While the MCU has been around since 2008, there's one element that's been absent: monsters. Sure, there have been a variety of creatures seen throughout many projects, but nothing squarely in the supernatural realm. At least, not until the upcoming Werewolf by Night special on Disney+.
The special will see long-time composer Michael Giacchino take the directing chair as he weaves a spooky Halloween tale—the first proper horror outing for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The adventure will be bringing monsters into the MCU such as the titular Werewolf, the big green Man-Thing, and potentially more.
So does this mean there are about to be a whole lot more creepy things going bump in the night for the franchise? Well, according to an executive producer of Werewolf by Night, it sure seems like that's the case.
The Future of Monsters in the MCU
In an exclusive interview with The Direct's Russ Milheim, Werewolf by Night Executive Producer Brian Gay commented on the future of monsters, such as the Werewolf and Man-Thing, in the MCU.
Gay teased how the upcoming special is "just peeling back the corner of monsters in the MCU:"
"I think one of the very cool things about the special is it's just peeling back the corner of monsters in the MCU, right? So there's not just the monsters that are part of Werewolf by Night, but the ones that were up on the wall, there's some of that artwork as well. What all this lends to is the idea that for centuries there have been monsters within the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they've been being tracked or hunted or kept at bay by these hunters."
He continued, confirming that some of these monsters will "pop up again," although no definitive plans for their return have been made by Marvel Studios:
"And I think, well, we don't know exactly where they'll pop up next, the idea is that, with this wide swath of different species and types, they're going to pop up again. You're going to see these guys in different ways, of course.
Blade's Going To Have His Hands Full
One of the first heroes to pop into people's heads when Marvel's supernatural corner gets brought up is none other than Blade himself. Sure, he primarily deals with vampires, but he is known to fight some monsters from time to time.
So should fans expect Mahershala Ali's upcoming movie to include any of the monsters from the upcoming Werewolf special? At the very least, there'll be a proper introduction to vampires.
Many thought Blade would be the proper introduction to the supernatural side of the MCU, but so far, it seems that Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night have gotten the jump on Mr. Eric Brooks.
Could these three stories be laying the foundation for what's to come in the MCU? Maybe it'll be enough for that rumored Midnight Sons project to become a reality—which could easily see all three of those worlds collide.
Werewolf by Night hits Disney+ on Friday, October 7, while Blade lands on November 3, 2023.
This interview with Brian Gay has been edited for length and clarity.
