When it comes to MCU shows, Wonder Man is a breath of fresh air.
There’s no belabored origin story, no sludgy CGI climax, and, apart from needing a bit of knowledge of Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, not much homework required. Instead, Marvel’s latest series is a delightful portrait of a bromance — one that’s at its best when it isn’t focused on all of Marvel’s superhero trappings.
What’s Wonder Man about?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in “Wonder Man.”
Credit: Marvel Television
Within the world of the show, the name Wonder Man refers not to a superhero, but to a 1980s superhero film that exists in the MCU. It’s a childhood favorite of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor in Hollywood. He’s undeniably talented, but he also overthinks every aspect of every role he plays. In our introduction to him, his suggestions about his bit role on an episode of American Horror Story risk derailing a shoot, burning every inch of goodwill he’s earned with the crew. It’s painfully funny, the kind of neurotic showbiz satire that would be right home in Emmy-winning comedy The Studio.
Don’t expect Wonder Man creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest to match that tone throughout, though. Despite centering on the casting process of an upcoming Wonder Man remake, the series doesn’t dive too deeply into the film’s actual production. Nor does it send up the making of superhero films in general, an approach that, coming from Marvel itself, could have felt fresh and self-effacing. Instead, Wonder Man (the film) holds a near-mythical quality for Simon, who has explosive superpowers himself. With this perspective, Marvel can continue to portray superhero movies through rose-colored glasses — not far off from Wonder Man’s own eyewear.
Despite the missed opportunity for some meta commentary on the superhero genre, Wonder Man more than makes up for it once Simon crosses paths with fellow struggling actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley). A bumbling Shakespeare devotee, Trevor has a checkered past (to put it mildly) playing the terrorist known as the Mandarin all the way back in Iron Man 3. Now, he’s back in Hollywood. Could the Wonder Man reboot be his shot at redemption, and Simon’s big breakout?
Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery make for a super bromance.
Ben Kingsley and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in “Wonder Man.”
Credit: Marvel Television
Right from the jump, Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley have crackling chemistry as two theater nerds desperately trying to make their dreams come true.
As Simon, Adul-Mateen II is a bundle of nerves and overpreparation. Those qualities could veer into annoying territory, yet Abdul-Mateen II manages to temper them with Simon’s clear love of acting. Others may describe him as a self-obsessed jerk — and they’d have a point! — but there’s also an endearing-ness to his inability to get out of his own head.
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If Simon is over-preparedness personified, then Trevor’s acting method is all about instinct: letting go of any pretense and finding the truth within yourself and the character. Kingsley embodies this philosophy with a hilariously chill go-with-the flow attitude, one that’s especially funny when he handwaves his prior role as a terrorist.
Pair Trevor’s industry veteran confidence with Simon’s anxious attempts to break into the big leagues, and you’ve got an odd couple bromance that lights up the small screen. It’s impossible not to smile when the two are hanging out, whether they’re quoting great monologues of stage and screen at one another or getting into chaotic car chases.
But the bromance goes past even comedy (of which there is plenty), as Wonder Man establishes Simon and Trevor as outsiders with few friends. These unlikely kindred spirits may be the best thing to ever happen to one another, and the resulting relationship is among the most rewarding in the MCU.
I would have been satisfied with a whole show of nothing but Simon and Trevor coaching each other through auditions, but of course, Marvel’s got to Marvel, and Wonder Man needs a broader superhero angle. Turns out that Simon’s superpowers could prevent him from working in Hollywood, for reasons revealed in a strangely-timed yet intriguing mid-season episode. To make matters worse, Trevor is secretly working with the Department of Damage Control in order to catch proof of Simon’s abilities.
The abilities themselves are murkily defined, and the Department of Damage Control is a relatively uninteresting adversary. However, these plot developments have grave implications for Simon and Trevor’s burgeoning friendship, creating a web of secrets that the pair try to hide from each other. But for two people obsessed with performing, and with finding truth in their performances, their respective acts may be harder to keep up than they’d initially intended. Because of this, Simon and Trevor’s secret-keeping eclipses the secrets themselves.
Really, that’s a testament to Wonder Man‘s investment in Simon and Trevor, both as individuals and as friends. Often, when I watch Marvel shows, the superhero fatigue is real. But Wonder Man is proof that sometimes all you need to turn things around is one killer bromance.
Wonder Man premieres Jan. 27 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.
