The Multiverse Saga has seen the number of superheroes running, flying or swinging around the MCU multiply exponentially. So much so that Avengers: Doomsday directors the Russo brothers have admitted that they had Marvel make them custom baseball cards of every major character in the franchise, just so that they could keep track of them all while mapping out the movie’s story.
Even so, some heroes still fall through the cracks and there are certain characters that fans have given up hope will show up in the next two Avengers movies, simply because their previous projects have come and gone with little fanfare, and they seem to have been all but forgotten by the studio. That was the case with supernatural hero Werewolf by Night, until the latest episode of VisionQuest included a welcome update regarding his whereabouts.
VisionQuest Reveals Paladin’s Past Run-Ins With Other Heroes
In VisionQuest Episode 3, more is revealed about Paladin’s backstory. In Episode 1, Todd Stashwick’s villain was introduced as the latest in a long, familial line of highly skilled bounty hunters. Paladin is supposed to be the best of the best — the man that the various unsavory characters of the world call when they want a powerful individual taken out. That’s why his mysterious client has hired him to track down a superpowered synthezoid like Vision.
In Episode 3, it is confirmed that Vision is not the first superhero Paladin has tussled with. While he’s smarting from the wounds he got during his bout with Vision in Episode 2, Paladin’s hacker friend, the Handler (Diane Morgan), teases him by mentioning other jobs that haven’t gone well. Upon reminding him of the time he had to remove IED shrapnel from his gut, he counters that that was a “punishing disagreement with an old friend.” When she recalls the time he took a billy club to the noggin, Paladin says, “Yeah, well, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of Hell’s Kitchen.”
These are obvious references to none other than the Punisher and Daredevil, confirming that Paladin has been sent after two of New York’s toughest vigilantes in the past. The final reference is a little more obscure, though. Lastly, the Handler mentions how Paladin was left with bite marks after he met a “thing halfway between man and wolf.” Paladin defends the guy, commenting that he’s actually “a perfectly reasonable fella by day.”
Some may be left scratching their heads at this nod, but those who diligently watch every Marvel release on Disney Plus will get the reference instantly. This is, of course, a tip of the hat to Werewolf by Night. AKA Jack Russell, Werewolf By Night starred in his own self-titled Halloween special back in 2022. Notable for its black-and-white visuals, Werewolf By Night saw Jack hunted down by a group of demon hunters and form friendships with other characters from the supernatural side of Marvel Comics like Elsa Bloodstone and Man-Thing.
Michael Giacchino was the director of Werewolf By Night. His son, Mick Giacchino, serves as the composer for VisionQuest.
Outside of a colorized re-release of the special the following year, this 50-minute standalone outing remains the character’s only MCU appearance to date. Unfortunately, other paranormal-themed projects where he could have conceivably returned — e.g. the Blade reboot or Moon Knight Season 2 — have failed to materialize. Still, thanks to Paladin’s past encounter with the lycanthrope, we know Werewolf By Night is out there somewhere.
Will Werewolf By Night Ever Return to the MCU?
The Supernatural Superhero Last Appeared on Screen in 2022
Werewolf By Night’s near-namecheck in VisionQuest may not seem like much on the face of it, but it can be construed as Marvel addressing those fans that want to see more from the character and letting them know that they are working on it. After all, there are plenty more one-and-done MCU characters introduced in recent years who have never been referenced again. For instance, Hulk’s son Skarr from She-Hulk, Hercules from Thor: Love and Thunder, or Harry Styles’ Eros from Eternals.
At this point, there’s only a slim chance that any of those three characters could make a reappearance anytime soon, but the standalone nature of Werewolf By Night means he is much easier to bring back if there is room to do so. While his Halloween special probably didn’t break Disney Plus viewership records when it landed in 2022, it likely didn’t come with the most exorbitant budget either, thanks to its commitment to traditional practical effects over CGI, making a sequel not all that hard to pull off.
At least Werewolf By Night was apparently popular enough to inspire Marvel to make more Halloween specials. Three Marvel Zombies animated specials are due to release over the next three Octobers, from 2027 to 2029. The downside of this news is that it leaves the earliest possible slot for a Werewolf By Night 2 as fall 2030. The best hopes for the character, then, may be a cameo elsewhere in the MCU. Who knows, perhaps an animated Jack Russell will appear in one of the Marvel Zombies specials, allowing for some wolfman vs. zombie action.
VisionQuest‘s playful reference to Werewolf By Night is far from a confirmation that a comeback is on the way, yet at least it tells fans that Marvel has not forgotten that he exists, like so many other sidelined Multiverse Saga characters before him. Thanks to this brief acknowledgment that he’s still howling at the moon somewhere on Earth-616, the door remains at least ajar for Disney Plus’ darkest hero to claw his way back onto screens at some point in the future. Though maybe don’t expect it to happen anywhere in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
- Release Date
-
2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
-
Disney+
- Showrunner
-
Terry Matalas
-
-
-
Ruaridh Mollica
Thomas Shepard
-
