When the Infinity Saga concluded, we started to get more experimental projects from Marvel Studios. We have gotten the sitcom format from WandaVision and She-Hulk, chaotic multiverse adventure with Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and now a black and white horror special by Marvel with Werewolf By Night. While it may seem obvious with its old-school take on Universal monsters from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, there is more to the reasoning, as director Michael Giacchino revealed in a Q&A at Fantastic Fest (via Polygon).
When shooting the secret, not-so-secret project that was not confirmed until recently despite credible reports, Giacchino shot his directorial debut in color. Taking his childhood roots, he had some shots in black and white of the Marvel special, Werewolf By Night. He had a monitor to see these alternative shots as he digested how he felt about the take.
“So we had a separate monitor that was only showing black and white, so I could still check how it would look,” he said.
Kevin Feige’s approval of Marvel special Werewolf By Night in black and white
With two sets of shots, one in color and another in black and white, Werewolf By Night was ready for approval by Marvel executives. The vintage cut was shown to Kevin Feige, who made the suggestion to use this cut as the official version to show on Disney+. Sure, it would be a risk as the already radical departure from the studio’s formula would become more radicalized with this style, but with the head of the superhero studio approving, it energized the commitment to the style.
Giacchino taking on the reigns of his own film, particularly a Marvel project with Werewolf By Night, marks a significant shift in his career. Best known as a composer, the Oscar-winner has worked on numerous Pixar films like Up, Ratatouille, and Incredibles 2. On the superhero side, he has composed The Batman, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Marvel will release Werewolf By Night on Disney+ on October 7.
