Wonder Man review

Marvel is going Hollywood

Created by: Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Guest
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley, X Mayo
Rated TV-14
Release Date: January 27, 2026

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This review may contain spoilers

“Ohhh, it makes me wonder”

After nearly two decades (Holy Marvel Jesus!) of superheroes in colorful outfits and giant fights almost entirely dependent on CGI, Marvel Studios presents a story irrelevant to Kang, Doctor Doom, and the Multiverse.

Instead, Marvel made a Disney+ series showing an actor auditioning for a role of a lifetime. But this is still comic book stuff, so naturally, this guy has secret powers, which could ruin everything for him if anyone discovers his secret.

Wonder Man, starring Wonder Man

Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, DC’s Aquaman) learns that an old superhero movie, Wonder Man, is getting a modern remake, and getting the lead role would be a childhood dream come true. And yeah, that’s about it. Simon does the auditions, table readings, and all that.

Well, okay, Simon is a struggling actor and is desperate for a big break. He also has a big, purple-y secret – dude has superpowers. And apparently, Hollywood has a strict no-powers clause in moviemaking.

But Simon has some incredible luck – infamous pretend-terrorist Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley returning from Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi) is sharing his acting skills to help him win the part. What could go wrong?

Marvel Spotlight

It’s 2026 and, for those paying attention, we are getting close to Avengers: Doomsday, and soon after, the end of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. Tick tock, Marvel, it’s time to start linking everybody to the big finale again.

Other than Trevor Slattery and the Department of Damage Control (DODC for short), there isn’t much connecting this series to the greater MCU. Not even a news special on TV talking about Captain America fighting Red Hulk or the new Avengers in New York. This show really steps away to be its own thing here.

Based on how the show ends, I’m not sure if Wonder Man will be joining the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men anytime soon, unless Doctor Doom forces actor unions into a crippling strike again. But with how good the show was, I wouldn’t be too upset if Wonder Man kept to himself and continued his solo run. Maybe there’s a chance for season 2?

“I’m auditioning for Wonder Man”

Abdul-Mateen looks like a tough guy, perfect for an action film, but he’s very human and vulnerable on this show. He’s just a guy passionate about acting… and also with explode-y powers. Gotta love that he spends most of the show in comfy jeans and a sweatshirt in freakin’ sunny LA. It’s still in the single digits here, and he’s bundled up from Cali’s oceanic breeze.

Also, since he’s in a copyrighted movie called Wonder Man playing a copyrighted character named Wonder Man, could he legally use Wonder Man as a superhero name if he decided to fight bad guys with the Avengers? Maybe that can be the next season – Wonder Man: Royalties War.

“You’ll never see me coming”

Sir Ben Kingsley is back! His Trevor Slattery character has a more serious tone now, but still stays light and funny. His time as the Mandarin (from Iron Man 3) gets explained a little more, which was such a great setup for the movie villain. To this day, I still hate that twist where he was really just a down-on-his-luck actor.

Kingsley’s chemistry with Abdul-Mateen is energetic and the best of the show. Both work off each other like lost best friends, and it’s a lot of fun to watch.

Department of Who?

Remember the DODC? They arrested Peter Parker once his identity was exposed in Spider-Man: No Way Home and showed up in Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

They’ve been like a lower-tier government agency replacement for SHIELD. Since Spider-Man: Homecoming, they’ve been in charge of investigating and handling supers, even imprisoning them.

Now, Simon is their new target.

Binge-worthy

All eight episodes were released at once, like Echo two years ago. It brings back the days of binge-watching Netflix series like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. I don’t care if it took me to 5 in the morning; I’m finishing this show in one sitting.

But Disney released Wonder Man at 8 P.M., Central time, on a Tuesday! It’s not like I have to do anything Wednesday morning or anything!

Luckily, they’re short episodes, so it’s manageable, at least.

“Wonderful Tonight”

Wonder Man is freaking wonderful! (Yeah, I said it!). It’s well-written, keeping the story simple and not forcing superhero fights. Despite being part of the biggest movie-connected universe, it depends on itself and fits as its own corner of the MCU.

The show is also well-acted (you would think so since it’s about actors), and adds in actors playing themselves, like Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano. It’s fun seeing actors parodying themselves, and it’s a personal treat for movie buffs.

Marvel fans expecting the usual comic book tropes will probably be disappointed, including no post-credit scenes. Boo!

Wonder Man is streaming on Disney+.