A sweet series about two struggling actors trying to make it in Hollywood – which just happens to be set in the Marvel universe.
Series creators Destin Daniel Cretton‘s and Andrew Guest‘s Wonder Man is an ode to craft and the business of acting. The warmth extends to the lovely cinematography and the fantastic needle-drops in the soundtrack. It’s all in service of the two leads – one forced to keep his superpowers a secret in order to pursue his acting dreams, the other a veteran actor trying to make amends – and their developing friendship.
I don’t understand why Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who plays Simon Williams aka the titular Wonder Man, isn’t a bigger star – how charismatic do you have to be? After enjoying his scene-stealing ensemble roles in the excellent Watchmen mini-series (2019) and Matrix: Resurrections (2021), it’s great to see him in a lead role which gives him this much to compellingly do.
Somehow Trevor Slattery, aka The Mandarin, keeps kicking around the MCU. Unlike a very vocal contingent, I enjoyed him in Iron Man 3 (2013)… were we all surprised when he turned up in Shang-Chi (2021, which Cretton also directed)? Apparently the actor portraying him was. Sir Ben Kingsley is fantastic, his Trevor in this series is a big warm hug of a performance, let’s go.
Wonder Man unfolds at its own pace, with a mix of heart and humour which feels unique within the Marvel Universe.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but not because of Easter eggs or because the show is connected to whatever the larger saga is in this phase. Wonder Man refreshingly unburdened by any of that, which also means it’s free to properly be what it is. I experienced the story gently unfolding while knowing nothing about what was coming, and enjoyed the journey (very much) on its own terms – and I’d wish that for anyone who decides to watch this show.
It’s also a mystery as to why this entire season was dumped at once. As a whole, Wonder Man is better than many other Marvel series (and much better than some recent Marvel movies). Wonder Man deserves more time and attention than some, including Marvel, might lead you to believe.
Cancellation
August 2026: Wonder Man Season 2 was cancelled, mere weeks after its announcement and star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Emmy nomination for his lead performance in the series.
“There’s important conversations being had online about the kinds of stories we’re prioritising and the kind of shows platforms wanna make.” Reading between the lines, this statement from Wonder Man show runner Andrew Guest speaks volumes about Marvel’s policy regarding Black-led projects:
This was announced in the same week that both Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Mahershala Ali, seven years after signing on to play Blade in the MCU, confirmed that his Blade project was also cancelled (via Josh Horowitz and GQ):
“It does not look good.” Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also had words: “I think the optics are obvious. If I’m a big business, if I’m Disney, if I’m Marvel, I don’t want to be attached to these optics. So it should be a priority to change that narrative and to do what it takes to responsibly change that narrative with quality stories, with quality resources.” (via Vanity Fair)
Yahya Abdul Mateen II talking about Wonderman’s cancellation and the pattern of treatment towards Black led projects by Marvel: “When you look at the history of those projects and when you put them altogether, there’s no way around it. It does not look good.” pic.twitter.com/iCGtXtPIG3
— HOT GIRL CAP ⍟ (@SAMTH33STALLION) August 20, 2026
“New Study Finds Undervaluing Of Black-Led Projects Costs Hollywood $10 Billion Annually” (via Variety):
Further Viewing
These meta, in-universe promo spots perfectly tease the premise and tone of the series (via Marvel):
Series cinematographer Brett Pawlak on how the films of Paul Thomas Anderson inspired the series’ “practical”, “anti-Marvel” feel (via ShotDeck):
The series references PTA’s ’90s and early ’00s films – let’s check in with his more recent, Oscar-winning work: