This article contains spoilers for Werewolf at night.Marvel’s Werewolf at night features a wealth of Marvel Easter eggs, firmly confirming the supernatural side of the MCU. Directed by composer Michael Giacchino, Werewolf at night is Marvel’s first foray into the horror genre. Tonally and stylistically, it’s absolutely unique in the MCU to date, shot in black and white to evoke memories of classic horror movies. This had the added benefit of making the Disney+ special presentation much more bloodshed than anything else in the MCU to date.
It’s not entirely clear how Werewolf at night fits into the MCU timeline, but it’s causing a Marvel monster boom simply because it showcases the deaths of some of the world’s most celebrated monster fighters. Obviously there have always been monsters and demons, vampires and werewolves in the MCU; their numbers have simply been limited by monster hunters like the famous Ulysses Bloodstone, whose rule as leader of this shadowy community has finally come to an end. Although Ulysses has a daughter, she is clearly seen as unworthy to inherit his greatest tool, the sacred Bloodstone, and the world’s greatest hunters come together to compete for the honor of wearing it. Of course it all goes horribly wrong.
Werewolf at night features an all-star cast that plays seasoned warriors and professional monster hunters. The story is absolutely packed with supernatural Marvel Easter eggs, firmly confirming this never-before-seen side of the MCU. These themes will no doubt be further developed in phases 5 and 6, not least because a prominent monster hunter was not welcome at this meeting, Mahershala Ali’s Blade, which will soon be in action on the big screen. Here’s everything Marvel has been processing in the run-up to the MCU Sheet.
Werewolf at night establishes the history of Ulysses Bloodstone
Werewolf at night introduces viewers to the Bloodstone family and the legacy of Ulysses Bloodstone, the man who led the community of monster hunters for generations. One of Marvel’s most established supernatural characters, in the comics, Ulysses Bloodstone was actually a caveman who was kept alive for 10,000 years after stumbling upon an ancient Bloodgem. In the MCU, the Bloodstone has been passed down from generation to generation, but Ulysses doesn’t want to leave it to his daughter, Elsa Bloodstone, whom he considered a disappointment for choosing to reject his ways and train elsewhere. the opening of Werewolf at night contains a short account of the death of Ulysses, written in Latin. He is described as the “seventh son of the Bloodstones,“and was apparently killed on the last full moon of the year,”at the end of the bloodshed.This suggests that Ulysses Bloodstone died on a mission, and the nod to the full moon may even indicate that he was killed by a werewolf.
Laura Donnelly’s Elsa Bloodstone Is The Main Fighter In Werewolf At Night
Laura Donnelly’s Elsa Bloodstone is the main monster hunter introduced in Werewolf at night. The comic strip version of Elsa Bloodstone is essentially a riff on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Dan Abnett and Michael Lopez in 2001; she is a teenager who discovers she was the daughter of the now deceased monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone, and takes possession of his Bloodgem to continue his mission. The MCU has changed Elsa Bloodstone a bit, making her a more confident figure from the start and thankfully ditching the absurdly skinny costume she originally wore. Werewolf at night eventually establishes Elsa as the new leader of the diminished community of monster hunters, meaning she will definitely be a major player in the MCU in the future.
Gael GarcÃa Bernal’s Jack Russell is the titular werewolf by night
The main sample of Werewolf at night is Jack Russell, played by Gael Garcia Bernal. The cartoon character made his debut in Marvel Spotlight #2 in 1972, in a revival of horror comics when the Comics Book Code began to relax and finally allowed supernatural stories again. Jack has inherited the curse of lycanthropy; just like in the MCU, Marvel used the character as an opportunity to flesh out the supernatural side of their universe. Funnily enough, Marvel introduced one of Werewolf By Night’s adversaries into the MCU for the werewolf itself; Moon Knight first appeared as one of his enemies, an appropriate choice given their common moon symbolism.
Werewolf By Night Finally Introduces The Man-Thing
Werewolf at night introduces Jack Russell’s friend (and fellow monster), a creature that comic book readers will instantly recognize as the Man-Thing. In the comics, biochemist Dr. Ted Sallis horribly wrong, turning him into a monster fused with the environment of the Florida Everglades. The MCU’s Man-Thing is clearly similar as Jack Russell addresses him by his real name”ted,So Marvel has introduced arguably their most monstrous super soldier yet. Anything that feels fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing, and he uses this power multiple times in Werewolf at night. Marvel has actually been setting up Man-Thing for quite some time, when his face appeared on the side of the Grandmaster’s Tower in Thor: Ragnarok, meaning he was once a champion of Sakaar. It is therefore entirely possible that, as in the comics, the MCU’s Man-Thing serves as the guardian of the Nexus of All Realities, a phenomenal multiverse phenomenon.
Werewolf By Night introduces the Nosferatu, ancient vampires
Werewolf at night contains several Easter eggs featuring the Nosferatu, a race of Marvel vampires inspired by the classic 1922 film of the same name. In the comics, the Nosferatu were the first vampires, Dracula’s old rivals, although ironically they only appeared once, in the 2001 bloodstone miniseries introduced by Elsa Bloodstone herself. The comics revealed that they were wizards who lived in ancient Atlantis and used the power of the Darkhold to unleash ancient magic. It will be interesting to see if they have any connection to Talocan, Marvel’s redesign of Atlantis, which will appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, their MCU origins may have been revisited, given the Darkhold’s destruction in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness apparently destroyed all of its effects.
Werewolf By Night also puts on The Wendigo & Sasquatches
One of the Werewolf at nightOne of the most exciting Easter eggs is the introduction of the Wendigo, a monster typically associated with the Hulk and Wolverine (in fact, Wolverine’s debut in The Incredible Hulk #181 saw him get caught up in a three-fight against the Hulk and a Wendigo). The Wendigo are carnivorous monsters that stalk the Canadian wilderness, and the magic that powers them is dark indeed. Another Easter egg in Werewolf at night establishes the existence of a very similar monster, the Sasquatch, and it’s possible the two are related in the MCU. In the comics, the only “Sasquatch” is a mutated superhero who changes into a monstrous form at will and has taken that as his code name.
Werewolf at night with possible Black Knight Easter Egg
Another Easter egg in Werewolf at night can subtly nod to Kit Harrington’s Black Knight. One shot teases a historic collection of monster hunters, and one of them is a knight in armor. It’s possible this is an early Black Knight because Marvel seems to link the Black Knight’s traditional weapon, the cursed Ebony Blade, with their vampire knowledge. Eternals‘ post-credits scene saw Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman reach out to touch the Ebony Blade, but was stopped by the voice of Mahershala Ali’s Blade. According to Marvel, this was very deliberate; “The Ebony Blade, the features of the Ebony Blade are no different from a degree of vampirism,explained producer Nate Moor, teasing a connection between Blade and the Black Knight. It is possible that Dane Whitman, like Elsa, has now inherited the role of monster hunter and a mystical item of considerable power.
Werewolf By Night’s Bloodstone Explained
The Bloodstone is the McGuffin of Werewolf at night, a mystical gem that wields tremendous power over monsters. Latin inscriptions reveal that it was passed down from generation to generation in the Bloodstone family, although its origin is unknown (in the comics it is linked to another dimension). Interestingly, some inscriptions in Latin seem to indicate that, as in the comics, there are multiple Bloodstones. If so, some of the smaller ones could be used by less prominent monster hunters, or, even more disturbingly, evil forces could use their power.
Werewolf hunters by night aren’t Easter eggs at all – but the graves contain some funny nods
The end of Werewolf at night sees the world’s most prolific monster fighters being slaughtered, but thankfully no cartoon characters were wasted, they’re all original characters. Marvel has similarly avoided introducing any knowledge through the graves, instead settling for some Easter eggs to members of the art department. “Mika Brandonen Kleyla” is a nod to art director Brandon Kleyla.
One last Marvel Studios presents Easter Egg
One last delicious Werewolf at night Easter egg during the closing credits features the line “Marvel Studios presents.This particular Marvel reference will delight comic book readers as it evokes memories of the classic comic book series Marvel Comics presents. This indeed featured a series of horror characters, such as Werewolf By Night and Man-Thing. It feels very appropriate to see Werewolf at night end up with this particular Easter egg.
Werewolf at night is now streaming on Disney+.
