Gael Garcia Bernal Will Star As Werewolf By Night In A Marvel Halloween Special For Disney+
If we're going to be inundated with all sorts of superhero media year-round for the foreseeable future, then the least these studios could do is give us some completely out-there and refreshingly different holiday specials. Marvel's doing their part with next year's festive-themed holiday special involving the Guardians of the Galaxy, and now comes the word that the superhero studio will be taking a much spookier (and downright hairier) approach next.
Rumors have swirled about a potential "Werewolf by Night" adaptation coming to Disney+ as a Halloween special, which would pair very nicely with Marvel's other supernaturally infused property, "Blade." Now, we have even further confirmation that this is exactly what's going to take place and, even more excitingly, it will feature actor Gael García Bernal as the lead. Read on for all the details.
The Reason for the Season
We previously brought you the news that Marvel was seeking a Latino actor to lead a werewolf-focused Halloween special. Naturally, the imaginations of many fans immediately gravitated towards the relatively niche (for us normies, at least) "Werewolf by Night" comics storyline from the 1970s, though that is actually a title claimed by two different Marvel characters – Jack Russell and Jake Gomez. The Wrap now has word that regardless of whichever character they've chosen to include in this special (if, indeed, it ends up being either of them and not an original character altogether), Latino actor Gael García Bernal has been hand-picked to star in the currently-untitled Halloween special. Bernal is most well-known for starring in Alfonso Cuarón's masterful "Y Tu Mamá También," the Amazon series "Mozart in the Jungle," and most recently M. Night Shyamalan's "Old." He also voiced characters in "Maya and the Three" and "Coco."
As with "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," this special will air exclusively on Disney+ with production scheduled to begin in early 2022. The report indicates that the exact identity of the character who will be adapted in this Halloween special is still unknown, but expectations remain that the project will pull heavily from "Werewolf by Night." Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog originally created Jack Russell (who is, notably, not actually a terrier) for a total of 43 issues between 1972 and 1977. Jake Gomez eventually stepped up as Marvel's second "Lycanthrope" just last year, but either way, the MCU is clearly heading into some fascinatingly unknown territory between this, the Mahershala Ali-starring "Blade" reboot, and Oscar Isaac's "Moon Knight." Long Live Weird Marvel!