Marvel Television's next Disney+ series, Wonder Man, is shaping up to be a very different type of MCU project than we're used to seeing, with the recent teasers confirming that the show will at least partially serve as a Hollywood satire in the same vein as Apple TV+'s The Studio, with a sprinkle of "superhero fatigue" commentary for good measure.
The series will introduce Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) as a struggling actor who pursues the role of Wonder Man in a big-budget reboot of a classic TV show, without realizing(?) that he actually possesses superpowers of his own.
Williams will be joined by a familiar face, with Sir Ben Kingsley reprising the role of Trevor Slattery, the actor who posed as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3 before returning in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Collider has now debuted a new promo image featuring both characters.
Aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams 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 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.
Along with Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Wonder Man will star Demetrius Grosse as Simon's brother Eric Williams, aka the Grim Reaper, along with Sir Ben Kingsley as the returning Trevor Slattery. Byron Bowers is also on board in an undisclosed role. We have heard that Ed Harris, Bob Odenkirk, and Courtney Cox have been enlisted for cameos, but only Harris has been confirmed (he'll play Simon's agent Neal Saroyan).
Stella Meghie (The Photograph) had been tapped to direct multiple episodes. Destin Daniel Cretton - who we now know will also helm Spider-Man: Brand New Day - will reportedly direct the first two episodes and is on board as a writer along with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 30 Rock, and Community scribe Andrew Guest, who will also serve as showrunner.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.