WONDER MAN Review

Small-time actor Simon Williams struggles to reckon with his personal life while hiding his super-powers as he tries to land His dream role. Meanwhile, a shady government agent leverages a new friendship in order to save his own job.

Marvel Television and Studios decided to take a different direction with Wonder Man, and it is quite shocking. This may be the first time the studio has introduced a character to its cinematic universe without superhuman powers and abilities being at the forefront. Surprisingly, it worked well in their favor. Why take this risk, you might ask? That is beyond me. Perhaps they realized some audiences may be experiencing superhero fatigue, so focusing more on acting and what goes on behind the scenes of a Marvel production felt like the right answer. I am not someone who believes in superhero fatigue, but rather a fatigue of decent to lukewarm productions. I will not jump on the bandwagon and say Marvel was in desperate need of changing things back to the pre Avengers Infinity War and Endgame days, but this was a necessary jolt of energy for fans who love and appreciate this type of content and want to stay on board for the future.

Simon Williams, also known as Wonder Man, portrayed by Yahya Abdul Mateen II, is a working and aspiring actor in Hollywood. He means well, respects the craft of acting, and truly loves what he does. You instantly fall in love with him and want to see him succeed. What is frustrating about his character is that he constantly shoots himself in the foot. Whenever everything is set up and heading in the right direction, he starts tinkering and trying to make his surrounding situation even better, which ultimately costs him progress. It is a lesson we all must learn, but he seems to be taking the longest route possible. He has a fantastic relationship with his Haitian family, and even though his father is no longer around, it is clear they shared a loving bond.

(L-R): Simon Williams/Wonder Man (Yahya Adbul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley) in Marvel Television’s WONDER MAN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo Courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.

Simon shares on screen banter with Trevor Slattery, also known as The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, and they could not be more different from one another. However, the show gradually develops a genuine friendship between them that feels like it will last a lifetime. This is not played as a comedy routine, but rather a sincere bromance that many men can appreciate and long for. They both share a deep passion for the silver screen, and as audience members we get to see them at their best. What is truly brilliant is that the audience also gets to see them fulfilling the roles within the very show we are watching. It is incredibly meta and self aware in its writing. Every film or television production is exactly that, but this time the audience gets to witness the process firsthand. This has never been done before in a Marvel project, and it works flawlessly. There is so much detail that goes into a production, and this is the first Marvel show or movie where we see the character become the character we tuned in to watch. Because of this, the acting is taken to another level. Acting has never been a weak point for Marvel, but here it reaches a top tier status that feels entirely new.

When it comes to action or powers, they are present but very brief. By the time they appear, you are impressed, but at the same time you may not even care. By then, you are fully invested in the characters and the process of them bringing their talents to life. There is a strong moral code shared between Simon and Trevor, and this is the first time Trevor does not feel like a nuisance to audiences, as he arguably was in Iron Man 3 and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This is a huge win for Marvel, and I applaud them for stepping outside the box. It leaves me anxious and excited for what comes next.

My Rating : 8.5/10