Werewolf by Night is an excellent addition to the Disney Plus library. It opens the door for future one-hour specials from the streaming giant. This new approach expands the genre of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), both in visual and theme. It introduces obscure characters from the Marvel catalogue like Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal), and Man-Thing (Carey Jones). The story is about a group of monster hunters competing for a powerful weapon known as the Bloodstone.

The cinematography and score pay homage to classic black and white horror flicks of the 1950s. This stylistic approach allows the use of more blood, which is kept to a minimum in Marvel content. Films like Captain America: Winter Soldier and Infinity War possess a lot of action, but Werewolf by Night amps up the violence. Don’t expect to see straight up gore, but implied brutality.

As the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.” Without color, all the carnage and bloodshed are reduced to black splotches. It’s a self-contained story within the MCU with no ties to current or past events. The main characters are given a significant amount of development in a short time through dialogue, which is written very well. Unlike its predecessors, there is actually a lot at stake.

Werewolf by Night is entertaining with plenty of cool fight sequences. Fans of the MCU have seen threats both foreign and domestic. Phase 3 explores dangers from the far reaches of space and cosmic entities. Not to be confused with mythic or fantasy, this special is an exploration into the supernatural world, which hasn’t been touched on beyond Doctor Strange. Werewolf by Night gets a 9 out of 10.

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