Marvel's Werewolf By Night Halloween Special Adds The Nevers' Laura Donnelly
"Werewolf by Night," Marvel's forthcoming Halloween special for Disney+, is one step closer to becoming a reality. Laura Donnelly, known for her work on the HBO series "The Nevers," has joined the cast of the spooky Marvel Cinematic Universe special, which is already confirmed to star Gael Garcia Bernal as the titular lupine.
As reported by Deadline, Donnelly has signed on for a role in the special, though her character has not been revealed at this time. That being said, Werewolf by Night leading the way seemingly leaves the door wide open for Vampire by Night, another character from the pages of Marvel Comics that fits into this horror corner of the universe.
Nina Price, aka Vampire By Night, was introduced in the pages of "Amazing Fantasy" #10 in 2005 and was created by writer Jeff Parker and artist Federica Manfredi. She is a hybrid of a vampire and werewolf, possessing the abilities commonly associated with both supernatural beings. Also, rather importantly, she is the niece of Jack Russell, who becomes Werewolf by Night. So the connective tissue exists.
Donnelly broke out as the lead of "The Nevers" which was .created for HBO by Joss Whedon, who has since left the show. Some of her other credits include "Outlander" and "The Fall," as well as the George R.R. Tolkien biopic "Tolkien." This would give her a role in a major franchise that could lead to big things in the future, given the nature of the MCU.
Werewolves and Vampires Oh My
Werewolf by Night debuted in the pages of "Marvel Spotlight" back in 1972 and was somewhat recently revived by Marvel Comics. Coincidence? Perhaps not! It seems that Marvel is gearing up to explore more horror/supernatural elements of the MCU, which could pave the way for even more horror-tinged titles. Disney+ is seemingly a great place to open that door, following the success of shows like "WandaVision" and "Hawkeye," with many others on the way.
Also, let us not forget that the "Blade" movie reboot is still happening, with production expected to take place this year. Similarly, the new report notes that the untitled Halloween special is set to begin filming in the coming months, which means we could/should see it on Disney+ in time for this year's Halloween season. It is not too difficult to connect some dots between Mahershala Ali entering the MCU as Blade to characters like Werewolf by Night (and maybe Vampire by Night). As the MCU looks to evolve, horror projects could open this universe up to a whole new audience.
The "Werewolf by Night" Halloween special does not yet have a release date set, but we'll be sure to keep you posted as new information surfaces.