Spoiler-free review
I’m going to be honest. I wasn’t looking forward to Wonder Man. I think, like many, we’ve hit Marvel fatigue a bit, and unlike Daredevil: Born Again, which continues from an established story, Wonder Man was something new, and new hasn’t been that great lately in the MCU. But I saw some positive word-of-mouth buzz and, considering the brief thirty-minute runtimes, figured, why not? I’m happy I gave this show a chance.
Wonder Man isn’t like many of the MCU stories that have come before it. It’s not about a hero out to save the day from a villain; there’s no big CGI action set pieces or anything we’ve come to expect from this universe. Instead, it feels far more in line with shows like Apple’s The Studio, or HBO’s Entourage. This is because Wonder Man is actually about actors in the Hollywood system.
In a really clever twist, Wonder Man in this universe already exists as a hit film from the 1970s. With the advent of superheroes actually existing, Hollywood has opted to reboot the film for a modern audience, with celebrated director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić) attached. This movie is being hyped up as one of the most important in recent Hollywood history, and it just so happens to be the dream role for Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor who grew up idolizing the original Wonder Man film. But opportunity hasn’t been kind to Simon in Hollywood, and to be fair, he’s squandered opportunities too, such as getting fired from American Horror Story for wasting the production’s time overanalyzing his character’s backstory. He’s also a superpowered individual, which is a big no-no in Hollywood thanks to the Doorman Clause, fully explained in the excellent fourth episode. So not only does he have to make ends meet and pay his rent, but he has to audition for his dream role and keep his identity a secret.
Helping him along his path to becoming a better actor is none other than Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), the man who posed as the terrorist villain known as The Mandarin during Iron Man 3. With that ordeal now hopefully behind him, Slattery returns to Hollywood seeking a fresh start and really diving into the profession that brings him joy and fulfilment. He knows the cards are stacked against him due to his past, but he yearns to act again for people’s entertainment, and at the auditions for the Wonder Man film, he strikes up an unlikely friendship and camaraderie with Simon, which ends up being the heart of the show as this shady veteran and uncertain green actor pair up and end up bonding over more than just acting.
Wonder Man is definitely a lower-stakes offering for the MCU, but honestly, for the better. This is the second program to be released under the Marvel Spotlight banner, which features stories that don’t require you to be up to date on the larger MCU. The main focus here is whether Simon can land the job, and can he keep his powers a secret? The show is also quite meta, featuring real-world actors playing versions of themselves or references to real productions. It quite often feels like a peek behind the veil in the way the shows I previously mentioned did, showcasing more of the day-to-day aspects, the mundane, the backlots, and early pre-production on a movie. So if you’re into those kinds of looks at the Hollywood system, this is a fun watch, and you’ll enjoy Wonder Man more than just another superhero story from Marvel. At around thirty minutes per episode, these are fun, accessible little stories that I had a great time watching. Would recommend and can’t wait for the second season.
