‘Wonder Man’ Review: A Hilarious Hollywood Comedy

It’s that time of year again when a new Marvel project is about to hit the screens. This time it’s about a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Simon Williams aka Wonder Man, with a Hollywood twist in the mix. I’m always excited to meet new characters so I had a lot of excitement going into the series. That coupled with the “Hollywood satire” concept being implemented definitely caught my interest as I never got around to watching The Franchise and The Studio, and in the end I was pretty satisfied overall.

Wonder Man follows Simon Williams’ (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) journey to star in a remake of 1980’s Wonder Man, an in-universe film which Simon saw with his dad and his inspiration behind getting into the film industry. Along the way Simon befriends fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) and even finds himself in trouble with the Department of Damage Control as he’s caught in Agent Cleary’s (Arian Moayed) radar.

Moving on to the first episode I was impressed by how easily they set up the overall plot of the story, leaving us to just enjoy the journey for the remaining episodes. The episode also makes you instantly fall in love with Simon from the very beginning as you get to witness how passionate he is about acting and how over the top he can be in the process. I also found myself connecting to him a lot, I’d even go as far to say I felt I was in his shoes when you see Simon watch the 1980 version of Wonder Man. You see him in awe and get inspired as he watches the film with his father. I really enjoyed the small character moments here, like after having a rough day, Simon just unwinds by going to watch a movie and I had the biggest grin seeing him stay until the very end of the credits.

As the series progresses and as we learn more about Simon, I began relating to him even more (and I’m not talking about sharing the same last name). His struggles with feeling like an outcast, alone and not being able to open up really felt all too familiar. There’s a scene in the third episode with his family where I could just see myself in the same situation. On the topic of family, Simon is revealed to be of Haitian descent and we were able to see some of the culture in that same episode. I absolutely adore seeing different cultures and family dynamics featured in media so this was a lovely addition to the series. 

In terms of his powers, on paper it may sound a bit basic or underwhelming, simply super strength and explosions, but it’s only once you witness it in the series that you see how grand it can be. The effects aren’t very CGI heavy but the impact is there and I’m sure this is only the beginning as the character grows in the MCU. 

Perhaps my favourite part of the series and what I’d argue is the highlight of the show has been the relationship between Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery. It’s an absolute joy to see the two together, they function in a sort of mentor-mentee dynamic where both are constantly learning new things from each other as they’ve both studied acting in two entirely different eras. Their methods and beliefs are both widely different and it’s when they find that middle ground that they truly excel. The two are inseparable and I’ve been absolutely obsessed through their ups and downs.

Episode 4 truly took me by surprise, while we knew that the episode would be focused Doorman Clause that prevents superpowered individuals to be involved in the acting industry I didn’t expect a fully fleshed out story cantered around the rise and fall of DeMarr “Doorman” Davis, compete with everything you can expect with a celebrity in today’s age including their fame, the creation of haters complete with negative comments on social media, and their downfall. The experience felt very authentic and once you pair it with the confusion of gaining superpowers you get some fearful moments thrown into the mix.

Speaking of fear, I wouldn’t call this a “scary” show by any means but there are one or two moments that will leave you shocked. It’s more accurate to say that the series feels intense at times especially during scenes where Simon is stressed, I found myself getting absorbed into those moments as I would often begin feeling the same way and follow along with his breathing exercises.

At the forefront however is comedy and it lands each episode without feeling overbearing. The fifth episode is perhaps the most comedic of the bunch but it doesn’t impact the plot in any meaningful way, more serving as a way to pass some time in the universe. Given the limited number of episodes, the reception is sure to be decisive but I still enjoyed the sheer chaotic nature of it.

Admittedly the structure of the series I imagined in my head is pretty different from what we have in the series. I expected more of a satire of the filmmaking process for example but the series is still sprinkled with some jokes and references.

Wonder Man also features a some celebrity cameos, one of which has some fun moments in his episode. I also loved hearing various outlets being name dropped throughout the show such as Deadline. It made the series feel just a little more real as if it’s happening in our world.

It’s begun to feel like a cliche with Marvel’s more experimental projects but I can confidently say that if it weren’t for Simon having superpowers this doesn’t even feel like something set in the MCU. It’s more about a person, his dreams of making it big in the acting space and the journey that leads him to that point. The Department of Damage Control felt more like a looming threat over the course of the series, I never felt like the stakes were high with them as it was more a case of saying what they’ll do rather than any real actions. 

Last but not least is the music, especially during the title cards they were really charming and added a very joyful vibe to the series. There are also a number of licensed songs, many of which I’ve never heard before so it’s great that the show was able to introduce me to what could be some of my new obsessions.

Overall, Wonder Man is a delightful series that anyone can get into ranging from someone who just likes to dream big to those that appreciate the film industry as a whole. The show is packed with a great cast and a story that’s easily established at the start allowing the viewing to just enjoy the ride for the remaining episodes.

Wonder Man is created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest. The series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak and more. All episodes premiere on Disney+ on January 27th, 2026.

Thanks for reading our review of Marvel Television’s Wonder Man. If you enjoyed it, consider checking out our other Marvel articles and the TV section.