In this month's Wonder Man TV series, Marvel Television will finally introduce Simon Williams. The fan-favourite Avenger's live-action debut is long-overdue in the eyes of fans, but it's currently unclear what sort of impact the show's subversive take on Hollywood will have on the wider MCU.
The eight-episode series does appear to be largely standalone, even with the inclusion of Trevor Slattery and the Department of Damage Control. However, there's been no mention of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appearing in Avengers: Doomsday or next December's Avengers: Secret Wars.
According to The Cosmic Circus' Alex Perez, Wonder Man "supposedly" reveals "nothing" about the source of Simon's powers. We know something has happened in Hollywood that's led to movie studios banning superpowered actors, and that the DODC has its eye on the rising star.
However, if this report is accurate, we'll be left in the dark when it comes to how and where Wonder Man's powers came from. Looking back at his complicated comic book history, perhaps that's for the best.
On the page, Simon inherited his father's company, Williams Innovations, but lost everything when his brother Eric Williams' criminal dealings led to financial ruin. A desperate Simon was approached by Baron Zemo, who offered to give him superpowers in exchange for his infiltrating the Avengers.
Ultimately, Simon turned on Zemo and sacrificed himself to save the team. However, he was later resurrected, and despite initially being controlled by Eric (a.k.a. the Grim Reaper), Simon eventually joined The Avengers as an official member. The hero eventually returned to Hollywood, but served on the West Coast Avengers and has flirted with villainy a few times since.
While we'd bet on Wonder Man at least offering a throwaway explanation for Simon's powers, Perez's comments do seem to suggest that his origin won't be a significant part of the story being told on Disney+.
Wonder Man is created by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and Andrew Guest (Community, Hawkeye).
The series stars Emmy Award winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, who reprises his role as Trevor Slattery following appearances in Iron Man 3, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and All Hail the King. Arian Moayed, X Mayo, Zlatko Burić, Olivia Thirlby, and Byron Bowers also feature.
Wonder Man follows aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams, who is struggling to get his career off the ground. During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery, an actor whose biggest roles may be well behind him, Simon learns that legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the superhero film "Wonder Man."
These two actors, at opposite ends of their careers, doggedly pursue life-changing roles in this film as audiences get a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry.
All eight episodes of Wonder Man will stream exclusively on Disney+ at 6pm PT January 27.