Wonder Man Review: A Grounded Character Study That Pulls Back The Curtain On The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Back in November of 2023, Marvel Studios announced the "Marvel Spotlight" banner for select series that would focus on more grounded, character-driven stories that wouldn't have a massive impact on the larger narrative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These would be shows that casual fans could dip into without feeling like they needed to "do homework" to understand what was going on, and launched with the Disney+ series, "Echo."

The latest addition to this series is Destin Daniel Cretton's "Wonder Man," the eight-episode limited series centered on the titular hero, Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. "Wonder Man" follows aspiring actor Simon Williams, who has been grinding in the industry for a decade. He's a talented actor and certainly handsome enough to play a leading man, but his habit of making shoot days run longer with suggestions for different line reads or blocking makes him a nightmare for productions. But after an unlikely meeting with Trevor Slattery at a screening of "Midnight Cowboy" (give a raise to whoever got Disney to sign off on that pull), he learns that a major studio is remaking "Wonder Man," the superhero movie that made him want to become an actor in the first place. There's just one problem: superpowered individuals aren't allowed to be actors.

Wonder Man is generally considered a B-tier hero in the Marvel canon despite possessing A-tier powers of ionic energy, so for casual Marvel fans, this take on the character will become the definitive version in their minds. Fortunately, "Wonder Man" is a grounded, mature character study that pulls back the curtain on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and finally does something to solidify the importance of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," by bringing back Trevor Slattery/The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

"Wonder Man" is the antithesis of the intergalactic, multiverse-hopping, galaxy-eating villainy dominating many of the MCU's most recent adventures (save for my precious emotional gut-punch babies, the "Thunderbolts*"), far more interested in exploring how non-Avengers level superhumans navigate the world. Simon Williams has superpowers, yes, but he views them as an obstacle to following his dreams. He frequents the repertory theaters across Los Angeles like they're religious institutions to learn from the very best, and he's the kind of guy who meets a celebrity and brings up one of the lesser-known roles instead of the one they're most famous for playing.

For self-professed movie lovers, it's a passion that makes Williams instantly relatable. Even when he is so clearly sabotaging his own career by being overly-eager on the set of "American Horror Story" to the point of getting fired from the show, we still root for him because we know his heart is pure. He and Trevor Slattery bond over movies and the art of acting, with the former looking for his big break and the latter looking to revitalize his career. He's very much in line with the characterization we saw during the one-shot "All Hail the King," now showcasing the end-result of what happens when a person leans into the worst possible stereotypes about pretentious actors.

"Wonder Man" doesn't shy away from the nuts-and-bolts of how movie magic is actually made, and the requisite heartbreak that comes with it. Digital worlds chroma key replaced on blue screens are traded out for romantic shots of Los Angeles and the movie-making industry that defines much of its aesthetic, instilling the same love Williams has for Hollywood within the audience.

"Wonder Man" episode 4, "Doorman," pivots away from the main story and instead tells a standalone story about DeMarr Davis, aka Doorman (Byron Bowers), the superhero responsible for the "Doorman Clause," a Hollywood ban on superpowers in film/TV productions, requiring actors to sign waivers confirming they aren't superhuman. Presented entirely in black and white, boasting some of the best cinematography of the entire season, and working from an air-tight script from Zeke Nicholson, "Doorman" quickly joins the ranks of other all-time-great one-off episodes like "A Dark Quiet Death" from "Mythic Quest" and, more recently, "Hunter" from "Heated Rivalry." It's the perfect encapsulation of "show, don't tell," allowing the gravity of how the Doorman Clause has impacted aspiring actors like Simon Williams to be truly felt and understood by the audience.

It's also impossible not to see the Doorman Clause as an overreaction from the industry, and see the parallels to the myriad ways actors have had to stifle aspects of their identity to pursue their dreams. Simon being forced to hide his superpowers is not unlike those who have changed their names to sound "less ethnic," changed their physical appearances to more align with white, Eurocentric beauty standards, kept their opinions on political regimes and global atrocities close to the chest, or spent many years in the closet. Superhero stories have always existed to draw parallels to real-life issues and give power back to those who are made to feel powerless, and the "Doorman" is a shining example of that evergreen truth.

Marvel could have elected to mention the Doorman Clause in passing — and if this were a movie, they most certainly would have — but by digging deep, they've delivered one of the best episodes of Marvel Television, yet.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is full steam ahead on "Avengers: Doomsday," a film that is still keeping its storyline mysterious and clearly banking on the promise of Every Superhero You've Ever Loved making an appearance at some point, more intimate stories like "Wonder Man" are what give me genuine hope for the future of Marvel. Now that James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe is well underway, Marvel finally has some genuine, creative competition in the capes and tights category. If they're going to survive, they need to continue crafting projects with characters that people care about, and that means introducing non-Avengers mainstays with quality stories that give viewers a reason to have a new favorite hero. These smaller-scale projects feel less concerned with spectacle for spectacle's sake and more interested in why these characters exist in the first place. They remind audiences that the MCU wasn't built solely on crossover events, but on compelling individuals whose personal journeys made those larger moments resonate. I'll admit that I was barely familiar with Wonder Man/Simon Williams before this show, but with "Wonder Man" my heartiest introduction, he's become an instant favorite. 

And it's because the best heroes in life are the ones that are equal parts aspirational and relatable; the ones that inspire us not because they can save the world with a snap of their fingers, but because they struggle, doubt themselves, and still try to do the right thing. These are the characters who make us feel like heroism isn't some unreachable ideal, but something rooted in everyday choices. By telling more intimate stories like "Wonder Man," Marvel taps back into that core strength — reminding us that heroes matter most when they feel human first, and super second.

/Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10

"Wonder Man" premieres on January 27, 2026 on Disney+.