WONDER MAN Co-Creator Destin Daniel Cretton Says the Team Put Their Personal Hollywood Experiences in the Show

Marvel’s limited series Wonder Man dropped on Disney+ last week, and fans are enjoying the real-life vibe of the show, which takes place in Los Angeles and gives a voice to the plight of struggling actors.

This aspect of the story is close to hearts of any writers in Hollywood, and the show’s creators had plenty of their own experiences to share on the subject.

Series co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton admitted that he and his team “all put our personal experiences” with Hollywood into the eight-episode series, and he recently explained to Discussing Film:

“We wanted to capture the LA and the side of Hollywood that you don’t typically see portrayed on film. The non-glitz and glamor side, the living in a one-bedroom apartment that smells like feet, and you can see the Hollywood sign in the distance.

“And your dream is way over there while you’re eating Top Ramen to survive. That’s the feeling of this show. It was very easy to reproduce because it’s all a part of our experience and our memory.”

Co-created by Cretton and Andrew Guest, Wonder Man follows struggling actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who suddenly gets powers of his own while trying to land a role in a remake of the titular superhero film.

Due to the Doorman Clause, which prohibits actors with superpowers from performing in film and television, Simon hides his abilities. Meanwhile, he’s still learning just how powerful he truly is.

Abdul-Mateen is joined in the series by Ben Kingsley, Arian Moayed, Joe Pantoliano, Byron Bowers, Josh Gad, X Mayo and Zlatko Burić. All eight episodes of Wonder Man are available to watch now on Disney+.