Here's How Werewolf by Night Fits into The MCU Timeline
After Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and horror genius Sam Raimi dipped their toe into the horror-inspired genre, the MCU made its first true horror project in Werewolf by Night.
The 52-minute Halloween special released on October 7 was directed by Michael Giacchino. It stars Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal as Jack Russell and his titular monster, who joins monster hunters to earn the infamous Bloodstone.
The short film's marketing revolved around its black-and-white coloring, allowing Werewolf by Night to be the goriest MCU adventure yet. Producer Brian Gay said that its black and white palette made the entry "different" from all other MCU projects, while also being inspired by the classic 1930s horror genre.
On top of that, the black-and-white trailer made the short appear to be set in the past, but Disney released an update confirming its place in the timeline.
Disney released a graphic with all of the MCU projects in chronological order, including limited series, shorts, and one-shots. 42 projects were listed on the graphic. Number 42 on the list, right after Thor: Love and Thunder, sits Werewolf by Night.
The graphic curiously didn't include the multiversal 2021 epic Spider-Man: No Way Home, raising questions about the validity of the timeline. However, Werewolf by Night's place in modern times seems set.
Giacchino also explained the differences between the short and the source material comic – of which he is a fan.
He explained that the comic Jack Russell was an 18-year-old rich kid from Malibu. The young Russell would continuously forget which days were full moons; when he changed into a werewolf, he'd be as shocked as anybody. For the movie, Giacchino liked the idea of a character who has been around for a while, who'd been moving from place to place, changing names over his many years of life.
"In the story, it felt right to me, to bring it into the modern age," Giacchino said. "And Marvel was really fantastic and really supportive about all of those changes as well."
He also said that there was never really a discussion about where it fits along the MCU's established timeline. All that was agreed upon is that it definitely takes place within the MCU.
Werewolf by Night creates a reality of monsters to join the likes of aliens, robots, witches, and mutants already established in the MCU. Marvel Studios' president has already teased that the MCU has a monster-heavy future, indicating that Jack Russell will make an appearance in the Multiverse Saga.
It's possible that an encounter with Moon Knight could happen, while vampire-hunting Blade is another safe bet.