Marvel’s Werewolf By Night is the perfect Halloween treat ahead of the spooky holiday! Going into the 53-minute special, I was cautiously optimistic about this werewolf-themed storyline I had never heard of before. But Marvel has managed to, once again, exceed all expectations. This trek into classic horror is a resounding success.
From the minute I saw the classic Marvel intro overlaid with spooky music and werewolf gash marks, I knew I was in for a treat. Gael García Berna plays Jack Russell, a monster hunter stricken with the unfortunate burden of lycanthropy.
Werewolf by Night pays homage to the Universal monster movies of decades past. It’s almost hard to believe this is supposed to take place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which just keeps getting wider and weirder.
More on Werewolf By Night below, which means SPOILERS ahead!
Jack Russell by day, Werewolf by night
When we first meet Jack, he’s just an innocent, naive, harmless-looking man with good intentions. However, when we finally see him transform into a werewolf, it is awesome. He goes from timid and shy to brutal and savage, and I was so here for it. It had all the makings of a classic werewolf movie, minus the questionable CGI. I wasn’t a fan of how he looked; I think it could have been better.
However, I will say that since Marvel was sticking to classic horror, they kind of had to let him look bad. What old horror movie have we seen where the mask and costume look flawless? So from that perspective, I get it, and I accept it. I think that’s the beauty and curse of doing a Marvel show/movie/special: the expectations are so high that we forget sometimes things are a certain way on purpose.
Along with Bernal, Laura Donnelly (Outlander, The Nevers) has a stand-out performance as Elsa Bloodstone, the daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone. His death brings a bunch of characters together. The group must kill one another to obtain the stone, which dates back to prehistoric times. It reminds me a lot of the Infinity Stones, and I can’t help but wonder if there is any connection.
The stone gave Ulysses Bloodstone strength, power, and the ability to detect monsters. This is why when Jack touches it, he is immediately exposed as the werewolf he is.
Elsa is a badass like her father, and takes down many baddies in some epic fight scenes. Werewolf By Night is as gruesome a show as Marvel has ever produced. There are dismembered limbs, a lot of blood (albeit in black and white), and elements of horror we just have never seen in a Marvel production.
At the center of Werewolf By Night is a monster known as Man-Thing, or his actual name, Ted. He’s frightening and creepy, and yet lovable and adorable at the same time.
All in all, I would say that Marvel has done something wonderful with Werewolf By Night. Marvel shows itself willing to mix up its storytelling with this special, and I’m excited to see where this character ends up in the future and what other specials have in store for us!
Grade: A-
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