8 Villains Who Could Appear In The Untitled Marvel Halloween Special

There are many exciting projects on the horizon for the MCU, but the most enticing currently has to be the Halloween Special because there’s practically no information about it. So far, all that’s public about it is the casting of Gael García Bernal and Laura Donnelly – presumably as Werewolf by Night and Elsa Bloodstone – along with The Batman’s composer, Michael Giacchino as director (via ComicBook.com). Certainly, it will be one of the projects shown at the upcoming D23 Expo.

If it is the case that Bernal is playing Werewolf by Night, whether Jack Russel or Jake Gomez, there are plenty of interesting villains he could face off against, or at least appear in a post-credits fashion. A likely possibility for an antagonist would be another werewolf, or even other horror and supernatural heroes such as Blade, Moon Knight, or Elsa Bloodstone – having them face off before eventually teaming up. However, of the traditionally criminal ilk, these villains stand the best chance at featuring in this Halloween Special.

The Braineaters

If the special does indeed focus on Werewolf by Night, they’d likely want to incorporate multiple factions of werewolf society (and some could be villainous). The best bet for something like that would be the Braineaters. They are a werewolf motorcycle gang that Jack Russell was a part of for a bit until he learned how they got their name (they are a roving band of murderers).

Whether it’s exactly adapted to be a motorcycle gang or simply a group of renegade werewolves in the community, the Braineaters be a smart choice for the special. It would allow audiences to learn some intricacies about werewolf culture, including their sentiments towards humans, and how Jack Russel or Jake Gomez differs from those opinions.

Dracula

With Blade coming up in Fall 2023, it wouldn’t be all that surprising that this special would introduce one of his most common adversaries, Dracula, the king of vampires, would fit in quite well with a show presumably about werewolves whether as the main antagonist or simply in a post-credits scene. However, if it’s the former, then hopefully, Dracula doesn’t fall prey to the MCU villain problem – killing off important and storied villains as one-and-done roles – so he can return elsewhere.

The special is presumably set in Arizona and that’s obviously nowhere close to Dracula’s home of Transylvania, so that might limit Dracula’s inclusion. Nevertheless, it would be a great and easy way to introduce vampires into the MCU – so if it’s not Dracula it could be one of his minions, his son, Xarus, or even his progenitor, Varnae. Regardless, Dracula will surely have a future in the MCU, possibly even in Blade.

Mephisto

It really wouldn’t be surprising if Mephisto could end up playing a key part in all the events – given that the MCU fans have been expecting his introduction for years. Many fans really thought he could be the culprit pulling the strings behind a lot of what happened in Phase Four, especially WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, he actually could have some role in this Halloween special.

He is a common foe to the Avengers, Spider-Man, and especially Ghost Rider, but he could make for a very interesting antagonist against Werewolf by Night. Like Dracula, Mephisto would be another character deserving of featuring in multiple projects, so after the Halloween special, he could operate similarly to Loki opposing other supernatural heroes like Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, and/or Blade.

Silver Dagger

The Halloween Special could follow in the footsteps of Moon Knight with Arthur Harrow and incorporate a relatively obscure villain like Silver Dagger. This is a deep-cut, though Werewolf by Night himself isn’t the most well-known Marvel character. Silver Dagger is a religious zealot hellbent on eradicating sorcery and the wicked from the world, making him a perfect villain to go up against a werewolf.

As his name implies, he uses a silver dagger – which is traditionally fatal to werewolves – and other religious accouterments. Despite his presumably old age, he is extremely dexterous and athletic, which would make him a formidable foe. If they are looking for a one-and-done villain, Silver Dagger would be a logical choice.

Nightmare

Another logical and powerful choice for a villain in the special would be Nightmare. For a time, many thought he could’ve been the villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While he wasn’t, his realm – the Dream Dimension – has been referenced in Loki and nightmares were an important aspect of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’s story. He’s one of the most prominent supernatural villains yet to join the MCU.

A plot involving Nightmare could entail him wishing to use people’s dreams and nightmares to control them in the real world. Including him could also lead to some trippy and complex effects; however, since the special likely doesn’t have an exceedingly high budget compared to the movies or tv shows, this could limit Nightmare’s inclusion. Still, he is still someone many fans would love to see finally make his way to the MCU.

Lilith

If the Halloween special would want to capitalize on other interests in the supernatural side of Marvel Comics, they could introduce Lilith; a powerful and ancient demon-goddess who is also the main antagonist for the highly anticipated video game, Midnight Sons. With this, Blade, Moon Knight, and Black Knight being introduced in Eternals, many fans are hoping the MCU will be doing their own Midnight Sons team-up film sometime down the line.

She has worked with villains like Mephisto, Nightmare, and Dracula, so introducing her here could help such a villainous team-up occur. It does seem to be a safe bet that if demons are incorporated as part of the Halloween Special in a significant way, it’s Lilith commanding them.

Night Shift

If they are looking for a small team of oft-forgotten characters associated with Werewolf by Night, they needn’t look farther than the Night Shift. They are a collection of mercenaries and various low-level criminals such as the Brothers Grimm, Dansen Macabre, and Gypsy Moth, with the Shroud as a leader (although he actually tried to steer them towards vigilantism rather than villainy). Werewolf by Night has even been part of the team periodically.

The Night Shift could make for an interesting addition and would actually fall in line with the trend recently of introducing relatively unknown or obscure antagonists – like in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law with the presence of Man-Bull and Águila. Since Werewolf by Night is presumably joined by Elsa Bloodstone, having them go up against multiple adversaries like Night Shift could be quite exciting.

Agatha Harkness

Thankfully, there is no shortage of supernatural or demonic villains that could fit in well with a Halloween special. Some others that come to mind would be Black Talon, Zarathos, Jack O’Lantern, and Blackheart. However, one choice that should beat them all out is Agatha Harkness.

Of course, she was the main antagonist in WandaVision, last seen wasting away in Westview under Wanda’s spell. However, upon Wanda’s presumed death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, that spell could’ve lifted, and she could be on the hunt for more magic. She is set to star in her own Disney+ series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, so bringing her back for the Halloween special could help her along her journey to becoming more of an anti-hero. Plus, many people would just love to more Kathryn Hahn in the MCU.