After it wrapped filming in mid-2024, it’s fair to say that Wonder Man has flown under the radar. Disney+ has mounted a unique marketing campaign for the 8-episode Marvel Spotlight series in recent months, though, promising MCU fans a series that explores a new corner of this world: Hollywood. The result is an introspective character piece that serves as a love letter to the craft of acting. It also includes enough superpowered intrigue and, admittedly minor, links to the wider franchise to keep fans happy. All in all, Wonder Man is the cure to superhero fatigue, telling a story like no other, and soaring highest when it puts the MCU’s best bromance front and centre.
Wonder Man revolves around struggling actor Simon Williams’ quest to land the role of a lifetime in a reboot of "Wonder Man," a movie he’s loved since childhood. By focusing more on this story of a struggling actor than on what you’d typically expect from a traditional superhero series, the show feels fresh and would be just as brilliant if Simon’s secret had nothing to do with iconic energy powers (the depth of strong storytelling on display here only makes this story of friendship and self-acceptance even more compelling). Still, with superheroes outlawed in Hollywood after the "Doorman" incident—which receives its own stellar flashback episode and boasts one of the MCU’s funniest cameos—Simon can’t reveal his true self, so it’s a good job he has a new mentor in veteran actor Trevor Slattery.
Trevor has proven a divisive character over the years, dating back as far as 2013 when Iron Man 3 revealed that he was posing as The Mandarin. After serving as effective comic relief in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Sir Ben Kingsley is allowed to, somewhat appropriately, stretch his acting chops as a conflicted Trevor, who is forced to work for the Department of Damage Control and spy on his new friend. Bringing depth to the now-sober Liverpudlian, Trevor is much more than a punchline here, and the fact that he’s so conflicted about his role in Simon’s life only serves to strengthen their already-compelling dynamic.
Of course, as the title suggests, Wonder Man is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s starring vehicle, and the Aquaman and Watchmen star doesn’t disappoint. Unafraid to make Simon unlikeable, selfish, and, well, dare we say, a typical actor, at times, Abdul-Mateen II is a revelation and delivers one of the MCU’s best performances. Whether it’s an emotional recital of lines from a movie or his admiration and frustration with Trevor, he brings serious depth to this role, portraying a quirky wannabe A-lister who is hurting on the inside because of the secret he's forced to keep. Simon doesn’t have any friends and was bullied in school, and his loneliness—much of which stems from being unable to reveal who he really is—is both relatable and a story it’s easy to get immediately invested in.
Zlatko Burić, Demetrius Grosse, and Shola Adewusi all offer strong supporting turns, as does Byron Bowers in the aforementioned episode revolving around Doorman (who, amazingly, gets a comic-accurate design, despite being a fairly unknown comic book character). The inner workings of the Department of Damage Control, which is surely something we’ll see more of in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, also prove surprisingly gripping, with Arian Moayed’s Agent Cleary a character it’s a pleasure to see back on our screens.
All but one episode of Wonder Man are around the 30-minute mark, with each instalment leading into the next, and it would have made a phenomenal theatrical release alongside Avengers: Secret Wars next year. It works just as well as a bingeable TV series, though, and there’s a terrific 20-minute episode that follows Simon and Trevor on a madcap night in Hollywood that is sure to be a firm favourite. Destin Daniel Cretton, James Ponsoldt, Tiffany Johnson, and Stella Meghie direct the series, and there’s not a weak effort to be found; they’re all gorgeously shot, while showrunner Andrew Guest and his writing team ensure there’s substance to go with that style, delivering an emotionally moving, powerful story that simultaneously pays off its gags and, perhaps most importantly, makes you care.
Wonder Man isn’t a typical superhero origin story and doesn’t concern itself with setting up the next big event or even earning Simon a place on a superhero team. It’s ultimately all the better for it, and with a pitch-perfect finale, we’re sure you’ll be just as hopeful as us that Marvel Television finds a way to ensure that the story of Simon and Trevor’s friendship doesn’t end here. If the series has any weak points, it’s the decision to gloss over where the title character’s powers came from, and some viewers may be left wanting when it comes to action scenes (alas, there’s no Wonder Man vs. Grim Reaper battle to be found here). With two leads who love acting, it’s easy to buy into their obsession with the profession, though some might be less enthused watching two actors taking themselves perhaps a little too seriously. It’s a good job then that they’re so damn likeable, and you too might fall in love with Hollywood after watching Wonder Man.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II steals the show in this delightfully original two-hander about friendship, acting, and being true to yourself. Wonder Man is the cure to superhero fatigue and the most original MCU TV series since WandaVision. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐