A Cinematic Marvel Character Study

by Ray Manukay

★★★★½

Official Release Date

January 27, 2026

Rotten Tomatoes

91%

Letterboxd Score

3.6/5

Total Running Time

4h 12m (8 Episodes)

Official Synopsis

Aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams 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 legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the Super Hero 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.

The Ensemble

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Simon Williams / Wonder Man
Ben Kingsley: Trevor Slattery
Demetrius Grosse: Eric Williams / Grim Reaper
Arian Moayed: Agent Cleary (DODC)
X Mayo: Janelle Jackson
Zlatko Burić: Director Von Kovak
Olivia Thirlby: Vivian
Byron Bowers: DeMarr Davis / Doorman
Josh Gad & Joe Pantoliano: Themselves (Cameos)

The Architects

Creators / Showrunners: Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Guest
Directors: Destin Daniel Cretton, James Ponsoldt, Tiffany Johnson, Stella Meghie
Head Writer: Andrew Guest
Executive Producer: Brad Winderbaum
Original Music Score: Joel P. West
Cinematography: Brett Jutkiewicz
Studio Infrastructure: Marvel Television / Searchlight Digital

Production Vault

Primary Locations	Los Angeles, California (Over 75 Real-World LA Locations)
Studio Soundstages	Radford Studio Center & Paramount Pictures Lot, Hollywood
Camera Setup	Sony Venice 2 (Digital ARRIRAW Capture Workflow)
Estimated Budget	$80 - $100 Million (Comprehensive Episodic Pool)
Aspect Ratio	1.78 : 1 (Native Streaming Widescreen)
Sound Mix	Dolby Atmos \| Spatial Audio 5.1

Behind the Lens

Filming natively across Los Angeles required an expansive crew tracking 1,484 local technical production workers. Co-creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest purposely stitched together two entirely separate, unannounced pitches, one focused heavily on Simon Williams' family ties and another tracking Trevor Slattery's bizarre career resurgence, to form this distinctive Hollywood-satire framework. The production heavily minimized heavy VFX sky-beams in favor of real practical backlot settings, utilizing iconic Hollywood locations like Vidiots and the historic Taix Restaurant to anchor Simon’s grounded emotional arc.

The Official Trailer

Vault Intelligence

Franken-Show Stitching: According to showrunners, the series was originally conceived as two separate, unannounced pitches, one centered on Simon Williams and another exploring Trevor Slattery. Production stitched the concepts together, creating its distinctive buddy-comedy framework seamlessly.
Fourteen Years in the Making: In a clever meta-nod to real-world continuity, Trevor Slattery frequently repeats that he is "thirteen years sober" during his acting classes. This accurately mirrors the exact amount of time that passed between his MCU debut in Iron Man 3 (2013) and the series' early 2026 debut.
The Inherent Obstacle: Unlike typical superhero entries where power empowers the hero, the writers flipped the script. Simon’s devastating ionic abilities act as his greatest disadvantage, actively getting him fired from film sets and hindering his ultimate desire to "become the next Daniel Day-Lewis".
Comic Shade Callbacks: The iconic red sunglasses worn by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are more than just a stylish Hollywood prop. In Marvel Comics lore, Simon uses those specific specialized red shades to constantly hide his eyes, which permanently glow with destructive ionic energy.
The Fillion Factor: Years before Abdul-Mateen II snagged the mantle, Nathan Fillion was originally set to cameo as Simon Williams via fake film festival posters in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). While cut from the theatrical print, Fillion later voiced an alternate-universe version of the hero in the animated show M.O.D.O.K..

"Ben Kingsley arguably turns in the best performance ever of a character in the MCU."
— Ray Manukay

Wonder Man / season 1

Ray's Review

A stunning change of pace from Marvel Studios, Wonder Man is an enjoyable character study of two lonely and misunderstood people in extraordinary circumstances, trying to make their mark in Hollywood and finding their purpose in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This is not the usual paint-by-numbers hero origin story where the protagonist is trying to save the city or universe from deadly supervillains. Instead, Wonder Man is content with presenting the audience with challenges and conflicts that everyday people can associate with: trying to be excellent in an industry when that platform or profession seems impossible to break into and doesn't need you. In this case, it is the world of acting.
Wonder Man gives the general audience a glimpse of the struggles and the everyday minutiae of the Hollywood business. We see the fight for opportunities, the auditions, and the lonely process of trying to break in, the doubt that creeps in and the eventual humble breakthrough that can be earned with talent, perseverance, and a ton of luck.

At the center of the show are the lead characters, Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, performed by an outstanding Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and an unforgettable Ben Kingsley, who arguably turns in the best performance ever from a character in the MCU. Their relationship is sort of a "shaggy dog" and sanitized version of the duo from Midnight Cowboy. Story-wise, it is ironic that they meet during a screening of that classic film, but there are echoes of that relationship meant to call back to that duo.
Of course, this is still a superhero show, so the subject of superpowers eventually comes up. But in this story, at least at this point, Simon's powers are a burden to his ambitions rather than a benefit. As explained in the show, people with superpowers are no longer able to perform in films because of the danger they pose on set to non-powered cast and crew.
This is a bit of a departure from the original comic book, where Simon Williams was a stuntman who was unable to be taken seriously as an actor. It’s a shift in adversity that works. Although I was initially disappointed, being a huge fan of the character in the comics that this MCU version of the character didn't experience the specific challenges of being a known superhero trying to break into mainstream Hollywood, it’s a small gripe, since they still execute and demonstrate the underdog stigma that Simon faces.
In terms of long shots, Trevor Slattery faces an even steeper climb. Returning to civilization after his redemptive arc in Shang-Chi, Trevor is still having to outrun his reputation as a frontman for an evil terrorist posing as the infamous Mandarin. There is lots of humor gained from his recognizability, but where the audience feels sympathy for Trevor is in the revelation of his genuine talent and his worldly, practical experience as a performer in the arts. He acts as a guide for Simon through this unforgiving world, all while carrying a secret regarding the motivations for his seemingly helpful advice.
The show was dropped onto Disney+ all at once, and it definitely benefited from a binge-watch, as it felt more like a cinematic event than a weekly series. The entire cast created a wonderful tapestry to navigate through; besides the leads, standouts include Zlatko Burić, a menacing Arian Moayed, and a fun cameo from Joe Pantoliano as himself.
In terms of the full story, Wonder Man is a fantastic addition to the MCU. The exploration of struggles while searching for a mentor to emotionally bond with is a story we can all relate to. Creator Destin Daniel Cretton firmly establishes himself as one of the premier talents guiding Marvel Studios. Shang-Chi was my favorite Marvel film and Wonder Man is my favorite MCU show; I can't wait to see what he does with Spider-Man next.
I'm confident in declaring that this is the best television show yet from Marvel Studios. I hope that we get to see the further adventures of Trevor and Simon, perhaps in a Season 2 or as supporting characters in an MCU movie.
Trevor and Simon deserve it.