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What a workout this was (I enjoyed every part of it).

I'm still working on it. Well disguised definitions I think, but fair when you get them!

Yes, devious but fair throughout - and everything comes together beautifully (I think).

Thanks drxx, I'm looking forward to that moment! About to have another session it over a late lunch.

Struggling to cross the finish line here as I simply cannot parse 20a. 38a or 21d. Nor can I see the extra character in 40a or 24d.

40 A. Start at the very beginning....

40a - it's in the first word (eading to an animal). 24 is why it's 'character' rather than the usual (the result provides the container).

sorry, ''leading to an animal...''

20a - a 2 letter synonym for 'as', and the 3rd word adjustment leads to a 3 letter synonym (its last letter moving to the front of the answer as a whole).
38a - 4th word adjustment leading to 3 letter synonym [reversed after...].
21d - 5th word adjustment - subtractive anagram (minus - 1 man).

Now got a full grid, and when I shade the thematic bits I get a number for the top LH cell. It's the final instruction (8,3,7,2,5,2,7,2,7) that I need to sort out.