Wonder Man Review
2026 is a huge year for Marvel Studios, as we’ve finally got the release of the next major Avengers movie, Avengers: Doomsday. We’re starting the year off with our first show, Wonder Man. A show that has been in development since 2021, when Destin Daniel Cretton first signed a deal with Marvel Studios to create TV shows for Disney+. Cretton decided to make a show on Wonder Man, a superhero that wasn’t as widely known as other characters, but with his success on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there wasn’t much to worry about… or was there?
Wonder Man is the second Marvel Spotlight series, following Echo, which marked the debut of the label. While it was announced that Wonder Man was a Marvel Spotlight show, it hasn’t been advertised as strongly. It might come as a surprise to a lot of people when they see the intro play before an episode with Michael Giacchino’s musical fanfare playing alongside it.
To remind people quickly who might’ve forgotten what a Marvel Spotlight series entails, it’s for characters that are grounded and have character-driven storylines. If you haven’t seen any MCU show, you should be able to watch a Marvel Spotlight project without any homework. Unfortunately, Echo failed on this front, but this is where Wonder Man’s accomplishments begin.
Wonder Man follows Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an actor who’s trying to get his big breakout and comes across auditions for the remake of the 80s movie Wonder Man, directed by Academy Award-winning director Von Kovac (Zlakto Buriç), thanks to an encounter with Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), known to the world as The Mandarin. The only problem is that Simon has a major secret he’s hiding, which, if discovered, could ruin his chances at being an actor.
This is a show that makes us dive into the acting world of the MCU, an area that we haven’t explored before. There are bound to be similarities to HBO’s The Franchise and Apple’s The Studio, but these comparisons aren’t needed when Wonder Man was a show that was in development before either show. It’s only due to unfortunate delays that it has been released after both of them, and honestly, Wonder Man does a fantastic and arguably better job than one of these shows when it comes to the meta comedy.
Wonder Man doesn’t just throw real-world references in your face for your enjoyment. It’s fun to hear shows like American Horror Story get mentioned alongside directors such as Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson and actors such as Ashley Greene, Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano, who play themselves, but this show is so much more than making fun of the industry.
Through the eyes of both Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, we get to see how the industry treats someone trying to get their big break and someone who’s trying to redeem themselves. There’s a lesson through this show that teaches the difficulties and struggles of trying to make it as an actor and how it all differs from person to person..
We’re introduced to the “Doorman Clause” with this show, which stops superpowered beings from appearing in motion pictures or television shows. For Simon, this means he has a huge secret to hide, as it could ruin his entire career if he’s discovered. They handle Simon’s powers with care, and while you don’t get a full explanation of what he’s capable of until later on in the series, you get to witness small bursts of what he hides within himself.
Wonder Man might’ve been one of the best characters to handle a Marvel Spotlight series, as we really get to learn almost everything about Simon Williams. His origins are kept a secret throughout the entire show, but it’s safe to say that this isn’t the same Wonder Man people recognise from the comic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Simon is a character that’s so easy to connect with because I see myself in him. I remember being a child and watching that movie that started my love and obsession with film. He’s a relatable character who’s passionate about his career but also holds himself back with his unique process that unfortunately gets in the way of his life.
The highlight of this show comes from Simon and Trevor’s relationship. It’s a bond that’s built from the first episode to the last, with both trying to keep secrets from each other. It’s a relationship that’s built on the backend of a lie, but you start to see how it morphs into a real, loving friendship where Simon begins to trust Trevor with everything, and Trevor begins to relate to Simon despite not fully understanding him as a person when they first meet. Their process when it comes to acting is widely different, and while Trevor has been around much longer in the industry, he’s still able to learn some things from Simon, making the mentor-mentor dynamic that we find compelling.
Wonder Man feels like the early days of The Multiverse Saga when they weren’t scared to experiment with something new. The fourth episode of Wonder Man is easily one of the most enjoyable as we step away from Simon and Trevor at the height of what might be a turning point in their relationship and the show’s story. What makes the episode so great is that instead of the show using Simon or another character to explain the incident with Demarr “Doorman” Davis (Bryon Bowers), they show us the entire incident, keeping the same pacing and tone as the episodes that have come prior to it.
While Simon’s story takes us through the eyes of an actor who’s trying to make it while hiding a deep secret, with Doorman, we get to see the rise and fall of an actor who quickly catches onto fame and how his downfall changes Hollywood for good. The “Doorman Clause” adds an extra layer to the storytelling of Wonder Man, with it similarly relating to how minorities can struggle getting roles in the real world or how people lie about their backgrounds to get roles they wouldn’t have otherwise.
The only downside to Wonder Man is that the odd episode can feel tonally mismatched, but overall, it’s the DODC’s involvement in the show. Agent P. Cleary returns after last appearing in Ms Marvel, and his appearance alongside the DODC makes you question why Marvel Studios is trying to push them so hard. They act as the show’s antagonist but don’t do a good job of feeling like a threat, and overall feel underutilised. If anything, Simon Williams feels more like an antagonist to himself than the DODC does.
Overall, this one is the best that the MCU shows have been since Agatha All Along. It returns to experimenting with its storytelling and editing techniques, making Wonder Man feel like its own show and helping it become a Marvel Spotlight success. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is nuanced in his performance with Simon Williams and is a character that brings so much heart to the show, together with Ben Kingsley, who helps humanise Trevor Slattery after he’s been a joke in his past roles. As things go, this is a great start to the year for Marvel Studios.
★★★★
Streaming on Disney+ on January 27th / Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley, Arian Moayed, Zlakto Buric Byron Bowers / Creators: Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest / Disney / 12A
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