The first Marvel Studios holiday special, Werewolf by Night, was the directorial debut for composer Michael Giacchino. In December, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will start the swan song for the James Gunn versions of these characters. Future Special Presentations from Marvel Studios will follow, and these will become a spinoff factory for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Werewolf by Night is an unflinching homage to mid-20th Century horror films, but it's also the live-action debut of a number of deeper cut Marvel characters. It's appropriate that the Guardians are getting one of these specials, because they represent something Marvel Studios may not have even realized it had. They are (at best) C-List comic book characters that, through story and performance, captured the hearts of diehard and casual Marvel fans alike. Man-Thing, one of the weirdest Marvel characters, debuts in Werewolf by Night, and he's the newest "Comic Book Monster Cutie" since Gunn's take on King Shark. Jack Russell, Man-Thing and the Legion of Monsters would be a risky proposition for a full six-hour series right out of the gate. Yet, with their understated introduction in this special presentation, Marvel Studios now can measure how much demand there is for more stories with these characters. It's no surprise that some straight-to-series MCU projects were reorganized as specials. Disney+ doesn't really have the pilot process other networks have, so Special Presentations are its alternative.
The Special Presentation Format Allows Marvel Studios to Take Chances
There is a lot about Werewolf by Night that doesn't make sense. First, news of this project leaked before Moon Knight debuted, and most fans thought the former project was just a sneaky way to get a second dose of the latter character. Second, Marvel Studios chose Michael Giacchino to direct, an iconic composer whose only previous directing credits were two shorts, a kaiju comedy and an animated episode of Short Treks on Paramount+. This choice would be strange if this were the typical Marvel Studios $200 million budget project. That's like being asked to oversee the construction of a skyscraper after building a shed and a back deck at one's house. Werewolf by Night proves that even if it had been a huge-budget feature or series, Giacchino is up to the challenge. Perhaps the film is so good, however, because it was a low(er) stakes situation that allowed creativity and talent to flourish.
Future Marvel Special Presentations, holiday-themed or not, could feature untapped comics characters, performers and behind-the-scenes talent. From established artists like Giacchino branching out into directing to some kid with a unique idea, Marvel Studios can take risks more akin to the Louis D'Esposito-directed DVD one-shots than series like WandaVision or She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The viewership of these specials can let Marvel know with some accuracy how popular these characters could be, and if they warrant a full feature or just the occasional cameo. It also allows storytellers to grow the characters, getting them to a place where they can lead a project. As great as Elizabeth Olsen is, WandaVision only works for a character with the backstory established in four films.
Marvel Studios Continues to Define Superhero Pop Culture
Another thing a Special Presentation might be good for is easing mutants into the MCU. If Marvel wants to bring a marquee character like Magneto into the MCU with his backstory intact, a one-off on Disney+ might be a way to introduce the character and even end with an "answer" as to where they've been all this time. Alternatively, Marvel can use a Special Presentation to focus on a lesser-known character to explore the origin story of mutants, thus laying the foundation for mutants in the MCU without relying on a big-budget film or multi-episode series.
The streaming media economy is still in its proto-state, and leveraging financial risk against taking creative chances is part of that calculus. Marvel Studios may have just cracked the code. Doing "Special Presentations" allows it to test new concepts and characters while attaching no expectations to the project. This allows fans to show the studio which ones to continue via their viewing activity. It also means that first-time actors like Iman Vellani or first-time directors like Giacchino aren't faced with the pressure of carrying a multi-hundred million-dollar franchise.
The first Marvel Studios Special Presentation, Werewolf by Night, is available to stream on Disney+.