‘VisionQuest’ Drops a ‘Werewolf by Night’ Nod, and Paladin’s Secret History With Marvel’s Heroes Just Got Wilder
Few corners of the MCU inspire as many “when do we see them again?” questions as ‘Werewolf by Night‘. The Disney+ special arrived on October 7, 2022, directed by Michael Giacchino and starring Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell. It was a gothic, black-and-white monster tale that gave the MCU an entirely different texture. That’s why any mention of it tends to set fans talking.
The special has stayed popular. It still holds a 90% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a fully colored version followed in October 2023. So when it surfaces somewhere unexpected, the reaction is immediate.
This time it surfaced in ‘VisionQuest‘. Episodes 3 and 4 hit Disney+ on October 20, 2026, and in episode 3, titled ‘Reboot’, Paladin’s conversation with his Handler quietly reaches back to ‘Werewolf by Night’. She asks about the bite marks from that thing halfway between a man and a wolf, and Paladin replies that he’s a “perfectly reasonable fella by day.” That’s a clear nod to Jack Russell.
Paladin mentions Werewolf by Night in the new episode of ‘VISIONQUEST.’ https://t.co/r5DOrfLdZJ
— Nexus Point News (@NexusPointNews) October 21, 2026
The scene doesn’t stop there. The Handler also mentions a Brooklyn job that left Paladin pulling shrapnel from an IED out of his gut, which he calls a punishing disagreement with an old friend, a clear reference to the Punisher. Another line about a steel fiber billy club ends with Paladin saying to get out of Hell’s Kitchen if you can’t take the heat, pointing to Daredevil.
The same scene also reveals that the Ten Rings syndicate supplied the adamantium vest that saved him from Vision’s wrath. In a single conversation, a new villain picks up ties to the Punisher, Daredevil, a werewolf and one of the MCU’s best-known criminal organizations.
We never see any of these clashes, but that’s part of the appeal. By seeding Paladin throughout the MCU this way, Marvel Studios gives a newly introduced character some history, which could open the door to him continuing beyond this franchise. It makes him feel like he existed long before ‘VisionQuest’ started.
It also fits his comic book roots. In the comics, Paladin’s mercenary work often brings him into conflict with heroes like Daredevil and the Punisher. The writers appear to have built his new MCU resume from that foundation and added a monster-hunting twist.
The episode also complicates who he is. A flashback shows that his abusive father was killed by an older mercenary named Paladin, who raised him, so he isn’t a Paladin by bloodline. The earlier episodes had established Paladin as the latest in a long line of bounty hunters who’ve used the codename. By the end of the episode, his client fires him and terminates his contract. That leaves him wounded, unemployed and free to go in any direction.
A name-drop isn’t a confirmation, and nothing in the episode promises Jack Russell’s return. Still, the timing is interesting for fans who’ve been waiting. One report said Marvel Studios is developing several projects leading into a planned ‘Midnight Sons’ movie, including a ‘Werewolf by Night’ sequel with Bernal’s Jack Russell, Laura Donnelly’s Elsa Bloodstone and Man-Thing. That report hasn’t been officially confirmed by the studio in the material we’ve seen.
Bernal himself has been vocal about wanting more. During a recent Reddit AMA, he encouraged fans to speak up if they want Jack Russell, Ted and this corner of the MCU to return. He indicated he’d be ready to return as Jack Russell and views the 2022 special as a chapter that could still be open.
The first trailer for #VisionQuest, premiering October 14 on Disney+. https://t.co/jIcsJ2Iarl
— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) August 15, 2026
For now, the nod lets the show wink at the MCU’s supernatural side without derailing its own story. Fans noticed quickly, and the reference sits comfortably alongside the other Easter eggs packed into ‘Reboot’. It also shows how much ‘VisionQuest’ is willing to draw on the wider Marvel universe while telling a very personal story about Vision.
Do You Want Jack Russell to Return to the MCU After the ‘VisionQuest’ Reference?
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