Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Werewolf by Night!
Rumors suggested Marvel's maintaining the MCU timeline are some of the main reasons the franchise has sustained success for nearly 15 years. Marvel Studios has doubled down on the crossovers in Phase 4, as almost every project has at least one character that audiences are familiar with. This was expected to be the case with Werewolf by Night too, as rumors suggested that either Blade (Mahershala Ali) or Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac) would appear.
Now that Werewolf by Night has been released on Disney+, viewers around the world know that these rumors were wrong. Blade, Moon Knight, and other established MCU characters are nowhere to be seen in the Marvel Special Presentation. The closest it comes to including known characters is Werewolf by Night's Avengers mural in the opening minutes. Otherwise, audiences are treated to a story that revolves around Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal), Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), and Man-Thing (Carey Jones). It is true that the MCU set up Man-Thing before, but this is his first actual appearance. While some might be disappointed that Blade or Moon Knight do not appear, the lack of MCU cameos in Werewolf by Night was a good thing.
Werewolf By Night’s MCU Cameos Would Have Been Distracting
It could have been fun to see Blade, Moon Knight, or other MCU characters cameo in Werewolf by Night. Still, such appearances would have only distracted audiences from the main characters. Since the Special Presentation has a runtime of less than an hour, there is not a ton of screen time to give these new heroes to begin with. Moon Knight has already received a starring role in a six-episode series, while Blade's delayed movie should be roughly two hours long. They either have had or will have plenty of time to be at the center of a story, but Werewolf by Night's shorter runtime means Marvel needed to concentrate as much time as possible on Jack, Elsa, and Man-Thing to make audiences care about them.
Werewolf by Night's MCU cameos only would have hurt the special, most likely. Some may have been happy with quick cameos from either or both, but there is also the likelihood that others would be disappointed with how small their roles were. Judging by Werewolf by Night's great reviews, critics and general audiences love what Marvel Studios delivered. This further proves that the special did not need to include MCU Phase 4 cameos to give viewers an easy excuse for excitement. Werewolf by Night stands alone and is better for it.
Blade & Moon Knight Can Still Meet Werewolf By Night
Marvel may have kept Blade and Moon Knight out of Werewolf by Night, but there are still plenty of chances for the heroes to interact with Jack Russell. The MCU's Blade movie could feature Werewolf by Night, while an appearance from fellow vampire hunter Elsa Bloodstone also makes sense. Moon Knight season 2 could also be a place for Werewolf by Night to meet other supernatural MCU characters if Marvel Studios renews the series. Otherwise, audiences might have to wait for the often theorized Midnight Sons movie to see Blade and Moon Knight meet Werewolf by Night.
