Wonder Man is now streaming in its entirety on Disney+, and like Echo, it's billed as a largely standalone "Marvel Spotlight" series. There are still plenty of connections to the wider MCU, though, even if we don't currently know what's next for Simon Williams.
The show doesn't end with the promise that Simon "will return" anywhere, never mind a movie like this December's Avengers: Doomsday. However, the potential exists for the actor to become a major player in this shared world.
In this feature, we're taking a closer look at the ways Wonder Man ties into the wider MCU and sets up future stories. Season 2 could become a reality if Marvel and Disney+ (and the fans) want one, but the events of this show are likely to be felt well beyond Simon.
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5. Is Cloak & Dagger Canon?
Marvel Studios originally planned to ignore the original Marvel Television's shows, hence the presence of a completely different Darkhold in WandaVision, for example.
While Kevin Feige and company won't be beholden to creative decisions made in the likes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Runaways, Wonder Man opens the door to Cloak & Dagger being MCU canon. In the two-season series, Roxxon was similarly responsible for the teleportation powers granted to Tyrone Johnson's Cloak...which aren't all that different from Doorman's.
We don't necessarily think Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt's Cloak and Dagger will show up anytime soon, but this is another example of Marvel Studios fleshing out the street-level corners of this franchise.
4. The DODC's Struggles
The Department of Damage Control believes that Simon Williams is a danger, but that's not the only reason they want to bring him in. It turns out that the Government is asking questions about the cost-effectiveness of its largely empty Supermax Prison.
Abomination (who isn't mentioned in Wonder Man) broke out already, and the DODC desperately wants to find a noteworthy prisoner in need of a security detail. With Destin Daniel Cretton also working on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, you can likely figure out the tie-in.
While the DODC does eventually capture "The Mandarin," Spidey still being on the organisation's radar in the wall-crawler's next movie could explain why they're so desperate to bring him in. We'd also be shocked if there's not some reference to this latest breakout.
3. Another MCU Mutant
While it's never outright confirmed, all signs point to Simon Williams being another of the MCU's undiscovered mutants. His powers first made themselves known when he hit puberty at 13, and there's no mention of any accidents or alien artefacts.
Marvel Studios acquired the rights to the X-Men in 2019, so making the odd character a mutant is an easy way to give characters powers without getting too convoluted (in the comics, Wonder Man's powers are tied to Baron Zemo and The Grim Reaper).
Do we think Simon will eventually fight alongside Cyclops and Wolverine? Nah. However, we'd be shocked if Avengers: Doomsday doesn't address the absence of the X-Men on the Sacred Timeline.
2. Josh Gad's Will Return
In one of Wonder Man's standout episodes, we learn more about why Hollywood outlawed superpowered individuals on film and TV sets. Shooting Cash Grab 2, Frozen star Josh Gad climbed into Doorman...and never came out again.
It's a funny moment in many ways, but also one that highlights the dangers of using someone with superpowers in that setting. It's no wonder then that Simon is so worried about revealing what he's capable of, especially as he's a ticking time bomb.
Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest has confirmed that, if Season 2 does happen somewhere down the line, we'll learn what became of Gad. This doesn't really mean much to the wider MCU, but it's a big plot point from this corner of the franchise.
1. Simon Williams: Fugitive
In some respects, Wonder Man ends on an ambiguous note. Yes, the DODC knows that Simon is dangerous—or a potentially useful ally/tool—but they have no proof that he broke Trevor Slattery out of the Supermax.
Simon makes a point of disabling one of the security cameras, and we can't imagine that the guard will identify him after that huge sum of money the "Wonder Man" star deposits in his account. With that in mind, it's possible he will return to Hollywood and continue acting.
Still, after achieving his dream by playing Wonder Man, something tells us Simon is finally going to reveal his true self to the world. Does that mean he becomes a superhero? A fugitive on the run from Trevor? Whatever the answer, we need his story to continue...