Summary
WandaVision episode 6 is a must-watch Halloween TV show, combining the spooky holiday with a sense of creepy unease and witchcraft.
Batman: The Long Halloween is a fun Batman story that begins on Halloween and focuses on both Bruce’s detective skills and combat prowess.
As Halloween approaches, there are plenty of movies and TV shows from both Marvel and DC to watch that are fitting for the spooky season. Though Marvel and DC content has historically stuck to the more traditional superhero action genre, both brands have explored a diverse range of genres, befitting their respective characters and stories. Included in that is the occasional horror story, in which the scary side of fighting crime and protecting Earth is explored.
However, not all movies and TV shows perfect for Halloween are overly scary. Some of the best Marvel and DC movies and shows simply take place on Halloween and use the holiday’s festive decor as an interesting backdrop. Whether they’re terrifying tales sure to frighten or light-hearted romps with costumes and candy, these Marvel and DC movies and shows are must-watches before October 31.
Related: Every DCEU Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
10 WandaVision
Each episode of WandaVision parodies a different sitcom era, and episode six, “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” looks at 12th-century shows like Modern Family and Malcolm in the Middle. However, as the title implies, it’s also a riff on sitcom holiday specials. Here, it’s Halloween in Westview, and all the main characters use it as an excuse to wear costumes reminiscent of their classic Marvel Comics outfits. While WandaVision episode 6 is the most Halloween-centric, the whole series’ sense of creepy unease and focus on witchcraft make it a must-watch October TV show.
9 Batman: The Long Halloween
As its title implies, Batman: The Long Halloween is a Dark Knight story that kicks off on Halloween. A two-part film that collectively adapts the classic story of the same name from DC Comics, The Long Halloween continues the tradition of excellent DC animated movies. The story starts when someone murders crime boss Carmine Falcone’s nephew on Halloween and leaves behind a jack-o-lantern. From there, the killer continues leaving bodies on other Holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. The story is a fun look at Batman’s earlier days as a crime fighter, and it gets credit for focusing on Bruce’s detective skills in addition to his combat prowess.
8 Werewolf By Night
The MCU’s Werewolf by Night has everything one could want in a perfect Halloween watch. The special presentation is an homage to classic monster movies of the early 20th century, and it finds the perfect mix of campy style and legitimate spooky storytelling. There’s nothing more fitting for Halloween than monster hunters gathering at a creepy estate to hunt a mysterious beast, and the story stays pleasantly focused on that simple premise. Moreover, clocking in at only 53 minutes, Werewolf by Night is easy to fit into any viewing schedule.
7 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Given director Sam Raimi’s history of making campy but still scary horror movies, it’s no surprise that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ story is horror through and through. Most of the scares stem from Scarlet Witch’s heel-turn and her multiversal campaign of terror as she hunts down America Chavez. From Wanda’s terrifying infiltration of Kamar-Taj to the destruction of the Illuminati, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is as close as the MCU has gotten to a pure horror movie.
Related: All 8 Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows Scarlet Witch Could Return In
6 Moon Knight
The MCU’s Moon Night streaming series isn’t connected to Halloween in any official way, but its general visual style and several scary scenes definitely make it feel appropriate for the season. In addition to Moon Knight himself, whose costume redesign gives him a very mummy-like look, the Jackals look straight out of a horror movie. Furthermore, while Steven and Marc’s personalities eventually meet and get on good terms, the first two episodes have a tremendous amount of tension that never quite goes as far as being horrific but gets quite close.
5 Batman Forever
Batman Forever isn’t usually considered one of the best Batman movies ever made, but it does partially take place on Halloween and can be a fun watch if one goes in with the right expectations. While Batman (1989) and its sequels all lean into the campy side of Batman to some degree, Batman Forever‘s eccentric villains aren’t to everyone’s tastes. However, the movie works as a modern interpretation of the campy 1960s Batman movie and TV series, and Val Kilmer gives it his all as Bruce Wayne.
4 Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing may be the star of an upcoming DC movie (though it’s yet to get a release date), but the titular creature also starred in a short-lived but entertaining TV series in 2019. In Swamp Thing, scientist Alec Holland dies, and he’s seemingly revived in the form of the titular living plant creature with a connection to the Earth’s flora. The series, which takes place in the swamps of Louisiana, leans firmly into horror and is a perfect series to watch around Halloween. The series is a quick binge at only 10 episodes, so it doesn’t take much time to get through.
3 The New Mutants
Fox’s The New Mutants may have gained infamy for its notoriously long stint in post-production, and the movie is the X-Men franchise’s closest thing to a horror movie so far. The movie focuses on a group of young Mutants housed in a strange medical facility, and it quickly turns into a horror house-type project as the truth of the mutant’s situation becomes clear. If the general concept of creepy medical experimentation isn’t enough, the movie’s final antagonist, Demon Bear, is horrific and could be right at home in another paranormal horror film.
2 What If… Zombies?!
Marvel’s What If…? animated series takes a look at alternate realities with unique twists on the classic MCU universe, but one episode in particular is a perfect watch for Halloween. What If…? Episode 5 introduced a virus from the Quantum Realm that turns most people on Earth – including its superheroes – into zombies. The general concept is apt for Halloween, but the episode actually gets quite dark in its depiction of a post-Zombie outbreak world.
1 The Doom That Came To Gotham
Batman has starred in several interesting Elseworlds stories that drop The Dark Knight into an unconventional setting or pit him against an unusual foe, and 2023’s The Doom That Came To Gotham is the best of the bunch for the Halloween season. This story travels back to the 1920s, and Batman must stop a terrifying Lovecraftian entity called the Lurker in the Threshold. Including demons, cults, and zombie-like monsters, The Doom That Came To Gotham veers much further into horror than Marvel and DC‘s other animated films.
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