Which character from the creepy "Werewolf By Night" special could be gunning for
Marvel's most famous vampire hunter? Signs seem to be pointing to one in particular.
Marvel Studios cracked its monster-verse wide open with the frightening holiday treat "Werewolf by
Night." The black-and-white splatter fest pays homage to cinema's earliest monsters
and sets the Marvel Cinematic Universe up for more thrilling bloodshed. The Disney+ original
series "Moon Knight" was definitely a first step in this spooky direction,
leaving room for more iterations of creature features featuring
characters including Ghost Rider, Deathlok, and perhaps even Marvel's version of Dracula.
Marvel Studios has definitely dipped its toe into some more horror-styled content recently. It even
recruited veteran horror director Sam Raimi, who brought some small hints of horror to his
Sony "Spider-Man" movies in the early 2000s, for Wanda's terrifying massacre in "Doctor Strange
in the Multiverse of Madness." These elements lay the crucial foundation for Marvel's more
horrific adventures and prepare audiences young and old for more nightmare-inducing moments.
"Who said they had to be living?"
The studio's Phase 4 has included a number of different genre experiments. The company's ability
to adapt to different styles is a promising sign that it is hungry for fresh and exciting tales,
and it's an excellent time to speculate where the universe could be headed next.
Before Marvel was the cinematic juggernaut it is today, it did see some success in
the horror realm with the Blade movie trilogy starring Wesley Snipes as the stylish vampire
hunter. Marvel worked with New Line Cinema on the films, starting with 1998's "Blade."
But by the time "Blade: Trinity" came around in 2004, it seemed the series had run its course.
Marvel also teamed with Sony to bring one of its 1970s comic book monsters to the screen
with 2007's "Ghost Rider" starring Nicolas Cage. Despite doing reasonably well at the box office,
it was a dud with critics, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 27%. The "Ghost Rider" sequel,
2012's "Spirit of Vengeance," was met with even worse reception from critics.
Its Rotten Tomatoes score was 18%. It also did considerably worse at the box office.
This understandably left Marvel Studios hesitant to return to the flaming-headed biker,
or to fully embrace horror. An iteration of Ghost Rider did show up in Marvel's
"Agents of SHIELD" television series to set up his own show.
But following Disney's acquisition of Fox, his spin-off show was axed.
Luckily, that wasn't Marvel's last try at bringing the horror comics of the 1970s to
life on screen. "Werewolf by Night" and "Moon Knight" have inspired confidence in Marvel's
diehard horror fans. The werewolf slasher even introduced the odd-looking Man-Thing,
paving the way for other scary characters, including the new Blade.
"Call him by his name."
"Which is?"
"Ted. He's called Ted."
Viewers' first encounter with the MCU's new version of Blade came at the end of
"Eternals." In a post-credits scene, Dane Whitman is seen inheriting his family's precious and
deadly sword: the Ebony Blade. This also indicates to comic book fans that Whitman will become the
Avenger Black Knight. When Whitman picks up the sword, an instantly recognizable voice cautions,
"Sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?"
The dark sword carries unspeakable consequences, Mahershala Ali's Blade forewarns. While the Ebony
Blade possesses extraordinary power, it also drives the user mad over time, causing them to
commit heinous acts. Blade's warning suggests he may team up with the Black Knight in his
upcoming solo film, which could even feature a formidable foe seen in "Werewolf by Night."
Elsa Bloodstone made a fiery entrance as the unapologetic and fearless daughter of
monster-hunter Ulysses Bloodstone. She unflinchingly survived both
the Bloodstone hunt and her encounters with Man-Thing and the Werewolf himself,
Jack Russell. Her capable display of skill is even more exciting after she obtains the
Bloodstone and her powers, becoming one of the MCU's deadliest vampire hunters.
While Blade and Elsa may share some similar goals, Blade's status as a
daywalker could set up a potential clash between the two slayers. Of course,
if they do meet, it's likely they'll have to team up to take on a bigger threat.