While “Manifest” offers up no shortage of creativity in its storytelling, the show’s questionable use of computer graphics — especially a notorious CG wolf — has been the butt of jokes across the Internet throughout its run. Besides being a digital disaster, it’s also one of the most confusing callings in the series as it seems to appear with little context or in-series clarification.
The wolf first bears its teeth to Zeke while he’s staying at Michaela’s apartment in “Upgrade” (Season 1, Episode 14) after a mutual calling told them to “go back” together in “Cleared for Approach” (Season 1, Episode 13). Young Cal later confirms he experienced the same calling, and in his vision, the wolf is attacking Michaela, who also sees the wolf after locating a bomb in Times Square. Unfortunately, the story remains unclear on the real-world identity of the wolf in question. While the wolf calling is edited to imply it could be connected to Griffin, there’s no reason to believe Michaela would need a calling given to three people to know she should be wary around a resurrected criminal. Also, she sees the wolf after confirming that Griffin is a killer. At one point, many fans suspected the wolf could mean Jared. While that theory seems to be confirmed when he later joins up with the anti-828 hate group the Xers, it gets instantly debunked when it turns out he was undercover the whole time.
Showrunner Jeff Rake told Bustle the wolf represents “the idea of a predator who realizes that, when unexplained abilities arise, it becomes a pendulum that can swing in either direction.” Specifically, Rake referred to individuals who are “prepared to use it for the worse.” While he doesn’t confirm a specific person, there are a number of characters within the series that fit this bill, and it’s possible that Rake is referring to the concept of calling opportunism as a whole. In other words, the wolf seems to be a warning against anyone who wants to take advantage of the 828ers’ newfound abilities for their own gain, whether it’s the Major, the meth-heads, or Angelina.