Other Marvel Comics Characters That Deserve a Halloween Special

Last year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanded into horror for the first time with Werewolf by Night, a standalone special presentation formatted like a throwback Universal monster movie. With monstrous characters such as this, it only fits that Jack Russell be introduced into the world of the MCU in such a fashion. But that brings one to wonder, what other characters from the history of the MCU could lead their own Halloween Special?

Update October 20, 2023: To celebrate the release of Werewolf by Night in Color, this article has been updated with even more characters deserving of their own special by Jack Deegan.

The Marvel Universe is filled with supernatural characters, both heroes and villains alike, that would make for great Halloween specials. Either as standalone entries that focus on the characters or ways to set up characters for future crossovers, these characters would fit right in a horror-filled story that would delight audiences on Halloween. Here are the Marvel characters we would like to see get a Halloween special after Werewolf by Night.

10 Man-Thing

While Man-Thing did feature in Werewolf by Night, the special barely scratched the surface of the character. Ted’s role in the Marvel multiverse makes him a perfect character to focus on during the Multiverse Saga. After attempting to escape terrorist forces, scientist Dr. Ted Sallis tried to flee, only to crash into a swamp that would turn out to be the Nexus of Realties. The Nexus’s mystical properties and experimental serum in his body turned Dr. Sallis into the creature known as Man-Thing.

With little to no recollection of his previous life, Man-Thing would swear to guard the Nexus against any threat. While the terrorist group A.I.M would make many attempts, Man-Thing would also face supernatural threats such as demons and ghosts. A special could focus on Man-Thing’s tragic origin story or even focus on his past with Jack Russell and show how the two met. And anyone who’s seen Marvel’s forgotten film Man-Thing (2005) knows that there are plenty of brutal possibilities for Man-Thing’s revenge.

9 Blade

With the daywalker already set to make his MCU debut with his own feature film, one could look forward to the possibility of this vampire hunter receiving his own Halloween special in the near future. With Mahershala Ali set to take the role that is synonymous with Wesley Snipes, Marvel would be wise to take any opportunity to endear the fresh face to the nostalgic fans.

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With the Guardians of the Galaxy setting a precedent that characters prominent in film can still receive a holiday special, one only has to wonder what the story would be for Blade. Assuming that the film would cover Blade’s origin story, this special could be an action-packed tale of Blade attacking a vampire compound and single-handedly wiping them all out. Very similar to scenes featured throughout Wesley Snipes’ trilogy.

8 Ghost Rider

The tale of Ghost Rider is one of a tragic deal a desperate man had struck with Mephisto. With Robbie Reyes already being introduced to the MCU with his hell-blazing 1969 Dodge Charger in Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we would have to turn to a different spirit of vengeance. Perhaps we could turn to fan-favorite Johnny Blaze, the demon motorcycle rider. With his penance stare, Johnny would terrorize street-level thugs and force them to bear the pain they had caused others. Ghost Rider is one of the last major supernatural heroes Marvel has not made any official plans, so a Halloween Special is a great place to start his place in the universe.

7 Brother Voodoo

With Doctor Strange going down the rabbit hole that is the multiverse with his newfound love interest, Clea, Earth could use a new sorcerer to aid Wong in combatting the dark forces. A Halloween special would be a spectacular way to introduce a new protégé of the mystic arts, and there is just the man for the job, Brother Voodoo.

Jericho Drumm is a voodoo practitioner who became a houngan after studying under Papa Jambo in his homeland of Haiti. Jericho would take on cultists and evil priests throughout his early days before coming to America and meeting with the Sorcerer Supreme. While this was Doctor Strange in the comics, it would still be interesting to see how Wong handles a new student. Perhaps America Chavez could make a cameo in this special to help with any monsters born from other realms.

6 Mephisto

Ever since WandaVision, Marvel fans have been clamoring to see Mephisto make his live-action debut. A demon and the rules of hell, the extra-dimensional being, is Marvel’s version of the Devil. The embodiment of pure evil tormenting humanity and manipulating them to do his bidding. Mephisto will often go out of his way to ruin lives, making deals with heroes that end up benefiting him.

Related: Is Sacha Baron Cohen Playing MCU’s Mephisto in Ironheart?

A high-powered being who’s constantly working in the shadows to undermine anything good in the world, Mephisto is a character people clearly want to see. When it comes to a Halloween special, what’s scarier than the devil? It could be a true dip into the horror genre and one that puts the emphasis on a villain.

5 Nightmare

Nightmares are a trademark of the horror genre, so it just makes sense to introduce the Marvel villain Nightmare in his own special presentation. Another ultra-powerful being, he rules over the Nightmare World, a realm within the Dream Dimension. Nightmare gets his power from humanity’s consciousness while they sleep, giving them nightmares and feeding off of them. He’s even managed to pull people into his world, trapping them there and torturing them for eternity. His greatest adversary is none other than Doctor Strange, as the two have battled countless times.

Nightmare is a villain that has nearly made it into the MCU, most notably as Scott Derickson’s planned villain for Doctor Strange 2 when he was still attached. Marvel clearly wants to work him into the universe, and what better way than in a Halloween special? It could be akin to Nightmare on Elm Street, with heroes needing to enter the Nightmare World in order to stop him from torturing humanity in their sleep forever. There’s endless potential with a character like Nightmare.

4 Magik

Illyana Rasputina isn’t your average girl, as she was abducted and forced to grow up in Limbo, also known as the Otherplace, a pocket dimension filled with demons. As a Mutant, her abilities soon manifested and gave her the power of teleportation, which freed her from Limbo and returned her home. She would eventually link up with the X-Men and New Mutants, taking on the codename of Magik. She’s protected others on Earth while returning to Limbo to become its new demon queen.

Now that Marvel Studios is starting to work on their version of the X-Men, the best way to introduce them into the MCU is to sprinkle them throughout various other projects. Anya Taylor Joy brought the character to life once before in the quickly forgotten New Mutants. There’s potential to bring her back in something people would remember or just start fresh with a new actress. The character of Magik being linked to the Limbo dimension sets up the story perfectly, as they could either cover her origin or start later in her life when she returned to Limbo and took it over. Her backstory is a perfect fit for the horror genre and could be filled with lots of demonic warfare.

3 Dracula

Marvel’s take on the well-known lord of all vampires he has a similar role in the comics, albeit way more evil. Consumed by his lust for power and blood, Dracula is someone willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. As an immortal, he’s been around for centuries, honing his craft and learning how to get exactly what he wants. Throughout the years, he’s amassed a cult worshiping him and has even gone as far as to establish his own vampire nation.

Related: Werewolf By Night’s Potential Future in The MCU

A vampire fits the Halloween vibe perfectly and allows Marvel to explore that world ahead of Blade. His daughter, Lilith, is rumored to be part of Blade and is reportedly being played by Mia Goth in that movie, so it could be a good idea to explain their relationship in a special before then. If they wanted to do something standalone, a horror special focusing on Dracula’s origins and rise to power would be something fresh for the MCU and provide all the scares and gore you could dream of.

2 Arcade

Disney may not go to the level of gore that was set by the Saw franchise, but with rumors that they may allow future MCU projects to be rated R, a classic villain to bring forward would be Arcade. Traditionally an X-Men villain, Arcade is well known for crafting death traps and challenging people to escape them, with most civilians dying due to his machinations.

Arcade allows for a more traditional, straightforward horror special, with the emphasis less on the title character and more on the victims. Arcade could gather various supporting characters from across the MCU, like Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), Luis (Michael Pena), and Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), and gather them in an Escape Room type situation where they have to get out or die. While it is unlikely Marvel would kill off a supporting character in this fashion, it could be a fun change of pace to see the MCU do what is, in many ways, their version of the Riddler.

1 Elsa Bloodstone

Another character who recently debuted in the MCU, the monster hunter, still has her own story to tell. Elsa Bloodstone is a monster hunter that Marvel has been trying to push forward for a while, and thanks to her inclusion in Werewolf by Night but also the video game Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, it is clear she is primed to become a major lead character. With her family having a history of hunting monsters, a Halloween special could provide a peek at what life was like during Elsa’s childhood.

After a brief glimpse into the past, we can also see what Elsa’s first adventure may have been. Perhaps she sought out one of the many beasts to have escaped from Asgard during the events of Thor: The Dark World (2013), or maybe she defeated one of the many alien threats to have landed on Earth during the multiple invasions seen throughout the Infinity Saga. Either way, Elsa could provide plenty of action and scares for a Marvel Halloween Special and lay the groundwork for future crossovers with characters like Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and Blade.