TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas already expanded way beyond the expectations set by the likes ofIron Man, Thorand evenAvengers Assemblea decade ago, but recent reveals of some of the upcoming darker corners coming to cinema’s biggest ongoing narrative have proven that there is still a lot more for Marvel Studios to give. One of theseveral projects coming in 2022 is an untitled Halloween specialwhich will feature the first MCU appearance ofWerewolf by Night, and while it was reported that Gael Garcia Bernal would be playing the character there have been only a handful of other pieces of information about the project. According to a new report byThe Illuminerdi, we now have more of an idea of how the special will look.
The report suggests that Bernal will be playing Jack Russell in the show, the first incarnation of the character in the comic books. It is also hinted that Nina Price/Vampire by Night, who is the niece of Russell and a vampire/werewolf hybid, could also be making her debut in the same special. While the inclusion of Nina Price could be a possibility, the report of Bernal playing the Jack Russell version of Werewolf by Night is in direct contradiction to previous reports and documentation suggesting that it would actually be theJake Gomez characterthat would be used in the series.
Gomez was listed as appearing in the show in documents linked to the production, although neither character has been officially confirmed by Marvel. While Jack Russell is the better known iteration of the lycanthrope, Gomez would continue to bring the diversity that Marvel Studios is attempting to bring to its stories to the fore and would fit better with Bernal in the lead role. So where does that leave the rumors of Nina Price’s introduction?
Well, we already know that the MCU does make changes and adjustments to characters as and when they need to, so it wouldn’t take much to link Price to Jake Gomez in some way. In the comics, Price comes from the same cursed bloodline as Jack Russell , however as well as having the ability to turn into a werewolf, she was also attacked by a vampire which meant her particular curse was altered, leaving her a human by day, a vampire by night and a werewolf when the moon is full.
With Marvel’s Phase 5 seeming to be heading into darker and more supernatural territory, the arrival of Vampire by Night would certainly fit with some of the other plans heading down the line. We already know thatBladeis going to be bringing vampires to the MCU, but his first on screen appearance could be preceded by that of Nina Price. Other darker characters coming to the MCU in the near future areMoon Knight, and also Black Knight, who’s human alter ego already made his first appearance inEternalsthis year. ConsideringWerewolf by Nightplayed host to the debut ofMoon Knightin the comics, it will be interesting to see if the two cross over when they are both released in 2022.
