John Dodge is an MTV Writer for CBR who specializes in movies, television, comics, and pop culture. He has a deep knowledge of franchises like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and DC Comics, along with a passion for indie and horror titles. An expert on obscure productions from the ’80s and ’90s, John is known for his encyclopedic recall of cult classics like Beetleborgs.
A criminally obscure Marvel-inspired horror movie is finally free to stream. Man-Thing has made a comeback, in a roundabout way.
After more than two decades of floundering in obscurity, 2005's Man-Thing has finally found a streaming home. Better yet, Man-Thing is now a part of the Tubi streaming library, making it completely free to view without a subscription.
Inspired by the Marvel Comics character of the same name, who first appeared in the pages of Savage Tales #1 back in 1971, Man-Thing was directed by Brett Leonard from a screenplay by Hans Rodionoff. Produced by Marvel Enterprises in collaboration with Fierce Entertainment, Screenland, and Movieworld, Man-Thing offered audiences a decidedly different version of the classic Marvel Comics story.
Man-Thing stars Matthew Le Nevez as Sheriff Kyle Williams, who becomes embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy involving dozens of missing persons shortly after being assigned to an otherwise quiet corner of New Orleans. Man-Thing also stars Rachael Taylor, Jack Thompson, Alex O'Laughlin, Robert Mammone, Steve Bastoni, Rawiri Paratene, and Conan Stevens as Ted Sallis, aka the eponymous Man-Thing.
Upon its release in 2005, Man-Thing was widely derided by both critics and audiences, many of whom cited its practical effects as one of the few highlights of the film. As of the time of writing, Man-Thing holds matching 14% critical and audience approval ratings via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as averaged across seven critical ratings and more than 5,000 user-submitted reviews.
Does Man-Thing Have a Future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Image via Marvel StudiosDespite utterly bombing in a solo feature more than two decades ago, there is still hope for Man-Thing on screen today. In 2022, Man-Thing made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as a key figure in Academy Award-winning composer turned director Michael Giacchino's Werewolf by Night. The black-and-white special was met with widespread acclaim upon its release, garnering a 90% "Certified Fresh" rating via Rotten Tomatoes, as averaged across 113 verified critical reviews.
Although Giacchino is currently back composing for Spider-Man: Brand New Day and in the director's chair for the upcoming remake of 1954's Them!, the filmmaker has been vocal about his hopes of returning to the world of Werewolf by Night sometime in the near future. And, with where the MCU special left off, that might be the best chance that Man-Thing fans have of seeing their favorite character make a comeback.
"I would love to do another Werewolf by Night [special] more than anything," Giacchino said back in April 2025. "I think I would like to do something with the story that we created for television, but that's got its own thing going, and it doesn't quite slot into what's happening currently in Jack's life in the Marvel [comics] world. So there's a little bit of navigating there."
Man-Thing is currently available for streaming on Tubi.
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