Disney+ had fans howling at the Moon on October 7, as Werewolf by Night made its bloody debut as the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is embracing its dark side, and while Werewolf by Night isn’t quite the R-rated splatterfest it could be, its homages to horror make it a monster mash for the ages that introduces some major players to the MCU.
As the name suggests, the focus of Werewolf by Night is Gael García Bernal’s Jack Russell (not the dog), who plays the titular wolfman. Also along for the ride are Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly) and the long-awaited MCU arrival of Man-Thing. With Werewolf by Night boasting an impressive body count, don’t expect too many of its characters to return, however, a well-hidden Easter egg hints that Jack and Elsa could have some bad blood if they meet again.
The events of Werewolf by Night are triggered by the death of Ulysses Bloodstone. Elsa’s father lived as a monster hunter who was imbued by the powers of the Bloodstone – been passed down through the generations. We’re told Ulysses has “long controlled” this supernatural relic, although it’s not confirmed whether he’s been alive for thousands of years like his comic book counterpart. Either way, Ulysses has met his maker before these horror hunters meet at the Bloodstone estate, with the details surrounding his demise never revealed… or were they?
According to Heavy Spoilers, a rough translation of the Latin in Werewolf by Night suggests that Jack was the one who killed Ulysses Bloodstone. Although their Latin is a little rusty, the opening credits that give us the Bloodstone backstory apparently say something along the lines of: “This tearful Bloodstone, Ulysses the seventh son, as far as the stones are concerned, is slain, and is slain on the last full moon of the year, at the end of the blood/bloodshed.” Connecting the dots, it’s not too much of a leap to imagine Jack killed Ulysses thanks to his death falling on the night of a full moon. Jack and Man-Thing clearly have some history, and for all we know, our furry friend killed Ulysses as a way to enact the hunt and potentially free the doomed Dr. Ted Sallis from his capture.