Hands up who forgot, or maybe never even knew in the first place, that Wonder Man was a thing? It’s OK, you’re not alone. Out of all Marvel’s upcoming streaming series, Wonder Man is the one that’s slipped under the radar the most.
Going before cameras in Los Angeles in spring 2023, the series was naturally forced to shut up shop due to first the writers’ and then the actors’ strikes for the remainder of the year. Set photos have confirmed that filming restarted in January 2024, however, offering an encouraging sign that the studio has got the show back on track. Even amid some major restructuring of its TV production line.
Want to find out all about Wonder Man? Wonder know more, here’s what you need to know…
Who is Wonder Man and what’s the show about?
First of all, no, Wonder Man is not connected to Wonder Woman in any way shape or form. She’s DC, he’s Marvel. She’s from Themyscira, he’s from LA. What more can I say?
In actual fact, Wonder Man aka Simon Williams is generally portrayed as a Hollywood actor who moonlights as a superhero. This is expected to be the gist of the MCU version too, which is touted as a more comedic Marvel outing — akin to She-Hulk — that mixes superheroism with a tongue-in-cheek look at the movemaking world.
Wonder Man is set to be another title released under the Marvel Spotlight banner for standalone projects, which was pioneered with Echo. It’s set to be 10 episodes in length, which will possibly make it the longest Marvel Studios series released to date (depending on if Daredevil: Born Again retains its 18-episode run or not).
Who’s in the cast of Wonder Man?
As you probably guessed by now, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams, meaning he’s wasting no time finding a new home for himself in the MCU after the end of the DCEU means he probably won’t play Black Manta again after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The Watchmen actor will be surrounded by a top-tier supporting cast too. Sir Ben Kingsley is back as Trevor Slattery once more, following the Iron Man 3 star’s surprise return in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This won’t be a mere cameo either, as Kingsley is slated to play a “major” role. Ed Harris (Westworld) is likewise on board as Neal Saroyan, Simon’s agent, as is Demetrius Grosse (Heroes) as Simon’s brother/nemesis Eric Williams/Grim Reaper.
Lauren Grazier (Mindhunter) and Josh “Olaf from Frozen” Gad have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
Who’s making Wonder Man?
The brains behind Wonder Man is a creative who should be familiar to Marvel fans; Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton co-created the series, alongside Andrew Guest. Guest’s extensive background in comedy, having worked on hit sitcoms like 30 Rock, Community, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine probably tells us the kind of tone we can expect from the show.
At one stage, Cretton seemed all set to become a major player in the evolving MCU, as he was also attached to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, once that film went back to the drawing board following Jonathan Majors’ Kang going south, Cretton departed the project. Although he’s still expected to return in some form for Shang-Chi 2, if that’s ever officially announced, Wonder Man is the only MCU production he’s currently working on.
James Ponsoldt (The Circle) and Stella Meghie (Everything, Everything) will share directing duties. Scripts will come from writers Kira Talise, Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Anayat Fakhraie, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, and Julia Lerman.
When could Wonder Man release on Disney Plus?
In many ways, it’s surprising that Wonder Man has managed to start shooting again prior to the more hotly anticipated Daredevil: Born Again. Especially as that series has a tentative release window of January 2025 to meet while Wonder Man was actually removed from Marvel’s slate once the strikes delayed filming.
Initially, this got fans worrying that maybe the series would be simply cancelled altogether, but with production resuming in early 2024 it seems like a safe bet to assume Wonder Man will make its streaming premiere in 2025. Given how Marvel’s schedule is constantly shifting, it’s even possible that it could swap places with Born Again and hit Disney Plus in the first month of next year.
