The first reactions to Marvel’s Werewolf by Night special have begun rolling in and are glowing. Gael Garcia Bernal leads the cast of Werewolf by Night as Jack Russell, one of multiple monster hunters invited to the Bloodstone Castle following the death of the Bloodstone patriarch in order to compete for possession of the mysterious, yet powerful family amulet. The group find themselves pitted against a horrific creature, all the while one may not be who they seem.
Alongside Bernal, the cast for Werewolf by Night features the Marvel Cinematic Universe introductions of Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone, Harriet Sansom Harris, Al Hamacher, Eugenie Bondurant, Kirk Thatcher, Daniel J. Watts and Leonardo Nam. Development on a Werewolf by Night adaptation has been in the works for over two decades, having first began at Dimension Films before Marvel Studios began putting it together for the MCU in 2021, with the confirmation it would be a Disney+ Halloween special this year during the recent D23 Expo. As time draws nearer for its arrival, audiences are getting exciting news about Werewolf by Night.
With just over a week remaining until its premiere, the first Werewolf by Night reactions have begun rolling out. Critics are largely favorable on the Halloween special, with many calling it the best MCU Disney+ project yet, praising the risks its take, its proper dive into horror, and its throwback vibe. Check out some early reactions below:
Werewolf by Night Is Promising For MCU’s Horror Future
The Werewolf by Night early reactions should come as very exciting for those eager about the special’s premiere, namely with all of the praise directed towards its horror elements. Phase Four of the MCU has already seen the studio try its hand at the genre with Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while Disney+’s Moon Knight was heavily promoted as being filled with horror-tinged set pieces, especially with indie duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead being well-known for their work in the field. While both projects scored generally favorable reviews for their darker tones and performances, horror genre fans were decidedly mixed on the two’s exploration of the terrors untapped in the MCU.
With Werewolf by Night‘s early reactions being nearly unanimous in praising the Disney+ special, audiences should be able to take comfort in the MCU’s horror future. Given next year will see the official arrival of the MCU’s Blade with Mahershala Ali leading the charge, the reactions’ tease of Marvel getting away with a lot in Werewolf by Night should squash some concerns about the R-rated debate for the movie reboot and create further anticipation for the future. Only time will tell if audiences agree with the early reactions when Werewolf by Night premiers on Disney+ on October 7.
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