Marvel Studios

By Matthew Bilodeau/Oct. 14, 2022 10:56 am EST

Giacchino deserves credit for the black-and-white aesthetic, but the decision to release as such ultimately landed in the hands of Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige.

Feige ultimately landed on the black and white presentation

“We came at it with the attitude that, nope, it’s going to be in black and white, even if we don’t know if it is or not, we’re thinking it’s going to be. When Kevin saw it in black and white, he turned to me and he said, “I guess this needs to be in black and white, doesn’t it?” And I was like, “Yes, yes, yes, it does.'”

Thankfully, the MCU has already proven the success of black-and-white projects with the first two episodes of “Wandavision.” In both cases, the stylistic choice is vital to the heart of their respective stories.

Giacchino already shot most of the special in black and white

While a cool aesthetic choice, shooting in black and white isn’t quite as easy as you would think. You can always attempt to change the color levels in post, but as Giacchino will tell you, if you don’t capture the right amount of light needed, the image falls apart (via /Film):

You get a glimpse at the end of what the costumes had to look like in order to pop. The crimson lining of Jack’s cloak, in tandem with Elsa’s red leather jacket, makes for a vivid image during the transition to color that evokes “The Wizard of Oz.”

“We hedged our bets and we set up monitors that were black and white only monitors so that way I could make sure that what we were shooting lighting-wise was going to work. We knew the color was going to be fine, but I wanted to be assured that if we were lucky enough to do it in black and white, we would have what we needed. Converting later and trying to make the lighting right later, that’s impossible and it’s a big pain.”

The absence of color sold Jack’s loneliness and depression

Even with all of the bloody Werewolf action, some of the special’s greatest moments are the reflective conversations between Jack and Elsa. His emotional tie with her is as strong, if not more so, than his bond with Man-Thing. A family man is the last thing you would expect out of a Werewolf, but Giacchino sees Jack as exactly that (via /Film):

I loved seeing Elsa silently terrified of the fate awaiting her in the cage, while Jack attempts to connect with her on a human level before the big monster show. He’s the snarling hairy beast, but it’s clear who the real monsters in the room are.

“Jack, his speech about family is that there are all kinds of families in the world. And that the one thing that does connect us all is we all have some sort of family. And that family can be a blood family, it can be friendships, it can be all kinds of things. And so again, the fact that he’s not going to abandon that family, that’s a big deal and that’s a big selling point for me in these characters is that they actually care about each other.”

Elsa’s colorful transformation signals a better future ahead

Now that Elsa is in control of the Bloodstone, she symbolically uses it to create a brighter picture on the horizon. The gentle cue of Judy Garland singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” slips in as she’s illuminated in a red, not unlike the vivid glow of the ruby slippers (via /Film):

Much like Jack, Elsa arrives at the Bloodstone compound with an ulterior motive. After all, she’s the outcast who left her toxic family behind. “I think her coming here was a brave act to try and shed herself of all of that and start something new and begin a new path forward,” says Giacchino. It may not be as drastic as performing a rescue mission for a sentient swamp monster that goes by the name of Ted, but is still poignant nonetheless.

“The nightmare is over. She’s going to leave that behind. I don’t know what she’s going to do with it, I don’t know where she’s going, but I know that the road is open for her now. I felt going into color was the best way to show that things are now changing and evolving and hopefully the future will be a brighter place.”