, in which the character quips, "There’s only been one Blade. There’s only ever going to be one Blade."
Of course, Marvel Studios and its fans hope the quick-witted jab at the Blade reboot's development woes is more of a joke than a premonition. One way the studio could circumvent further troubles with the long-gestating film could be to rework the Blade film into a team-up movie; it could bring him together with an assortment of other horror- and supernatural-themed characters who have yet to see their full potential realized on screen.
Blade is one of the Midnight Sons’ most iconic members. The idea of a half-vampire who hunts his kind sets up fascinating internal and external conflicts for a character who’s being brought to life by one of Hollywood’s most talented actors. He’s as essential to this team as Iron Man was to the Avengers, so if this movie is happening, Blade's involvement seems almost guaranteed.
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone was one of the breakout stars of Marvel Studios’ hit 2022 Werewolf by Night Special Presentation. Played by Laura Donnelly, Elsa’s grit, tragic past, and snarky wit quickly endeared her to fans, who have patiently awaited her return to the MCU ever since. Elsa comes from a long line of monster hunters, including her estranged father, Ulysses, and his wife, Verussa, though she has no interest in hunting monsters herself.
Fans last saw Elsa after the hunt at Bloodstone Manor, where Verussa assembled five monster hunters—including Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal)—to compete for a powerful item called the Bloodstone, which has been placed on the back of a monster we later learn is Man-Thing, or as he’s referred to in the special, Ted. At the end of the Special Presentation, Elsa controls Bloodstone Manor and the Bloodstone itself.
In the comics, she’s a recurring member of various supernatural teams, including—yep—the Midnight Sons. With her character’s conclusion in Werewolf by Night feeling like a new beginning, her potential future in an upcoming Marvel movie is rife with exciting possibilities. What better place for the MCU’s resident monster hunter than a dark and scary horror film that leans heavily into the occult and supernatural forces?
Doctor Strange (and Clea)
Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) may be the most obvious candidate for a team-up Marvel movie that focuses on the occult, magical beings, and the Mystic Arts. The character, first introduced in his eponymous 2016 film, played a major role in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame before facing off against a hostile Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Despite not being a core member of the Midnight Sons in every comic iteration, he frequently serves as their guide or coordinator.
At the end of Multiverse of Madness, Strange grows a third eye and leaves Earth-616 to explore the multiverse with a mysterious sorceress named Clea (Charlize Theron). Whether their subsequent adventures together will play a role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday remains to be seen, as Theron has not been officially confirmed to return in any upcoming Marvel Studios projects.
If the pair survive Doomsday and its 2027 sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, it wouldn't be too surprising if the pair—who eventually marry in the comics—cross paths with or even help organize the Midnight Sons, especially given the magical and supernatural throughlines that connect the characters in this darker, more horror-focused corner of the Marvel universe.
Ghost Rider
When it comes to the supernatural side of Marvel, there’s no doubt that Ghost Rider has long been a fan favorite. With the Johnny Blaze version of the character famously portrayed on the big screen by Nicolas Cage in the widely panned 2007 Marvel movie Ghost Rider and its 2011 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance—which received an even worse reception—Ghost Rider hasn’t had the best luck on the silver screen.
Although Cage is a film legend with an impressive filmography, many Marvel movie fans have campaigned for the television version of Ghost Rider to cross over into the MCU. The fiery anti-hero Robbie Reyes, portrayed by The Last of Us actor Gabriel Luna, made his debut in the fourth season of the long-running ABC series Agents of SHIELD in 2016.
Luna’s portrayal was well-received, but debates about whether that series is canon in the main MCU have raged for nearly a decade. Messy canon debates aside, Ghost Rider is a pillar of the Midnight Sons. A new rumor claims that the character may even serve as the leader of the team in a Midnight Sons film. Whether it’s Robbie Reyes, Johnny Blaze, or even Danny Ketch, fans have been clamoring for Ghost Rider to make his first official appearance in the MCU for years.
Jennifer Kale
Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata) became an instant fan favorite in the spooky 2024 Marvel Television series Agatha All Along. The potions witch, known for her snarky retorts and self-preservation instincts, is technically the only one from the series to survive the Witches’ Road—and remains unaware that the dangerous path was an unconscious construction of Billy Maximoff’s (Joe Locke) imagination.
Kale spent most of the series with her powers bound by none other than Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) before freeing herself from Agatha’s hold, emerging from the Road with her powers returned and flying away.
She’s also the only MCU character to name-drop the elusive Mephisto, a devil-like character who was heavily rumored to be an antagonist in 2021’s WandaVision and is expected to make his MCU debut in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart.
In the comics, Jennifer is a powerful sorceress with ties to the Darkhold and Man-Thing, who has also served as a member of the Midnight Sons. Her inclusion in the long-awaited Marvel movie could bring some levity to this macabre mishmash of a team while allowing audiences to see the full breadth of her powers for the first time.
Man-Thing
Man-Thing—aka Ted—was one of the many things both fans and critics clamored for in the 2022 Marvel Studios Special Presentation Werewolf by Night. Despite having zero dialogue (just roars and vibes), his friendship with Jack Russell and his emotionally expressive face won over audiences instantly.
After having the Bloodstone, which made him weaker and angrier, removed from his back, Ted killed Verussa and escaped Bloodstone Manor. Ted last appeared alongside Jack at the end of the Special Presentation, as the pair relaxed in the forest following their ordeal at the manor.
In the comics, Man-Thing is a former biochemistry professor named Theodore Sallis. He transformed into a terrifying swamp creature after injecting himself with an unstable serum and crashing his car into a mystical swamp.
He guards the Nexus of All Realities, an interdimensional gateway that provides paths to all possible realities. The character is also a recurring ally of the Midnight Sons and is even a member of the Thunderbolts. If fans want a Marvel movie that’s not afraid to be weird (and it seems the franchise is headed in that direction), bringing back Ted is a no-brainer.
Moon Knight
Steven Grant (and Marc Spector…and Jake Lockley—all played by Oscar Isaac) had a wild ride in the 2022 Disney+ series Moon Knight. The Disney+ series gave fans Marvel’s most unhinged protagonist yet—a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder who shares his body with multiple alters and serves Khonshu, an ancient Egyptian god of vengeance.
Moon Knight saw Grant, an introverted employee at a museum gift shop, learn that he shares his body with a ruthless mercenary named Marc Spector, who has the power to become a hyperviolent superhero called Moon Knight.
This is all while being pulled into an ancient conflict between Khonshu and the goddess Ammit. In the final moments of the series, a third, and even more violent, alter named Jake Lockley takes hold, decimating the staff at a mental health facility and killing the series’ antagonist, Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke).
In the comics, Moon Knight has encountered Blade and Elsa and frequently finds himself entangled in Marvel's supernatural realm. A Marvel movie featuring a team of cursed swordsmen, witches, and demonic bounty hunters would be a perfect fit for him.
Indeed, the chaotic energy that Marc, Steven, and Jake would infuse into the Midnight Sons would be unparalleled.
Jack Russell (Werewolf by Night)
Jack Russell was introduced in Marvel’s horror short Werewolf by Night as a surprisingly gentle man who enters the hunt at Bloodstone Manor in an attempt to protect and free his friend Ted, aka Man-Thing. Played by Gael García Bernal, Jack’s human-meets-werewolf hybrid is a classic Midnight Sons recruit.
In the Special Presentation, Russell and Elsa team up to free Ted with the understanding that she gets to keep the Bloodstone (read more about its powers here). Things go awry when the Bloodstone throws him back, a sign that Russell is a monster—a violent werewolf who later rampages through the manor’s guards and escapes into the forest, where he asks Ted if Elsa is okay.
As a mild-mannered man who can transform into a deadly beast, Russell would be an unorthodox addition to a team of complex anti-heroes.
But on this team of witches, sorcerers, monsters, and monster hunters, that balance could be essential. Jack and Ted returning together would be the heartwarming duo Marvel movies never knew they needed.
When Could We See a Supernatural Marvel Movie?
Midnight Sons, as of now, remains nothing more than an enticing rumor. Despite the lack of official confirmation for the potential Marvel movie, the elements are already in place. Characters like Blade, Clea, Dane Whitman, and Elsa Bloodstone were introduced years ago, seemingly with no follow-up—until now.
A Midnight Sons movie could serve as the link between all these stories, providing the MCU with a team to tackle the magical and mystical threats that have gradually gained prominence in recent years.
If Richtman’s scoop turns out to be legit, fans could be in for a long-overdue journey into the MCU's darker, scarier, magic-infused underbelly.
The main question is, with the MCU now rocketing toward Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars with little room for additional films between them, how long might it be before fans get the supernatural team-up they’ve wanted for years?
Let the speculation begin.
