Michael Giacchino, the director of Werewolf by Night, provides some clarification regarding the location of the Halloween special inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Werewolf By Night marks composer Giacchino's directing debut. Giacchino is well-known for his work on properties like the MCU and Pixar. The titular monster-hunting werewolf, commonly known as Jack Russell, is portrayed by Gael Garcia Bernal. A slew of new characters, including Jack, Man-Thing, Verusa (Harriet Sansom Harris), and Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), will be introduced to the MCU in the special. The special will also break the tradition by introducing mythical monsters and monster-hunting lore to the MCU, one of a number of firsts.
Werewolf By Night is unique inside the MCU, and Phase 4 of the MCU has a history of time-jumping, so there are many unanswered issues regarding how the Halloween special will fit into the larger narrative. Werewolf By Night must take place in that continuity due to its canon status because the MCU's core reality, outside of the new multiversal excursions, exists in a single continuum. Giacchino has previously compared Werewolf By Night's stand-alone nature to a Twilight Zone episode. Since it is so self-contained, the special's chronology isn't particularly significant overall, but any confirmation would clarify whether the characters might appear in more projects in the future.
Giacchino provided some insight on the show's position inside the MCU timeline while speaking with Collider. The director said that he has an idea of "how this fits into everything," which has not yet been validated by MCU executives, despite the fact that he did not present a particularly clear or detailed breakdown of the project's continuity or place in time. View Giacchino's comments below:
"We never discussed that. We never discussed what this meant for the Marvel Universe's past, present, or future. It takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is the one thing we could all agree on. Absolutely, it's there. We never explain how, when, or why. We just made a significant decision. I thought that over the course of how many years, they had done a wonderful job of constructing a linking world between all of these individuals. And I had no idea how I might make that better. I have no idea how to improve or add something new to that. I have a very clear understanding of how this fits into everything, but Kevin, Stephen, Brian Gay, and everyone else at Marvel need to talk it through with me first. These are the conversations I really want to have.
How Werewolf by Night Might Reappear In Upcoming MCU Films & TV Shows
There have been a few indications regarding the special's setting in Werewolf By Night's video, but Giacchino's comment that the special would not allow for a thorough location explanation suggests that no additional information will be provided in the complete feature. Werewolf By Night is a standalone production, but the director's admission that he has his own thoughts about where it fits into the MCU's narrative suggests that the characters and plot it features may have a bigger future as the franchise moves forward. Giacchino obviously didn't have that future in mind when he wrote the movie, and audiences don't need to be aware of it in order to enjoy the Halloween special. However, the idea of the figures reappearing in further MCU productions is thrilling for fans of Jack Russell and the occult in general.
Werewolf By Night's significance to the MCU's future has been hinted at by Kevin Feige, raising expectations for the characters' comebacks. A Midnight Suns series or film may be an excellent location to expand on the characters and environment revealed in the special while maintaining its darker tone given the constantly growing Disney+ universe of MCU content. Regarding already-announced projects, Giacchino's cryptic remarks might suggest that Werewolf By Night's events will play a role in the next Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali, which is anticipated to expand on the MCU's supernatural heritage. There may be ideas concerning the special's general temporal placement prior to Phase 5 as viewers check in to Werewolf By Night on Disney+.
