Gael García Bernal to lead Marvel's Halloween special Werewolf by Night

Gael Garcia Bernal in Old
(Image credit: Universal)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow at a rapid rate. Now, Gael García Bernal has joined the all-conquering series, with the actor set to lead the upcoming Haloween special based on the Werewolf by Night comics.

The Wrap reports that Bernal will play the Disney Plus series' main role. There have been two people in the comics who have gone by the name Werewolf by Night, normally shortened to just Werewolf, but we do not know which one Bernal will play.

The first was Jack Russell, who first appeared in a 1972 issue of Marvel Spotlight before having his own series. He's a descendant of the Lycanthropes, a mystically changed group of humans who can become werewolves even when the full moon's not out. The character's comic series went on to introduce Moon Knight, who will soon be played on the small screen by Oscar Isaac. Russell also has a long history with various Avengers, including meeting the West Coast Avengers, Iron Man, and being part of the Midnight Sons team.

The second character to use the Werewolf by Night name was Jake Gomez, who was only introduced just last year. Gomez is a member of the Hopi Native American tribe whose family has been cursed with lycanthropy. 

Bernal has been a consistently excellent screen presence since his appearance in Amores perros, winning acclaim for his role in Y tu mamá también, The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel, and more. More recent performances include leading the M. Night Shyamalan-directed horror Old, voicing Héctor in Pixar's Coco, and soon appearing alongside Jennifer Lopez in the action movie The Mother.

Werewolf by Night will go into production in early 2022, with a presumed release date of Halloween next year. Before then, there are a fair few new Marvel movies and shows to consume – don't miss a thing with our guide to Marvel Phase 4.

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.