WandaVision’s last two episodes may have set the stage for the introduction of werewolves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The most important component needed for them to appear, the Darkhold, now exists in the MCU. The magic spellbook was used in Agents of SHIELD season 4 ahead of the Disney+ series, but now its existence in MCU canon has been made official.

In Marvel Comics, the Darkhold is an ancient tome of magic and easily one of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Universe. In the comic books, it was written by an ancient and demonic god known as Chthon who was imprisoned in a mountain. It appearing up in WandaVision left some fans with the impression that Marvel may be building toward Chthon becoming a major villain in the MCU’s future. With the Darkhold, a sorcerer could free or summon the monster, and unleash him on the Earth for Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) to fight. The addition of the Darkhold does create a doorway for evil entities of epic proportions like Chthon to come onto the scene, but that only scratches the surface of what this book could mean for the MCU.

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At least one supernatural creature - the vampire - is coming to the MCU via Blade, and soon, there could be werewolves too. One in particular, Werewolf by Night, has been heavily rumored for years as a potential Phase 4 hero. However, there’s been no official word from Marvel on if and when he or other members of his kind will become a part of the MCU. As of now, there’s no proof that werewolves exist in the cinematic world that Marvel has established. But, all that can change now that WandaVision has formally introduced the Darkhold. Here’s how the book’s reveal in the Disney+ series could lead to werewolves, how they could work, and when they could show up in the MCU’s future.

Werewolves In Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics Jack Russell AKA Werewolf by Night

The most prominent lycanthrope in Marvel Comics is the aforementioned Werewolf by Night aka Jack Russell, who headlined his own comic book series in the 1970s. In his comic, which featured the first-ever appearance of the Darkhold, the real reason for why he had this strange affliction was explained. As is the case in most stories, lycanthropy in Marvel Comics is the result of a mystical curse that transforms a human into a wolf-like monster under a full moon. The curse can be given to others through a bite, but it can also be passed down through genetics. Apparently, the curse has a long history in Jack Russell’s family that goes back centuries. It all started when an ancestor of his hunted down and killed Dracula. The cost of his actions was that he was turned into a werewolf by a beast under the vampire lord’s control.

Fortunately, his children were already born at this time, so they were able to live their lives without having to go through the werewolf transformation. Things took a turn for the worst when one of his descendants, Gregory Russell, found the Darkhold. While going through the ancient book, he stumbled across a page where the werewolf curse was transcribed. In reading it, he accidentally reactivated the curse in his family. An unfortunate consequence of his actions is that his son, Jack Russell, picked up the curse when he reached the age of 18. Jack has spent a great deal of time trying to rid himself of the werewolf curse, but it always seems to come back to haunt him. The good thing is that Jack has managed to obtain some degree of control over it. Jack has proven himself capable of using his werewolf curse to serve as a force for good. Others, on the other hand, have had less luck with it. Characters like Captain America and Wolverine have also had to go through bouts of lycanthropy in their lives that turned them into powerful threats.

How WandaVision Makes Werewolves In The MCU Possible

Scarlet Witch levitates while using magic in WandaVision.

In WandaVision, the Darkhold was seen in the possession of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), and now it belongs to Scarlet Witch. There’s a good chance that if Marvel decides to bring in werewolves, it’ll link them to this book. After all, it provides the MCU with a perfect way of pulling it off. Adapting mystical monsters like werewolves and vampires in a way that feels grounded will certainly be challenging, but having the Darkhold around will make it easier. Instead of introducing a whole new corner of the Marvel Universe, Marvel can connect them to existing MCU lore. Marvel expanded its world with magic in Doctor Strange, and further built onto it with Agatha Harkness and Chaos Magic in WandaVision. It's possible that creatures such as werewolves were born from that side of the MCU as well.

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As for how the Darkhold will give birth to werewolves, it can be explained that the werewolf curse was activated by someone who read the book. If Scarlet Witch loses it in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness or a future season of WandaVision, another MCU character could end up with it. Or, it could be revealed that whoever had it before Agatha triggered the werewolf curse in his or her family. If it happened hundreds of years ago, the werewolf curse could have spread to multiple families at this point.

When Werewolves Can Join The MCU (& Which Ones Could Appear)

Werewolf by Night page grab 1

There are multiple MCU projects that could be used to introduce lycanthropy. An obvious place for it is Blade. Mahershala Ali’s titular hero will already be up against vampires, but that may not be the only mystical creature he could be pitted against. There could be some werewolf villains involved in the story who will ally with Blade’s main antagonist. Another possibility is that Marvel brings them to life in Moon Knight. There are supernatural elements to the Crescent Crusader’s origin story, so werewolves aren’t completely unfeasible for his Disney+ show - especially since WandaVision established that the MCU's shows will still have a considerable budget for magical special effects.

Plus, it could be that the Moon Knight series will feature a reversal of his comic debut. In the comic books, Marc Spector made his first appearance in a Werewolf by Night comic as a mercenary sent to capture Jack Russell. Marvel could flip that by putting Werewolf By Night in an episode of Moon Knight. Rumors have indicated that this may indeed be Marvel’s plan, but that remains to be seen. If that were to happen, Marvel could have an interesting and unique anti-hero on its hands with Jack Russell. Depending on how he’s utilized, he could end up leading his own TV show on Disney+, or showing up as a possible ally in a Doctor Strange movie.

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