Television specials produced by Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios Special Presentations
are a series of
television specials
produced by
Marvel Studios
for
Disney+
, set within the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
(MCU), sharing continuity with the franchise's
films
and
television series
. The Marvel Studios Special Presentation banner was revealed alongside the announcement of the first television special,
Werewolf by Night
(2022), in September 2022. The approximately hour-long specials are envisioned to provide a short look at new characters or concepts to the MCU. The Special Presentations are accompanied by a special fanfare and opening reminiscent of the
CBS Special Presentation
intro from the 1980s and 1990s.
Werewolf by Night
and
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
(2022) are included in
Phase Four
of the MCU, both of which are holiday-themed. Marvel Studios is open to the idea of additional specials. The Special Presentation format has been praised for how it allowed Marvel Studios to tell contained stories that experiment with genre and style, and could introduce more obscure characters, while also not being beholden to long-form storytelling as with their films and television series.
Development
[
edit
]
By September 2018,
Marvel Studios
was developing several limited series for
Disney
's new streaming service
Disney+
, to be centered on "second tier" characters from the
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films
who had not and were unlikely to star in their own films.
[1]
Developing content for Disney+ allowed Marvel Studios to be flexible with formats, such as emulating one-off or annual holiday-themed
television specials
like
A Charlie Brown Christmas
(1965) and
Frosty the Snowman
(1969);
[2]
[3]
those specials were usually 30 minutes to an hour, which was the length Marvel Studios was envisioning for their specials.
[4]
In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
for Disney+, to be released in late 2022,
[5]
[6]
during the
holiday season
.
[7]
The
Holiday Special
was the first piece of content Marvel Studios planned to create for Disney+.
[8]
By August 2021, a
Halloween
-themed television special for Disney+ was in development, reportedly centered on
Werewolf by Night
.
[9]
At the
D23 Expo
in September 2022, Marvel confirmed the Halloween special as
Werewolf by Night
, which was released in October.
[10]
At that time, the "Marvel Studios Special Presentation" banner was revealed, under which
Werewolf by Night
and
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
would be marketed.
[11]
[12]
Marvel Studios executive
Brian Gay
called the Marvel Studios Special Presentations a "new format" for the studio, with each special meant to be a short look at "either a different story or a different area of the universe",
[13]
such as introducing new characters or concepts to the MCU, and teasing how they could further integrate into the MCU with future appearances.
[4]
Michael Giacchino
, the director of
Werewolf by Night
, said Marvel Studios president
Kevin Feige
was hopeful that
Werewolf by Night
would be "the first of a few one-and-done stories".
[14]
By the release of
Werewolf by Night
, Marvel Studios had not determined any set release plan for potential future specials.
[4]
By March 2023, a special centered on
Mephisto
was reportedly in production.
[15]
Logo and fanfare
[
edit
]
Special Presentations feature a special multicolored intro with bongo drum music, reminiscent of the
CBS Special Presentation
theme featured before animated holiday specials of the 1980s and 1990s.
[11]
[3]
[16]
Giacchino (who directed and composed for
Werewolf by Night
) composed the fanfare, calling the opening a "love letter" to the broadcast networks' special presentation logos, which were used to indicate unique programming, something Marvel Studios wanted the Special Presentations to be as well.
[3]
The intro was designed by
Perception
.
[17]
Jamie Lovett at
ComicBook.com
called the Marvel Studios Special Presentation intro "more colorful" and its fanfare "more playful" than the
normal Marvel Studios intro
,
[18]
while Rachel Paige from
Marvel.com
called the fanfare "an absolute
bop
, and one sure to elicit that same level of excitement" when heard as the broadcast networks' special presentations did.
[3]
Comic Book Resources
's
Joshua M. Patton believed this intro would "have a similar effect on new generations of kids" as the older broadcast networks' introductions did, since it "evoke[s] the memory of its CBS counterpart" and signaled to viewers they were "about to see something exciting and new".
[16]
Specials
[
edit
]
All specials are being released on
Disney+
and exist alongside
the films
and
television series
of their respective phase.
[19]
Phase Four
[
edit
]
Potential
[
edit
]
In March 2023, Jeff Sneider of
Above the Line
reported that a special centered on Mephisto was being filmed on the set of the Disney+ series
Agatha All Along
(2024),
[15]
at
Trilith Studios
in
Atlanta, Georgia
.
[22]
Sacha Baron Cohen
was expected to reprise the role,
[15]
after previously being rumored to appear as the character in the series
Ironheart
(2025).
[23]
[24]
Cast and characters
[
edit
]
List indicator(s)
This section includes starring cast members, recurring characters, and notable guest stars, as defined by the
FAQ
.
- A dark grey cell indicates the character
was not in the special.
- A
C
indicates an uncredited cameo role.
- An
F
indicates the character appears in a
film
.
- An
MC
indicates a motion-capture-only role.
- An
S
indicates the actor was part of the starring cast for the special.
- A
V
indicates a voice-only role.
Music
[
edit
]
Reception
[
edit
]
Each special is linked to the "Critical response" section of its article.
Following the release of
Werewolf by Night
, Tyler Llewyn Taing of
/Film
said the Special Presentations could "lead to more exciting genre and stylistic experiments in the MCU down the line" as
Werewolf by Night
was, and likened the hour-long television special format to Marvel Studios'
One-Shot
short films.
[39]
As part of his
Werewolf by Night
review, Chris E. Hayner at
GameSpot
said the specials "should become a regular occurrence" if they could be as good as
Werewolf by Night
was.
[40]
Rupesh Nair at
IGN India
compared the special format to
one-shot
comics and to
DC Comics
's
Elseworlds
publications, stating the Special Presentations have "elevated" the MCU and could be the franchise's "critical darings". He hoped future specials would be able to introduce unknown characters to audiences through stories that "allows directors and cast members to shine".
[41]
Richard Newby of
The Hollywood Reporter
felt the format was "[the] MCU's most exciting prospect", stating that it was "a good idea [to] reduce the number of series, if not movies, and rethink them as Special Presentations, rather than six-to-nine-week commitments... [to] free up audiences and renew their investment in the universe, and allow filmmakers to stretch themselves creatively."
[42]
Documentary
[
edit
]
A documentary special for
Werewolf by Night
, titled
Director by Night
, was announced in September 2022,
[43]
[44]
with
Anthony Giacchino
serving as writer and director.
[45]
[46]
Director by Night
was released on Disney+ on November 4, 2022,
[44]
marketed with the "Marvel Studios Special Presentation" branding.
[45]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
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.
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.
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.
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.
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- ^
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Archived
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. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
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.
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.
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a
b
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.
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.
Archived
from the original on September 11, 2022
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
a
b
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.
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.
Archived
from the original on September 12, 2022
. Retrieved
September 12,
2022
.
- ^
Lovett, Jamie (September 14, 2022).
"James Gunn Confirms Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Is a Marvel Studios Special Presentation"
.
ComicBook.com
.
Archived
from the original on September 14, 2022
. Retrieved
September 14,
2022
.
- ^
Hermanns, Grant (October 3, 2022).
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.
Screen Rant
.
Archived
from the original on October 4, 2022
. Retrieved
October 5,
2022
.
- ^
Bennett, Tara (October 4, 2022).
"Werewolf by Night is set to launch a new line of Marvel specials"
.
Total Film
.
GamesRadar+
.
Archived
from the original on October 5, 2022
. Retrieved
October 5,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
Barnhardt, Adam (March 16, 2023).
"Marvel's Mephisto Special Reportedly Filming (Report)"
.
ComicBook.com
.
Archived
from the original on March 16, 2023
. Retrieved
March 16,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Patton, Joshua M. (October 9, 2022).
"Marvel Studios' Werewolf by Night Intro Has Deep TV Tradition"
.
Comic Book Resources
.
Archived
from the original on October 10, 2022
. Retrieved
October 10,
2022
.
- ^
Perception [@exp_perception]
(September 12, 2022).
"Are you ready for Marvel Studios' #WerewolfByNight? Our team at Perception is excited to share that we collaborated with #MarvelStudios and designed this vibrant Special Presentation animation to accompany Werewolf by Night!"
(
Tweet
).
Archived
from the original on September 13, 2022
. Retrieved
September 13,
2022
– via
Twitter
.
- ^
Lovett, Jamie (September 14, 2022).
"Marvel Studios Unveils New Intro for Special Presentations"
.
ComicBook.com
.
Archived
from the original on September 15, 2022
. Retrieved
September 18,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Russell, Bradley (September 12, 2022).
"Marvel Phase 4: recap, release dates, news, and more"
.
GamesRadar+
.
Archived
from the original on September 14, 2022
. Retrieved
September 19,
2022
.
- ^
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"WandaVision and Moon Knight Writer Confirms They Co-Wrote Marvel's Werewolf by Night"
.
ComicBook.com
.
Archived
from the original on September 13, 2022
. Retrieved
September 13,
2022
.
- ^
Dinh, Christine (December 10, 2020).
"James Gunn Returns to Write and Direct 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' Ahead of 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'
"
.
Marvel.com
.
Archived
from the original on December 11, 2020
. Retrieved
December 10,
2020
.
- ^
Ho, Rodney (October 20, 2022).
"Disney+'s 'Agatha: Coven of Chaos' starring Kathryn Hahn shooting in Atlanta"
.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
.
Archived
from the original on October 22, 2022
. Retrieved
December 7,
2022
.
- ^
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"The Dish: Is Sacha Baron Cohen Joining MCU?"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on October 18, 2022
. Retrieved
October 18,
2022
.
- ^
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"
'Ironheart': Cree Summers Latest To Join Marvel Series, More Sacha Baron Cohen Chatter"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on October 27, 2022
. Retrieved
October 26,
2022
.
- ^
Taylor, Drew (October 25, 2022).
"
'Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' Trailer Features Christmas Cheer With Kevin Bacon (Video)"
.
TheWrap
.
Archived
from the original on October 25, 2022
. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
a
b
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.
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.
Archived
from the original on July 27, 2021
. Retrieved
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2021
.
- ^
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.
Digital Spy
.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2022
.
- ^
Perry, Spencer (October 25, 2022).
"Former Guardians of the Galaxy Star to Return in New Holiday Special"
.
ComicBook.com
.
Archived
from the original on October 25, 2022
. Retrieved
October 25,
2022
.
- ^
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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a
b
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e
f
g
h
i
j
k
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
End credits begin at 52:16.
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Cast and characters
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Cast
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Characters
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Introduced in
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Other
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Soundtracks
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Phase Four
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Phase Five
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Songs
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Inspired media
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Docuseries
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Shorts
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TV series
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