Werewolf by Night recently premiered on Disney+. Adapted from the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced not only the title character but also cult favorite characters like Man-Thing and Elsa Bloodstone. The special has received rave reviews for its stylistic differences from the rest of the MCU and a breakout hit that has become an unlikely kick-off not just for a new format for Marvel to tell new stories with special television presentations but also for introducing a new corner for the MCU that can be expanded upon in future projects. Who would have guessed even three years after Avengers: Endgame that Werewolf by Night would not only be an actual character the MCU adapted but would be one of the most critically acclaimed entries?

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This in many ways serves as a mirror to Iron Man, the movie that kick-started the MCU. Nobody suspected that this independently produced superhero movie based on a character mainstream audiences were hardly familiar with would go on to outgross films based on more popular superheroes like X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil, but would also be the kick-off to the most successful film franchise in the world. Iron Man kicked off the MCU, and in many ways, in terms of behind-the-scenes similarities, Werewolf by Night is the closest thing in the MCU to a new Iron Man. It makes a bold choice to pick a lesser-known hero to be the kick-off for a new format of storytelling and makes bold creative choices that pay off with critics and audiences that will be carried over into subsequent entries. This is how Werewolf by Night is the new Iron Man.

Both Used Unexpected Characters To Launch A Franchise

     Paramount Pictures

It’s hard to imagine now, but before the release of Iron Man, the character was considered a B-list Marvel superhero. He was a staple of the Marvel Universe, but to general audiences, he was not as well known as Spider-Man, The Hulk, or the X-Men. Even Captain America was generally more well-known to the general public than Iron Man. He is not the conventional character one would think that could kick-start not just a franchise but the biggest in Hollywood.

If Iron Man was B-list then Werewolf by Night could be considered a D-list character alongside The Guardians of the Galaxy before their film. While the character had his own comic in the 1970s, Marvel has rarely given him the spotlight and mainly featured him in team-up comics. To most Marvel Comics fans, Werewolf by Night was most famous for being the comic that introduced Moon Knight.

Werewolf by Night was eclipsed in popularity by a supporting character. In terms of supernatural characters in the MCU, he seemed like a character who would be low on Marvel’s priority after fan favorites like Ghost Rider and Blade, or even fan favorites like Man-Thing. Yet just like Iron Man, this lesser-known property was exactly the right way to launch the universe as it allowed a certain level of creative freedom that does not come from a more established property, and one need only look at the many delays that have happened regarding Blade.

Both Made Bold Creative Choices in Front And Behind the Camera

     Disney Platform Distribution

Iron Man was directed by Jon Favreau, who at the time was more well-known as an actor and director of indie ’90s movies like Swingers, along with his work in comedic family films like the holiday classic Elf and the then-recent box office bomb Zathura. Nothing in his resume screamed superhero movie director, but Favreau had a very specific vision for how to realize Iron Man as a feature film. He wanted a grounded tale, describing it as a mix of Robert Altman and Batman Begins, and drawing heavily from Howard Hughes and the rich history of flight in California.

Favreau made the decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, who at the time was an actor more well known for his headlines offscreen and at one point was uninsurable by a major studio. Marvel Studios trusted Favreau, who knew Downey Jr. could pull off Iron Man, and it was that performance that not only launched the MCU but redefined the character where subsequent comics and other appearances have molded Tony Stark to be more like his MCU portrayal.

When it came to Werewolf by Night, it was Michael Giacchino who pitched the concept to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who was taken aback by the suggestion. Giacchino had directed a few shorts and television episodes, but never a project on the scale of Werewolf by Night. He was more commonly known as a film composer, and it is almost unheard of for a composer to move to directing.

Marvel Studios was impressed with his pitch, which saw to imagine Werewolf by Night as a loving homage to classic Universal Monster movies. Gael Garcia Bernal was cast in the lead role of Jack Russell, who is different from his comic book counterpart not just in nationality but also personality wise but Bernal brings such a great dimension to the character it would not be surprising to see future works featuring Werewolf by Night modeled after this performance.

Both Were Risk By Marvel Studios

While Marvel Studios is now the most successful film franchise in the world when the company first announced it would independently produce its own films based on B-list characters everyone in Hollywood thought it was doomed to fail. Marvel Studios had a lot riding on Iron Man in 2008 and had it not worked the entire franchise would be over. They bet big on a director not known for action, a star who had fallen out of favor with the public, and a superhero who most audiences thought was a robot, and it paid off due to the commitment to making this one story work. Despite the after-credit scene setting up The Avengers, the plan from the beginning was to make a great stand-alone story and hopefully draw the audience’s interest.

Cut to 2022 when Werewolf by Night premiered, and clearly Marvel Studios is in a much better place. They have broken box office records, they have the financial backing of the Walt Disney corporation, and they are making so many different projects that if one doesn’t connect with audiences, there’s probably a new streaming series or film coming very soon that they’d like. Yet starting in 2021 with Phase 4, audiences and critics were becoming more critical of the MCU.

While the box office is still strong, the franchise has been criticized for being formulaic and the most recent two films, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, drew mixed responses from audiences. Just when it appeared Marvel Studios was stuck in a rut, Werewolf by Night premiered to show everybody that the MCU could still take big creative swings. Werewolf by Night set itself apart from the rest of the universe for its bold style, high levels of gore, and its rather lack of setup to a larger universe. Werewolf by Night was made to tell a great story and get audiences invested in the characters, and it appears to have worked as viewers are already hoping to see more of Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and Elsa Bloodstone soon.

Werewolf By Night Hints at an Even Larger Universe

     Marvel StudiosDisney

The after-credit moment of Iron Man is still one of the most iconic in film history when Nick Fury informs Tony Stark he is part of a bigger universe. The implication is clear, whatever story is being told just outside the frame there is a whole possibility of stories to be explored. Since then the MCU has gone cosmic, and mystical, and featured heroes from the ancient past. Werewolf by Night continues this tradition by showing just outside the world of the Avengers, the monsters have been operating in the shadows since the dawn of time.

What happens next is unclear. Possibly a supernatural team is building, and possibly Werewolf by Night will cross paths with the more traditional superheroes like Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, or She-Hulk. It remains unclear. Yet just like when Iron Man hit theaters in 2008, there is a whole world of exciting possibilities in store, and it all started from humble beginnings.