Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley star in the Marvel show, which debuts January 27 on Disney+.
The best and worst thing Wonder Man has going for it is that it’s a Marvel show. It’s a good thing because, obviously, it’s Marvel, which has such a rich history across all media. Lots of great stories to draw from, lots of fond memories, and lots of expectations to live up to. However, the bad thing is that over the past few years, Marvel projects—especially on streaming—have left much to be desired. So, a Marvel show releasing somewhat randomly in late January without any big hoopla could lead you to assume the worst. You could very easily assume that Wonder Man wasn’t any good. And, actually, that’s true. Wonder Man isn’t good. It’s freaking fantastic.
Recent Marvel shows have made the conscious decision to, for the most part, detach themselves from the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hope is that audiences who haven’t seen all the movies or shows could tune in and still enjoy the show on its own. So far, the results have been a mixed bag, but those lofty ambitions reach their purest form with Wonder Man, a show that works on so many other levels before you get to its MCU connections; the fact that it’s a Marvel show at all isn’t even the point.
In Wonder Man, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Simon Williams, a struggling actor who has reached a point in his career where he’s just about ready to give it up. We’ve all been there. He’s tried his best, nothing has worked, and he realizes maybe it’s time to face reality and stop chasing an unattainable dream. But, just then, he learns that his favorite movie of all time, a throwback B-grade action movie called Wonder Man, is being remade and its legendary director, Von Kovak (Zlatko Buric), is looking for someone to star. It’s the part Simon was born to play, but can he make it happen?
Oh, and Simon has superpowers that he has to hide; otherwise, he’ll be automatically denied everything he’s ever worked for.
At its heart, that’s what Wonder Man is about. It’s a show about struggle.
