Werewolf By Night Easter Egg Hints at Hidden Plot Twist

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.

If we believe Jack was the one who killed Ulysses, it can also set up an interesting dynamic between wolfie and Elsa. We’re warned that monsters dwell in the darkness of our modern society “alongside those who hunt and slaughter them with pride.” Unlike the rest of the contestants in Ulysses’ Hunger Games for the Bloodstone, it looks like Elsa’s apple has fallen far from the family tree. While the others have racked up an impressive number of kills, her stepmother Verusa (Harriet Sansom Harris), doesn’t reveal Elsa’s tally. Is that because she hasn’t killed, or is everyone just sleeping on her potential? 

We know Elsa has been away for 20 years, so it doesn’t look like there’s much love lost between her and daddy dearest. That being said, she now has the power of the Bloodstone and her family’s lineage resting on her shoulders. Remember, the whole point of the Bloodstone hunt was to appoint a new leader in the crusade against monsters. We could see a Shang-Chi-inspired twist like when Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) successfully seized control of the Ten Rings. If this is the case, Jack would undoubtedly be in Elsa’s crosshairs as a known werewolf and the one who potentially offed her father. 

Jack definitely fits the classic anti-hero trope, and doesn’t seem like such a bad guy considering he tried to help Man-Thing. Even though Werewolf by Night confirms he has over 100 kills, we imagine some of them deserve it. If all the monsters out there are as sympathetic as Man-Thing, chances are Ulysses Bloodstone wasn’t as great as everyone thinks he is. Going against the idea that Elsa will try and mount Jack’s head on her wall like Dracula or that Harry and the Hendersons-looking Sasquatch, there’s the fact he saved her life. More likely, the dynamic duo will meet again and band together to take out some malevolent monster. 

There have been whispers of Marvel Studios Special Presentations for Elsa and Man-Thing, so the MCU might start building these characters out in their own outings before bringing them together Avengers-style. Despite Michael Giacchino warning us (via ComicBook.com) that Moon Knight and Blade wouldn’t be in Werewolf by Night, the special’s atmosphere and shooting style means there are calls for him to take over from Bassam Tariq to direct Blade. Mahershala Ali is ready to unfurl his wings as Blade in the MCU, and with the daywalker having a penchant for hunting down blood-sucking vampires, he’d be well-matched to join Elsa and Jack on their next mission. Whether going it alone or part of a new group of occult anti-heroes, it looks like it’ll be a long night for the Werewolf by Night.