Marvel’s WONDER MAN Trailer Turns Superhero Fatigue Into A Wild Hollywood Story
Marvel Studios released the first trailer and poster for Wonder Man during their New York Comic Con panel, and it looks like the MCU is leaning all the way into Hollywood satire with this one.
The series follows struggling actor Simon Williams as he tries to make his name as the new “Wonder Man”, but in a world full of superheroes, his biggest challenge might be fighting superhero fatigue itself.
The trailer teases Simon’s grind to land his “big break,” showing him auditioning, hustling, and seemingly finding a partner-in-crime in fellow actor Trevor Slattery, the washed-up actor from Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi. Simon is about to get way too deep into the role, maybe even become the hero he’s trying to play.
There’s also an interesting MCU Easter egg as the movie-within-the-show’s director is named Von Korvac. Fans will recognize that as a nod to the classic Avengers villain Michael Korvac, who betrayed humanity in the year 2977 and was turned into a cyborg.
Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum recently told Entertainment Weekly just how special this project is for the studio.
"It's one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of at the studio. I'll start there. It's very different than anything the studio's produced. In terms of how meta it is, without getting into details, it is a show that takes place within the MCU, but it's a story about Hollywood."
He went on to describe how Wonder Man explores the struggles of being an artist in the industry.
"And it's a story about not just Hollywood, I would say it's a story about acting and the journey of an actor in Hollywood, of having to balance being an artist with making money and very grounded ideas that anyone who came up in Hollywood or in the arts in general can relate to. I certainly could on a very deep level."
Winderbaum also praised the creative team for bringing something heartfelt and human to the table.
"Yeah. Andrew Guest and I worked on Hawkeye. He's been around and really is an amazing writer, amazing craftsman, really understands the industry, and was really able to dig into these characters."
"And Destin [Daniel Cretton], obviously amazing filmmaker, he worked on Shang-Chi with us, but it really hues closer to his more independent films, Short Term 12 and that kind of genre. They've crafted something that is really deep and wonderful and moving at times. I don't wanna spoil anything, but it's very sincere. It's very earnest. It's not cynical."
Wonder Man will officially premiere on Disney+ on January 27 at 6 PM PT, with a total of eight episodes set to drop weekly. From the looks of the trailer, it’s going to be a mix of sharp industry satire, heartfelt drama, and classic MCU fun.
Marvel seems to be poking fun at itself while giving us something deeper with a story about the cost of trying to be a hero, even when the world’s kind of over them.