The review embargo for Wonder Man lifted late last night, and we now have what's likely the final—or thereabouts—Rotten Tomatoes score for the Disney+ series.
With 38 verdicts counted on the review aggregator, the series is now rated 92% and officially "Certified Fresh." This score makes it one of Marvel Studios' best-reviewed TV shows, and it's a big step up from the last Marvel Spotlight series, Echo (71%).
Like most streamers, Disney+ doesn't disclose viewership numbers. While we'll no doubt see plenty of "guesstimates" in the coming weeks, Marvel Studios will surely be pleased about delivering a critical hit, regardless of how many people tune in on Tuesday.
After all, with so much talk of superhero fatigue and the MCU's best days being behind it, delivering an 8-episode TV series with 92% on Rotten Tomatoes is a big win.
Talking to TechRadar, Wonder Man Head Writer Andrew Guest said, "The series is a big swing creatively for Marvel. There's the chance that it alienates some hardcore fans."
"I think you run that risk no matter what when you're dealing with material that people have some expectations or feelings about, particularly when it comes to the MCU. You always run the risk of somebody feeling like it's not how they saw this character, or it's not what they particularly wanted for this project."
"But I think you have to take risks," he continued. "You have to experiment, and the hope is that people who are fans of the MCU can find something that they like about this show."
"Then there are people who are not fans of the MCU, who maybe feel alienated by all the convoluted storytelling that can feel like homework, can watch a show that really has an easy entry point, that's super grounded, and doesn't require you to understand a lot of backstories, or the different or complicated relationships between characters," Guest concluded.
It's interesting to hear the word "homework" mentioned again. After all. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has also said that it's a priority to move away from making audiences feel they need to study up before watching a new movie or TV show set in the MCU.
In our review of the series, we wrote, "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."
Check out a new TV spot for Wonder Man in the players below.
Wonder Man is created by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and Andrew Guest (Community, Hawkeye).
The series stars Emmy Award winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, who reprises his role as Trevor Slattery following appearances in Iron Man 3, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and All Hail the King. Arian Moayed, X Mayo, Zlatko Burić, Olivia Thirlby, Byron Bowers, and Demetrius Grosse also feature.
Wonder Man follows aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams, who is struggling to get his career off the ground. During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery, an actor whose biggest roles may be well behind him, Simon learns that legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the superhero film "Wonder Man."
These two actors, at opposite ends of their careers, doggedly pursue life-changing roles in this film as audiences get a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry.
All eight episodes of Wonder Man will stream exclusively on Disney+ at 6pm PT January 27.