WONDER MAN Blows Past Expectations With One of Marvel’s Highest-Rated Shows Ever

The first reactions for Wonder Man have arrived, and the response couldn’t be stronger. Early critics and fans are calling the Disney+ series one of the best Marvel projects in years, with many saying it’s exactly the kind of show the MCU needs right now.

With an eye-popping Rotten Tomatoes score and praise pouring in from all corners, It looks like Wonder Man is to be a real standout in Marvel Television’s growing lineup.

The series follows superpowered Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, as he tries to make it as an actor in Hollywood. Along for the ride is Trevor Slattery, the gloriously unpredictable character brought back by Sir Ben Kingsley.

The two find themselves competing for roles in a remake of a superhero movie called Wonder Man, setting the stage for a story that mixes satire, ambition, and surprisingly grounded emotion.

Critics are responding strongly to how different this show feels compared to the usual MCU formula. Many have singled out its smaller scale, character-driven focus, and willingness to poke fun at Hollywood itself.

/Film’s BJ Colangelo called Wonder Man “Marvel’s love letter to struggling actors” and said the series gave him “genuine hope” for Marvel’s future. He also noted that through the show’s “more intimate” storytelling, Marvel reminded audiences that “heroes [mattered] most when they feel human first, and super second.”

RIOTUS critic Julian Lytle described the series as “very well-made [and] quirky.” While he felt it “[worked] better without all the MCU trimmings,” he admitted he “[wished] it were longer,” and said he hopes Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams shows up “sooner rather than later” in future MCU stories.

Performance-wise, Abdul-Mateen II is getting a ton of love. ComicBookMovie’s Josh Wilding wrote, “Yahya Abdul-Mateen II steals the show in this delightfully original two-hander about friendship, acting, and being true to yourself.” He went even further, calling it “the cure to superhero fatigue and the most original MCU TV series since WandaVision.”

Not every review is glowing, but even the more mixed takes still highlight what the show does well. ComingSoon’s Jonathan Sim gave the series a 6/10, labeling it “decent.”

He praised the show’s “central hook” and the “evolving friendship” between Simon Williams and Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slaterry, which he said delivered the show’s “most effective moments,” even if he felt it “fails to reach its full potential and is a run-of-the-mill experience.”

On social media, reactions have been especially enthusiastic. The Movie Podcast’s Shahbaz Siddiqui wrote on X, Wonder Man "caught me off guard in the best way. Hilarious, self-aware, and a genuine love letter to Hollywood…This feels wildly different for Marvel."

The Hashtag Show’s Junior Felix went all in, calling it "hands down my favorite MCU series to date." He added, "It's grounded, well paced and headlined by an incredible cast. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a breath of fresh air and Sir Ben Kingsley is FANTASTIC. Episodes 4 and 7 are first-class. This is exactly what we need right now."

Several critics are already ranking Wonder Man alongside Marvel Television’s biggest successes. Amon Warmann said, "Next to Loki and WandaVision, this is one of the best live action MCU shows." Davide Tonti went even further, calling it "one of the best MCU shows and definitely the best one under the Marvel Television banner."

Another common point of praise is how the series actually feels built for TV. Erik Swann summed it up perfectly, writing, "This actually feels like a TV show as opposed to a movie cut up into parts." Geek Central’s Justin Lawrence added to the pile of compliments by calling it "one of Marvel Television’s most confident series."

All of that praise is reflected in the numbers. Wonder Man is currently sitting at an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the highest-rated Marvel shows to date.

The series was co-created by Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, alongside Andrew Guest. In addition to Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley, the cast includes Demetrius Grosse, Lauren Glazier, X Mayo, Zlatko Buric, and Arian Moayed.

All eight episodes of Wonder Man premiere on Disney Plus on January 27, 2026.