By George & Josh Bate
After 50+ movies, television shows, and specials under its belt, the Marvel Cinematic Universe looks inward for a creative, charming, and unexpectedly emotional meta-examination of and love letter to cinema, acting, and the genre it has propelled to the forefront of pop culture for the past 18 years.
Marvel Television’s Wonder Man offers a novel look at superheroes within the MCU by depicting an actor’s pursuit of starring in a superhero movie that exists in a world full of real-life superheroes. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, no stranger to comic book fare having starred in two Aquaman movies and the acclaimed Watchmen series, plays Simon Williams, an aspiring actor and closeted superpowered individual who auditions for the lead role in the remake of the 1980s superhero flick Wonder Man. To land the role of his dreams, Williams teams up with failed actor Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley), who, years after taking on the guise of the Mandarin in Iron Man 3, is also auditioning for the movie. Together, the two forge an unlikely friendship and embark on a journey to achieve their wildest dreams of finally making it in the industry they are so passionate about.
From the beginning to the end of its eight tightly-edited episodes, Wonder Man demonstrates without a shadow of a doubt that it is unlikely anything Marvel Studios has produced to date. The new series from creators Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings) and Andrew Guest (Hawkeye) shelves universe-altering stakes, flashy CGI-driven action sequences, and an abundance of cameos and connections to other Marvel projects in favor of a leaner, more grounded, and more intimate story. The core narrative revolves around two aspiring actors bonded together by their unwavering passion for the art of acting and desire to finally make it big. The series restrains itself from dipping into the very superhero material it commentates on by never diverting from this narrative, remaining laser-focused on its lead duo as regular people navigating life in the MCU. Those seeking a comic book come to life in the form of a television series may be disappointed by just how averse Wonder Man is to embracing Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz and materializing into the very thing it comments on (the entire eight-episode series features only one full-fledged action sequences, which occurs at the beginning of episode 5), but viewers open to an entirely new landscape of story in the MCU will be thrilled and moved by this welcomed breath of fresh air.
More in common with The Studio than The Avengers, Wonder Man triumphs as a love letter to the art of acting. Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams is introduced as a man who takes the craft of acting extremely seriously. Despite having a solitary scene in an episode of American Horror Story, Williams dives all in on his character, expanding his backstory and paying incredible attention to detail, much to the chagrin of his director and producers. Simon’s determination and focus not only alienate him from other creatives but also people in his personal life, including his girlfriend, who abruptly leaves him after losing her patience with his rigidity. Enter Sir Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, a fellow artist with his own set of idiosyncrasies who is tasked with spying on Simon for the Department of Damage Control. Together, Simon and Trevor revel in their shared love of acting, with numerous scenes in the series dedicated to the two quoting iconic lines to one another, professing their commitment to their passion, and going on one misadventure after another as they try to land roles in Wonder Man. Although the series certainly pays homage to cinema, especially as it is gorgeously seeped in contemporary L.A. and Hollywood, and has obvious specific connections to the superhero genre, it surprises in its nuanced and genuine adoration for acting. One can’t help but think of the episode in the Apple TV series The Studio in which Seth Rogen’s character exclaims the importance of movies to a group of patronizing naysayers. Wonder Man harbors that same sensibility – an unabashed willingness to show just how meaningful cinema and acting are.
Also akin to The Studio, Wonder Man features a host of real locations and cameos. When the term ‘cameo’ is thrown around in relation to an MCU project, one may start thinking of Captain America appearing in a post-credits scene or Thor popping up for a moment, but the cameos in Wonder Man are decidedly different. Without giving anything away, the series’ guest appearances consist of actors and filmmakers playing self-deprecating versions of themselves. They’re clever inclusions in that they not only add to the realism of the movie industry depicted in the show, but they also offer plenty of points of effective humor.
The show’s sense of humor isn’t limited to its cameos, however. Sir Ben Kingsley’s dithery, former-faux terrorist and drug user Trevor Slattery returns here for his most substantial role yet. Kingsley is clearly having so much fun with this role, chewing up the scenery with a heightened performance, exaggerated Scouse accent, and Jack Sparrow-esque frivolity. The 82-year-old actor delivers a remarkable performance that, over the course of the eight episodes, evolves far beyond a comedic turn to become something truly moving.
It’s through the emotion evoked from Kingsley’s character and his relation to Simon Williams that Wonder Man achieves its greatest accomplishment. The two actors meet for the first time during a midday screening of Midnight Cowboy, the iconic 1969 drama about an unlikely friendship between two struggling men. And it’s from there that Wonder Man begins to emulate Midnight Cowboy in the most beautiful of ways, chronicling an unexpected kinship between two men who one would never think could gravitate toward one another. As Simon and Trevor’s bromance develops over the course of the show, so does the audience’s deep care for these characters and investment in their relationship. These are two men who have been pushed to the fringes due to their commitment to their craft and variety of odd personality traits, and yet somehow forge a deeply moving, heartwarming, and even inspirational connection with one another. The emotions of Wonder Man creep up on you, but, before you know it, you’ll find yourself falling in love with Simon, Trevor, and their beautiful bond.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II delivers a performance that ensures the emotions from this bond hit hard and leave a lasting impression. The Matrix Resurrections actor has built an impressive resume of credits over the past 10 years and, in Wonder Man, shows a more vulnerable side to his acting repertoire. In addition to being a bit strange and alienating, Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon is also insecure and incredibly anxious about everything, especially his acting career. Simon’s closeted superhero identity, which touchingly parallels the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community with hidden sexual orientations, adds a constant stressor to his life, made all the worse by his overly critical brother and grief surrounding the passing of his father. Collectively, all of this forms a complex and emotionally nuanced character out of Simon Williams, one that Abdul-Mateen II effortlessly embodies and quickly earns audience empathy in.
As Wonder Man wraps up its eighth and final episode, the series’ status as the best MCU show to date solidifies. That’s a big claim to make given the MCU has produced gems like Loki and WandaVision, but Cretton and Guest’s show comes out on top due to the subversive nature of its story, witty sense of humor, and, most of all, undeniable heart. The latter of these attributes shines brightly in the epilogue of the final episode and perfectly bookends where the series started, while paying beautiful tribute to a film that so greatly inspired it.
VERDICT: 9/10
In a year in which MCU titles like Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day steal the headlines, the new Disney+ series Wonder Man comes out of nowhere and miraculously establishes itself as the very best MCU television show to date. The series from creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest brings a welcomed breath of fresh air into the MCU by shelving universe-altering stakes and CGI-driven action set-pieces in favor of a more intimate and grounded story that serves as a touching love letter to the art of acting. More in common with The Studio than The Avengers, the show accompanies its adoration of cinema and acting with a witty sense of humor and plenty of cameos of actors playing self-deprecating versions of themselves, a departure from the kind of guest appearances we’ve come to expect from MCU projects. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley headline the series with an unlikely and heartwarming friendship that mirrors the iconic Midnight Cowboy. Abdul-Mateen II shows a more vulnerable side to his acting repertoire with a performance that leans into the insecurity and anxiety of actors, while Kingsley is having the time of his life chewing up the scenery as a larger-than-life failed actor-turned faux terrorist-turned failed actor again. Amidst mammoth multiversal movies on the horizon from Marvel Studios, Wonder Man impresses as a wholesome tale of friendship, love letter to acting, and proof that, even after 50+ projects under its belt, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has new tricks up its sleeve.