5 Things You Need To Remember Before The New MCU Show, Wonder Man

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I’m really excited for Wonder Man to come out this week, but like with any new MCU project, I always get a little anxious about needing to brush up on all the backstory first! From what I understand, the show centers around Simon Williams, an actor trying to land the lead role in a Wonder Man movie within the universe. Apparently, this director is trying to make a superhero film that’s also considered high art, which is interesting, especially with people starting to get tired of superhero movies. The early reviews seem good, but I’m still a bit worried I’ll be totally lost if I jump in without doing some research beforehand.

You can enjoy Wonder Man even if you haven’t been following the recent Marvel movies and shows, but knowing a little about the characters beforehand will help you get the most out of it.

5) The Events of Iron Man (& Shang-Chi)

Ben Kingsley is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Wonder Man as his character, Trevor Slattery. He first appeared in Iron Man 3 pretending to be the Mandarin, but it was revealed he was just an actor. The real villain, Aldrich Killian, had hired him to create a diversion while developing a dangerous virus. The scene where Trevor exposes the truth was a highlight of Iron Man 3, and Kingsley’s performance was particularly memorable.

Ben Kingsley reprised his role as Trevor Slattery in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It was revealed that the true Mandarin had kidnapped Slattery and was forcing him to perform as a form of punishment for impersonating him. After learning the Mandarin was actually Shang-Chi’s father, Slattery joined forces with Shang-Chi and his friends to fight against the Mandarin and his Ten Rings terrorist group. As always, Kingsley delivered a captivating performance in every scene he was in.

In Wonder Man, Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor Slattery. This time, he’s playing a friend and fellow actor alongside Simon Williams, both auditioning for a movie about Wonder Man. It also appears that Damage Control is making Slattery help them capture Williams.

4) That All Hail The King Exists

Many Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are confused about what happened with Trevor Slattery between the end of Iron Man 3 and his appearance in Shang-Chi. In Iron Man 3, he was arrested along with other members of AIM after the attacks. While we later saw him kidnapped by the Mandarin in Shang-Chi, the events connecting these two appearances weren’t shown in a movie or on a streaming service. Instead, these events were detailed in a short film that was originally released as a bonus feature on DVD and Blu-ray, and was briefly available online.

The short film, titled All Hail the King, explains what happened after the events of Iron Man 3. This Marvel One-Shot focuses on Trevor Slattery, who is imprisoned, and his interview with a documentary filmmaker (Scoot McNairy). It’s a funny story because the other prisoners adore Trevor and even defend him when he’s threatened. Ultimately, it’s revealed that the filmmaker is actually working for the Ten Rings organization and was sent to break Trevor out of prison and bring him to the Mandarin.

3) Civil War Might Be Over, But Not Everyone Likes Superheroes

The disagreement between heroes that began in Captain America: Civil War appeared to be resolved with Avengers: Endgame, but the issues haven’t entirely disappeared. Recent events may have even complicated things further. During Civil War, the United States government enacted the Sokovia Accords, requiring superheroes to work under government control or operate illegally. Iron Man favored these accords, while Captain America was against them.

The Disney+ shows have established that the Sokovia Accords, which once required superheroes to register with the government, are no longer in effect. However, government agencies still try to capture individuals with powers who they consider dangerous, as seen in both Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk. It seems they backed off a little due to public backlash, but as Wonder Man demonstrates, they continue to pursue people with abilities, even if those people simply want to be left alone and aren’t actually a threat.

The Wonder Man trailer revealed that Simon Williams had to sign a contract stating he didn’t have any superpowers just to be considered for the part. Considering the events of Secret Invasion – where Skrulls secretly replaced people on Earth and the series ended with civilians killing those they thought were Skrulls – it’s obvious that people are now afraid of heroes and have lost their trust in them.

2) The History of the Department of Damage Control

The Department of Damage Control (DODC) is the organization responsible for handling problems caused by superpowered individuals. They first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: Homecoming, taking charge of the cleanup after the Battle of New York. This cleanup inadvertently led to Adrian Toomes becoming the villain known as the Vulture, as his original contract for the work was canceled, leaving him financially ruined.

Since their initial appearance, the Department of Damage Control (DODC) has consistently caused trouble. As seen in Ms. Marvel, they aggressively pursued anyone with superpowers, even attacking a school to capture teens. P. Cleary (Arian Moayed), a recurring character, is back in Wonder Man leading the effort to detain Simon Williams just for having powers. Given their willingness to attack schools and arrest teenagers, it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do to Simon Williams.

1) This is Not Your Comic Book Favorite

If you’re familiar with Wonder Man from the Marvel comics, the version in this series is quite different. While it’s technically the same character, he’s been completely reimagined. In the comics, Simon Williams was a young man who committed fraud against his family’s business hoping to rescue it. Baron Zemo and his team, the Masters of Evil, rescued him and gave him powers, but then blackmailed him into fighting the Avengers. Ultimately, Wonder Man died saving the Avengers.

I’ve been a fan of Wonder Man in the comics for years, and it’s interesting to see how his story is being adapted for the Disney+ series. It’s definitely not a direct translation, though! A lot of the classic details, like how Ultron built Vision using his brainwaves, aren’t part of this version. The one thing they do keep consistent is that Simon Williams is an actor, which is cool because that’s his life in the comics too. He does have powers, but they’re different than what you’d find in the Marvel comics. Honestly, while it’s fun for long-time fans like me to recognize elements of the character, you absolutely don’t need to know the comic book backstory to enjoy the show!

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-26 22:13