Wonder Man Brings In A Daredevil 2003 Star, But Not In The Way You'd Think

This article contains spoilers for "Wonder Man" season 1.

Marvel's "Wonder Man" series is a grounded character study that swaps multiversal mayhem for a more human story about chasing dreams. That said, when Marvel Cinematic Universe fans learned that Joe Pantoliano was part of the show's cast, they might've speculated that he would be reprising his role as Ben Urich from 2003's ill-fated "Daredevil" starring Ben Affleck. Instead, he portrays a fictionalized version of himself — a veteran actor with a history of throwing Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley) under the bus.

Pantoliano first appears in "Wonder Man" episode 2, where he hosts Slattery and Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) at his house. Williams and Slattery just need a quiet place to make a rehearsal tape. However, some awful career advice from Pantoliano leads to an argument that culminates in Williams dissing "Baby's Day Out" and storming out of the actor's mansion.

"Baby's Day Out" fans (myself included) might find the scene offensive, but it's easy to forgive Williams since the exchange leads to Pantoliano trying to worm his way into the diegetic "Wonder Man" movie. Those of you who have watched the series will know that Slattery and Williams dream of landing that project — but one of their would-be roles ultimately goes to Pantoliano instead.

Robert Altman's "The Player" has inspired multiple television shows lately — in fact, Bryan Cranston's character in "The Studio" is a deep-cut reference to the movie. The film is the ultimate satire of Hollywood, and its ending gets copied in the finale of "Wonder Man."

One of the subplots in "The Player" is about making a movie called "Habeas Corpus," a low-budget drama featuring no-name actors. By the time it makes it to the screen, though, the film is populated with A-listers and features an upbeat ending. This is similar to what happens in "Wonder Man," as the in-show movie about the eponymous superhero sees Joe Pantoliano replace Trevor Slattery, the struggling actor, in the finished product. Co-showrunner Andrew Guest talked about this scene for the show's press notes, admitting that it's a very deliberate homage to Altman's classic:

"At the very end, we're finally watching that movie ['Habeas Corpus'] on the big screen ... and it stars Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis. That gag was the inspiration for the final scene in the 'Wonder Man' movie where we bring Joe Pantoliano back."

"Wonder Man" season 1 includes an episode featuring a reporter who is obsessed with details, so Pantoliano's version of Ben Urich could've served a purpose in the show. But frankly? Casting the actor as a self-serving version of himself is arguably more entertaining than throwing in an Easter egg for an unpopular movie. That's what the "Deadpool" films are for.

"Wonder Man" is now streaming on Disney+.