Werewolf by Night’s director, Michael Giacchino, isn’t entirely sure how the TV special fits into the MCU’s wider timeline. Werewolf by Night, which is available to watch now on streaming service Disney Plus, is the latest release from the MCU.
Fresh out of its release, critics have been praising the new TV special for departing from the typical MCU approach to doing things. Unlike previous Marvel movies or Marvel series, it’s managed to set itself apart through its unique approach to storytelling. The TV special is in black and white, and pays homage to classic horror movies in its style and tone. It’s also full of blood and fun, and is dripping with atmosphere.
Werewolf by Night does leave the audience with more than a few questions, however. One of those questions might be ‘when is Werewolf by Night set within the MCU’, and if it is, then we’ve got bad news for you.
Speaking to Collider, the TV special’s director was asked about how Werewolf by Night fit into the MCU timeline. It turns out, he doesn’t really know. The director said “We never talked about what this meant for past, present, or future within the Marvel Universe. The one thing we all agreed on is it takes place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, it’s in there. We never say when, how or why.”
Giacchino then continued, saying “I felt like they have done so brilliantly this whole interweaving connecting world between all of these characters over the past how many years. And I didn’t know how to improve upon that. I didn’t know how to make that better or bring something new to that.”
This has interesting implications for how Werewolf by Night will be integrated into the superhero movie series in the future. For example, it looks like Werewolf by Night could be a backdoor pilot for a Midnight Sons series, or movie. But if that were the case, then the brains behind the TV special would have surely had to think about when in the MCU timeline it was set.
On the other hand, having no specific part of the timeline in mind keeps all doors open. And, of course, we’d be more than happy to see Man-Thing return in the MCU’s past, present, or future.
For more superhero fun, check out our guide on how to watch the Batman movies in order.