Six horror films and Disney+ series could soon be coming to the MCU, thanks to a new, sinister direction at Marvel Comics. Over its 18-year history, the MCU has leaned heavily on action, comedy, and even thriller-drama to complement its roster of caped and armored heroes, leaving horror largely unexplored. However, a recent development at Marvel Comics may be setting the stage for a darker, more frightening chapter in the franchise's future.
The MCU has long been regarded as a franchise built for the whole family, though recent projects like Deadpool & Wolverine and Daredevil: Born Again signal an expansion into R-rated and TV-MA territory.
Meanwhile, DC's James Gunn is taking a notably bolder approach, leaning into darker, more adult-oriented storytelling, a strategy that, while potentially alienating younger audiences, has generated considerable buzz among both DC loyalists and horror fans alike with the upcoming R-rated Clayface film.
At the center of this potential shift is a major new announcement from Marvel Comics: the Midnight Universe, a brand-new publishing line launching this fall focused entirely on Marvel's horror roster.
The line is expected to act as Marvel's answer to DC's Vertigo and Absolute Universe, featuring reimaginings of characters like Blade, Ghost Rider, Dracula, Morbius, and Werewolf By Night helmed by writers Jonathan Hickman, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Benjamin Percy.
While the comics and the MCU operate independently, Marvel has a long history of using its publishing line to inform its cinematic direction, and with horror characters now front and center, it raises an exciting question: could the Midnight Universe be laying the groundwork for a wave of horror-driven MCU projects?
Future Horror MCU Projects
Midnight Sons
Of all the potential horror-driven MCU projects on the horizon, a Midnight Sons film may be the most ambitious. Marvel Studios is rumored to be developing the project following Avengers: Secret Wars.
The speculated lineup is stacked, potentially including Blade, Moon Knight, the Werewolf by Night cast, Black Knight, and a new Ghost Rider.
Beyond just being a thrilling team-up, a Midnight Sons film could finally serve as Mahershala Ali's proper MCU debut as Blade, assuming his solo film never gets back off the ground.
Blade
No MCU project has had a more turbulent road than the Blade reboot. Announced back in 2019 with Mahershala Ali attached, the film has become the most high-profile development hell casualty in Marvel Studios history.
Things have only grown murkier with Ali recently landing a major role in HBO's Task Season 2, effectively congesting his schedule through at least 2028.
With Marvel focusing its post-Secret Wars slate toward the X-Men and other sequels, there is a very real possibility that a standalone Blade film never happens at all. It's frustrating, but at this point, an R-rated Midnight Sons ensemble might be his most realistic path to the big screen.
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is one of Marvel's most visually striking and tonally dark characters, making him a natural fit for the MCU's potential horror expansion.
Whether he arrives as part of a Midnight Sons ensemble or in his own standalone project, the Spirit of Vengeance carries enormous potential.
A Disney+ Special Presentation, similar in spirit to Werewolf by Night, could actually be the smarter play than a full-fledged film, offering creative freedom without the pressure of needing a huge box office return.
Werewolf By Night 2
The original Werewolf by Night special presentation was a genuine creative triumph for Marvel Studios, a stylish black-and-white horror homage that's (still) unlike anything else in the MCU.
It proved that there was an appetite for darker, more genre-specific storytelling within the franchise, and fans would love to see more. A second Werewolf by Night could push the boundaries even further, going darker, grittier, and potentially earning an R-rating this time around.
Director and composer Michael Giacchino previously expressed his eagerness to helm a Werewolf by Night 2:
"I would love to do another 'Werewolf by Night' [special] more than anything. I think we're just waiting for the industry to settle into its new norm, whatever that is at this point, before we figure out what to do there."
Man-Thing
One of the more under-the-radar possibilities for a Marvel horror project is Man-Thing, the monstrous, swamp-dwelling creature who has already made a brief MCU appearance. A Werewolf by Night-adjacent spinoff centered on the character could be a genuinely compelling horror entry.
The timing is also interesting given that DC is supposed to still be developing a Swamp Thing film under James Mangold. Marvel has never been shy about rising to a competitor's challenge, and a Man-Thing project could serve as its own compelling answer to DC's monstrous antihero.
Doctor Strange 3
If there is one horror-related project on this list with the most realistic path to being made, it's Doctor Strange 3. Sam Raimi's Multiverse of Madness already proved that the franchise could flirt with horror (jump scares, body horror, and all), and a third Doctor Strange could push the envelope even further.
Whether Marvel brings Raimi back or finds a similarly genre-savvy director, the building blocks are already there. An R-rated Doctor Strange film would certainly be a surprise, but even a hard PG-13 committed to its scarier instincts could help expand this comic book movie subgenre in a major way.
