It appears Marvel Studios has big plans for Werewolf by Night. In a recent report from The Wrap, it was revealed that a Marvel Halloween Special is currently in the works for Disney+. What’s more, it appears the character in question is poised to be at the center of the festivities. Though we currently have far more questions than answers.
Per the report, Marvel Studios is currently seeking to cast a Latino actor in his 30s to lead the special. Werewolf by Night was originally the alter ego of a man named Jack Russell in the pages of Marvel Comics. He was created by Roy Thomas, Jean Thomas, Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. However, Marvel debuted a new version of the character, Jake Gomez, last year in a new Werewolf by Night series. That book came from Black Eyed Peas member Taboo, as well as Benjamin Jackendoff and Scot Eaton.
For the moment, it’s unclear which version of the character would appear in Marvel’s currently untitled Disney+ Halloween special. There is also no word on a writer or director for the project. With that in mind, it’s unclear how early in the development process this project actually is.
Here is the synopsis for 2020’s Werewolf by Night #1.
“ A new Werewolf by Night is prowling the Southwest, but all is not as it seems! A young man, a family curse, and an unholy experiment prove a dangerous combination for a small town in Arizona. All young Jake wants is to protect his people, but who will protect him from the monster within?”
Kevin Smith recently revealed that Marvel allegedly had plans to use Werewolf by Night. On an episode of Fatman on Batman, he explained that he came across the information while working on his scrapped Howard the Duck animated series for Hulu.
“I reached out to Walter Flanagan from Comic Book Men and told him I’m gonna take a stab at all the f–king 70s characters,” Smith said. “Walt was giving suggestions and Werewolf By Night was absolutely on the list. In my head, as I started building my season, I was like, ‘Alright. Episode 5. Werewolf by Night.’ The idea of our story was that Howard was trapped here and he was trying to get pages of the Darkhold, which would allow him to go back. There’s Howard as I’m laying it out and then I go into Jeph and told him what I wanted to do, and that’s when they said ‘You can’t use Werewolf by Night,’ and I asked why. They said the movie division was using him.”
It is perhaps worth noting that, aside from bringing werewolves into the Marvel universe, Werewolf by Night has some important distinctions. Most notably, the character Moon Knight was introduced in the series. As it just so happens, a Moon Knight TV show starring Oscar Isaac is currently being filmed for Disney. Crossover anyone?
Marvel’s Disney+ Halloween Special does not have a release date yet.
What do you think? Are you a fan of the Disney+ Halloween special idea? Are you looking forward to seeing Werewolf by Night brought to life? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
