‘Wonder Man’ Review

There is a very specific kind of joy that comes from watching a Marvel project and realizing, about ten minutes in, that you are not bracing for disappointment. You are not scanning the frame for the next cameo. You are not doing that exhausting mental math of what it is setting up, what it is teasing, and how long it will take to pay off in another series you may not even watch. Instead, you are simply locked in. Engaged. Curious. Actually entertained.

That feeling has become rare enough in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that it almost feels strange to admit it out loud, but Wonder Man is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best things to come out of the Marvel camp in recent years.

And what makes it so satisfying is not that it is louder, bigger, or more spectacular than what came before. It is the exact opposite. Wonder Man works because it scales things down. It strips away the constant need for universe building and replaces it with something far more dangerous for a franchise like this.

Character.

Created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest with a sharp sense of rhythm and restraint, Wonder Man is the kind of series that almost feels like it snuck out of the Marvel machine unnoticed. It is a real TV show, which is a sentence I never thought I would have to say as a compliment, but here we are. In a landscape where so much superhero television feels like stretched out movies with episodic cliffhangers, Wonder Man is constructed like an actual series, with self-contained arcs, satisfying episode structures, and a sense of progression that feels organic rather than mandated.

It is also, quietly, a love letter to Los Angeles and the film industry, and it wears that affection proudly.

The premise is deceptively simple. Simon Williams, played with magnetic vulnerability by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is an actor chasing his dream role. The only twist is that Simon happens to have superpowers. That detail, in most Marvel hands, would become the entire point. Here, it is almost treated like a complication, an obstacle in the way of what Simon wants more than anything else, to be seen as legitimate.

To be taken seriously. To be worthy.

What Wonder Man understands, and what so many MCU shows forget, is that spectacle is not story. It is decoration. The real drama comes from watching a character wrestle with identity, insecurity, and ambition. Simon is not a traditional hero type. He is messy. He is reactive. He is constantly second guessing himself. He is the kind of guy who can walk into a room with all the potential in the world and still convince himself he does not belong there.

Which makes him instantly relatable, especially for anyone who has ever tried to create something, pitch something, audition for something, or simply fight to be taken seriously in an industry built on rejection.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the absolute GOAT, and I do not say that lightly. His performance is extraordinary, layered with the kind of emotional intelligence that Marvel projects often avoid in favor of charm. Abdul-Mateen brings humor without leaning on punchlines, and pain without turning it into melodrama. He carries the show effortlessly, even when the story takes detours into Hollywood satire and behind the scenes absurdity.

But the true secret weapon of Wonder Man is its beating heart, the relationship between Simon and Trevor Slattery.

Yes, that Trevor Slattery.

Ben Kingsley returns to the MCU with a performance that is somehow both hilarious and unexpectedly tender. Trevor has always been one of Marvel’s strangest supporting characters, but Wonder Man finally gives him the space to evolve beyond comic relief. Here, he becomes a mentor, a collaborator, and in many ways, the emotional anchor of the entire series. Kingsley plays him with the energy of someone who has lived a thousand lives, failed in half of them, and still has the audacity to walk into a room and demand the spotlight.

The chemistry between Simon and Trevor is genuinely fantastic. It is not forced. It is not written like a manufactured buddy comedy. It feels like two men at different points in their lives colliding at the exact moment they both need someone else. Their scenes are packed with sweet and hilarious moments, but the show never treats their bond as a gimmick. It becomes the emotional spine of the series.

And it is honestly one of the most rewarding male friendships Marvel has ever put on screen.

There is a sincerity to their dynamic that makes the show feel, at times, almost like an indie comedy drama that accidentally wandered into the MCU. Wonder Man is legitimately non-Marvel in the best way possible, a clever, tender take on male friendship and the film industry that moves fast, thinks smart, and is incredibly well acted and written.

The series is also impressively bingeable. Each episode ends with just enough of a reveal, twist, or emotional shift to make you want to keep going. Not in a cheap cliffhanger way, but in a well-structured television way. Wonder Man understands pacing. It understands escalation. It understands that a character-based story still needs propulsion. So even when the show is not interested in big fights or world ending threats, it keeps you engaged through character evolution and narrative momentum.

And for anyone going into this expecting a typical superhero show, it is worth saying clearly.

This is more for people interested in a story about Hollywood than a typical superhero series.

Which, for me, is exactly why it works.

The show is packed with industry satire, audition anxiety, set politics, ego driven decision making, and the strange emotional whiplash of trying to be an artist inside a business. It feels like it was made for people who love film and the process that goes into making it. So basically, me. It is self-aware without being smug, and affectionate without being naive.

There are even moments where the show feels like it is gently roasting the MCU itself, poking at the endless machinery of franchise storytelling, the way art gets commodified, and the way a person can lose themselves trying to become a product.

And yet, it never turns cynical. That is the key.

Wonder Man is grounded, but it is not bitter. It is reflective, but it is not preachy. It is funny, but it never hides behind comedy. It is the rare Marvel series that feels like it has an actual point of view.

And then there is the setting.

Another shout out that feels worth mentioning, this thing was fully shot in Los Angeles. Marvel has not done that in ages. Huge props to Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest for actually pulling that off. The authenticity of the locations is not just a fun production detail, it is part of the storytelling texture. LA is not a backdrop here, it is a character. The streets, the theaters, the studios, the neighborhoods, the entire ecosystem of Hollywood ambition is baked into the DNA of the show.

And yes, as someone who lives here, I lost my mind seeing Vidiots featured. That is the kind of detail that makes the show feel personal. I remember the day vividly seeing those massive Marvel shooting trucks parked all around. To later learn the show was shot at over 75 locations across LA County, with 1,484 crew members working locally, makes the series feel like a true production love letter to the city. Every frame carries that sense of craft.

Even the needle drops feel curated with intention. The show leans into vintage country tracks and unexpected musical choices that somehow fit perfectly, adding a playful offbeat flavor that separates it from the usual Marvel soundscape. It gives the show personality, and personality is something Marvel television has been starving for.

One of the most refreshing elements is what Wonder Man refuses to do. There is no obsession with CGI chaos. No portals ripping open the sky. No forced cosmic lore dump. No frantic third act obligation to become a different show. This is a superhero series without a CGI smackdown, and it is better for it. When action does show up, it feels like punctuation, not the whole sentence.

Sad that the bar is so low that I have to say this, but this is a real TV show.

Even better, Wonder Man proves you can still be connected to the wider MCU and tease upcoming things in small ways without compromising the story. The connections exist, but they never hijack the narrative. They are seasoning, not the meal. That is how Marvel should have been doing this all along. And it makes the future look a lot more promising.

Spider-Man is in great hands with Destin Daniel Cretton, and Wonder Man only reinforces that confidence. The series has a sincerity that recalls the best of Marvel’s early era, back when the emotional stakes mattered more than the lore. It is not trying to be the next big event. It is simply trying to be good.

And it succeeds.

Is Wonder Man perfect? No. A few episodes drift slightly, and the show occasionally flirts with being a little too indulgent in its industry insider jokes. But the heart is so strong, and the performances are so locked in, that those minor stumbles barely register. The show also gets better as it progresses, which is the best compliment you can give any series.

By the time the final episodes roll around, you are not watching out of obligation. You are watching because you care. Because you are invested in Simon. Because you want to see Trevor win. Because you want these characters to keep existing.

If you are bored of Marvel, and had said goodbye good riddance to them, then trust me and give Wonder Man a chance. You absolutely will not regret it.

This is the kind of Marvel project that reminds you why the franchise mattered in the first place. Not because of the interconnected universe, but because of the human stories buried inside it. Wonder Man is not earth shattering, but it is confident, intimate, and surprisingly soulful.

Finally, a little depth from the MCU.

And honestly, that might be the most superpowered thing Marvel has done in years.

Wonder Man is now streaming on Disney+.