Review: WONDER MAN is a Bold Swing For Marvel and They Knocked It Outta the Park!
Marvel’s Wonder Man is the show I didn’t know I needed until I was completely sucked in, and now I can’t stop thinking about how damn good it is. This isn’t just another Marvel series with a shiny new hero and a giant CGI mess in the sky.
This thing is different. It’s stripped down, and it’s personal. It’s actually about people, and the fact that it comes from the same studio that gave us space raccoons and multiverse shenanigans just makes this even more surprising.
We finally got a Marvel character study that knows exactly what it wants to say and actually says it well. It’s not just good "for a Marvel show". It’s great television. Period.
In the series, you’ve got Yahya Abdul-Mateen II playing Simon Williams, a struggling actor in Hollywood trying to land something meaningful, and Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, the washed-up legend with nothing left to lose.
They end up chasing roles in a reboot of a superhero movie called Wonder Man, directed by some mythical auteur named Von Kovak. It sounds like a ridiculous story, but the show somehow makes it work with heart and humor that’s totally disarming.
The chemistry between Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley is the glue that holds this whole thing together. These two are straight-up magic on screen. Watching them bounce off each other is an absolute joy, and it gives the show this raw, sincere energy that keeps you invested even when literally nothing "superhero-y" is happening.
They carry it all with the comedy, the drama, the heartbreak, the absurdity. The friendship that builds between them feels genuine, and at times I almost forgot I was watching something set in the MCU. They’re the emotional core, and honestly, they’re the reason it all works as well as it does.
I love that this show doesn't care about saving the world. Not every story needs to be about cosmic stakes or multiverse chaos. Sometimes it's just about two guys trying to land a role in a movie, navigating rejection, self-doubt, and the BS of the entertainment industry.
That’s what makes Wonder Man so refreshing. It has this almost anti-MCU energy, like it's aware of the superhero formula and purposely sidesteps it. Even when anything remotely superpowered happens, you kind of don’t even need it. The story’s already won you over.
The writing here is sharp. It's grounded, it's funny, and it's emotional without getting overly sappy. You can tell the writers cared deeply about telling a story that felt human. And the fact that they snuck it into the MCU through the backdoor of a semi-meta, Hollywood-centric series is kind of brilliant.
It's also a full-on love letter to actors, the art of acting, and trying to make it in Hollywood. There’s something kind of beautiful about watching these two characters navigate the ridiculousness of Hollywood. If you're someone who's ever tried to make it in a creative field, you’ll especially enjoy this!
Honestly, what surprised me most is how entertaining it all is. The series knows exactly what it is and never tries to be anything else. I went into Wonder Man with zero expectations, maybe even a little superhero fatigue, and now I’m sitting here wondering how Marvel managed to sneak one of their best projects in under the radar like this. It feels like a total curveball, in the best way.
If this is the kind of storytelling Marvel is aiming for in 2026, then sign me up. You’re in for a real treat with this one!