There’s been no mandate to stretch this tale out over six-to-nine episodes. There’s little in the way of reliance on CG or green screen effects. Nor is there any urge to connect the plot to upcoming MCU stories. It simply is. That feels like a smart choice for this entry into the cinematic universe, which has been struggling to find its feet since wrapping The Infinity Saga in 2019.
The action centers on Gael García Bernal’s Jack Russell – bless them for unashamedly sticking with the original name – a sweet-natured lycanthrope in control of his inner monster, and the mysterious Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), a character who is often unfairly referred to as Marvel Comics’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer ripoff. The duo have to fight alongside each other one dark and ominous night when Elsa’s father Ulysses, the head of a monster-hunting cabal, passes away, and a competition to vie for his mystical Bloodstone gem ensues. To obtain this powerful and prized possession, one of them must slay Man-Thing, who has been captured in an adjacent labyrinth. Jack is there to sabotage the situation and rescue Man-Thing aka his mate Ted, but Elsa is there to grab the gem for herself. Pissing off everyone who was glad to see the back of her after she cut ties with Ulysses long ago is just a bonus.
