Marvel's Wonder Man Preview Unveils Marvel's Most Self-Referential TV Show To Date
The Marvel studio is aware that viewers could be feeling some superhero fatigue, so they've opted to incorporate that very idea into their upcoming superhero show.
Indeed, the debut preview for Wonder Man has arrived, and it pledges a meta twist on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The trailer, which debuted on October 10th, also quietly moved the Wonder Man release date later from its initial end of 2025 window into January 2026.
Why one more superhero movie? People is weary of superhero content. Why go see them in the theater? Wonder Man spoke to me on a profound level. There is an opportunity to shock audiences. To reimagine the entire category of storytelling.
The reporter responds: "Have you given any thought about casting?"
The preview then transitions to series star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's viewing the conversation on his phone, and the preview ends.
What We Know About Wonder Man
We were previously aware that Wonder Man would be a meta take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show stars Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a film star who becomes a super-powered being (Wonder Man).
The supporting cast includes actor Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams (aka Grim Reaper), Ed Harris as Simon's manager Neal Saroyan, and Arian Moayed coming back as Department of Damage Control agent P. Cleary.
Marvel's Self-Referential Comedy Strategy
We have limited information about the storyline of Wonder Man, but it's evident that Marvel intends to laugh at its own tropes.
In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems like the studio is fully committed on self-referential comedy. Will that work without the star power of its previous leads? Only time will tell.
