We interrupt this program with a Marvel Studios Special Presentation. When the MCU started their journey into TV with the Disney+ series, I wasn't expecting them to do one-off specials like this one, so this existing is a pleasant surprise. I thought the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special would just be a fun one-time thing, but the fact that they're willing to introduce completely new characters in standalone specials like this has me excited for any potential projects in the future.
As for the character itself, I have read a little bit of Werewolf by Night and am decently familiar with the supernatural side of Marvel in general. Jack Russell's introduction has me super excited for the future of the MCU, as it becomes evident that they're willing to introduce supernatural/occult characters and concepts to the universe other than Blade. The story of Werewolf by Night begins during one gloomy night, when a group of monster hunters gather together for the funeral of Ulysses Bloodstone, who is himself a legendary hunter. The hunters will participate in a competition to fight for the very Bloodstone that Ulysses is named for, a powerful relic that can fend off monsters (among other things). The competition will have them do what they do best; try and kill a fearsome monster to earn the right to possess the stone. Among the participants is Elsa Bloodstone, Ulysses' estranged daughter, and Jack Russell, who is not who he says he is. Both characters have their own agenda, and while the competition (which is to the death, by the way) pits everyone else against each other, Elsa and Jack find common ground and work together to accomplish their respective goals. Everything about this movie feels like an homage to classic horror. The black-and-white (which sticks for the near entirety of the special) is more than a simple filter, as they go out of their way to add little flourishes like old-school film circle effects on the screen. There are also a lot of classic tropes like certain shots, those musical stings that often accompany jump scares, narration at the beginning, and even the campy moments that remind me of some of the old stuff I've seen. There are also a few neat creative choices, like unapologetic blood splatters and violence (I wager the black-and-white gave some leeway as to what they could get away with) and very subtle tinges of color for certain elements. I also liked the look of the werewolf, who actually looks like the classic version. Despite the movie being as short as it is, I quickly grew to enjoy both Elsa and Jack. Admittedly, Elsa's motivations don't get a lot of time to breathe, but I loved her personality and her skill in combat was super impressive to watch. There's also no time to really look into how Jack's condition came to be (and his struggle with it is only briefly touched on), but his mission this entire movie was surprisingly wholesome given the setting, and I liked that a lot. Everyone else is a minor character, but I did like the big, bearded hunter, as well as Ulysses Bloodstone's widow; both of them had strong personalities that fit well with the old-school setting. This special is completely standalone with zero connections to the MCU, but it does introduce the main characters (who are both established characters in the comics), makes the Bloodstone canon (though no origin for it is given), and brings in something I am very excited to see become MCU canon (it's pretty obscure, but I'm not going to spoil it regardless). I really hope all these elements return to other MCU properties in some capacity, because I'd love to see the supernatural cross over with the many other aspects the MCU has grown to include (the street-level, the sci-fi, the mystical, and the cosmic). I also hope to see the main characters be fleshed out more since the movie isn't long enough for viewers to really get to know them. All in all, I really enjoyed Werewolf by Night's take on classic horror and its incorporation of some lesser known but nonetheless neat aspects of the comics. If Disney+ special presentations give us more stylistically distinct projects like this, I say make more of 'em. I just hope everything introduced here comes back in the MCU, because Elsa Bloodstone is way too cool to be a one-off. - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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