Wonder Man’s Ending Sets Up The Forgotten MCU Series Iron Man Teased 10 Years Ago

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Marvel’s upcoming plans for 2026 are starting strong with a standout series, Wonder Man, which introduces Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show proves Marvel can still be innovative and surprising. Wonder Man is a bold and creative project that’s noteworthy for what it doesn’t do – it skips the typical superhero origin story and avoids lengthy explanations of powers, leaving many questions unanswered. This creates a lot to unpack, so be warned: the following contains SPOILERS for Wonder Man.

The most interesting part of Wonder Man is a subtle clue at the end about its potential future. If the show continues and we see more of Simon Williams in the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be great to see them delve into the full extent of his abilities and create a conflict between him and the Department of Damage Control. This would connect to an idea first presented by Tony Stark years ago and feel like a natural progression of the story.

What Happens at the End of Wonder Man?

The exciting finale of Wonder Man involves Simon unintentionally unleashing his powers, causing a hangar to collapse and attracting the attention of the DODC. Just when things look hopeless, Trevor Slattery appears in a video claiming he’s the real Mandarin and responsible for the attack on the Wonder Man set – a retaliation against what he sees as Hollywood’s manipulative tactics. He explains that revealing his “true” identity as Trevor was all a trick to help him carry out the next phase of his plan against what he considers American excess. Trevor is arrested, and Simon successfully stars in Wonder Man, with Joe Pantoliano stepping in to brilliantly play Barnaby, replacing Trevor.

When the movie comes out, Simon instantly becomes famous. Director Von Kovak even hints at making a sequel, despite previously saying he wouldn’t. However, Simon is focused on preparing for his next project, and he does this by observing a working-class man. The story takes a surprising turn when it’s revealed the man works at a high-security government prison, and Simon has been using their connection – secretly paying the man enough to pay off his debts and retire – to gain access. Finally, we see Simon fully unleash his powers, rescuing Trevor and using his ionic energy to fly out of the prison to freedom.

There’s No Wonder Man Post-Credits Scene

While the credits for Wonder Man are lengthy, there aren’t any extra scenes after they finish – no hints about a second season or a future appearance of the hero in Avengers: Doomsday. The movie simply ends when the credits do.

Is Simon Williams A Superhero In Wonder Man’s Ending

The ending of Wonder Man could easily be seen as Simon fully embracing the role of Wonder Man – either as a true hero or, at the very least, a vigilante, especially since he breaks into a government agency to free Trevor Slattery. This would technically make him a criminal, and the DODC would definitely be after him to recover what was stolen. However, he doesn’t become Wonder Man; that wouldn’t fit, considering Wonder Man is a character he portrays in a movie within the show. He doesn’t even wear the costume or the character’s signature sunglasses when he rescues Trevor. Ultimately, Simon Williams isn’t Wonder Man because Wonder Man isn’t a real person – he’s a fictional character.

Will Simon Williams become Wonder Man? It’s possible, though it feels strange considering the established story. He definitely can’t return to his acting career, not unless the Department of Damage Control successfully covers up his escape from prison. Agent Cleary hinted he could be either a dangerous enemy or a valuable ally – could Simon be forced to work for the government? We’ll explore that possibility further soon.

How Powerful Simon Williams Is (And How He Got Them)

Simon Williams is an incredibly powerful hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, on par with the strongest heroes like Superman. The show only hints at his full potential, briefly showcasing his ability to generate powerful energy blasts (sometimes by accident), manipulate technology, fly, and demonstrate immense strength. What we’ve seen so far is likely just a fraction of what he’s truly capable of.

We don’t currently know where Simon gets his powers. In the original comic books, Baron Zemo gave him superpowers through an experiment, resulting in super strength and invincibility. However, Zemo also poisoned Simon, needing to provide a regular antidote to keep him alive and maintain control. The new Wonder Man series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t explain the origin of his powers, but that might be revealed later on.

Another idea is that Simon might be a mutant, which would explain why he doesn’t have a typical origin story for his powers. This also aligns with previous suggestions that Destin Daniel Cretton could be involved in future X-Men projects. Perhaps “Wonder Man” will ultimately connect more to the X-Men than to the Avengers.

How Wonder Man’s Ending Sets Up The Future

If Wonder Man gets a second season, it will likely focus on the escalating conflict between Simon and the Department of Defense Containment (DODC) following Trevor Slattery’s escape. The season finale strongly hints at this future, with Cleary revealing Simon possesses ionic powers – opening up possibilities to explore how he got them and the extent of his abilities. Plus, the situation with Trevor suggests the DODC might attempt to bring him onto their team.

For years, Marvel has considered creating a spin-off series focused on the Department of Damage Control (DODC). Around ten years ago, a show was seriously discussed, and Tyne Daly even played DODC Director Anne Marie Hoag in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, the initial concept – a team simply cleaning up after superhero battles – didn’t quite work. Marvel then reimagined the DODC as an investigative group formed after the events of Civil War. By the time they appeared in Ms. Marvel, their main job was to monitor individuals with potentially dangerous superpowers, essentially serving as a remnant of the Sokovia Accords.

The most exciting possibility for Wonder Man Season 2 involves the future of Damage Control. If the show continues, it should focus on a full-season conflict between Damage Control and superheroes, instead of just using them as minor villains. We’ve already seen hints that Damage Control is recruiting people with superpowers, which could give Wonder Man a more challenging opponent than ordinary humans. This would be a great way to finally explore the Damage Control storyline originally introduced in Homecoming, and hopefully, that’s the direction the show will take.

Could “Wonder Man” Become An Avenger?

As a huge Marvel fan, it just doesn’t make sense that Simon has flown under the Avengers’ radar for so long – the guy is seriously powerful! Honestly, if we weren’t heading towards this massive Doomsday and Secret Wars event, I think Earth’s mightiest heroes would definitely be looking into a supervillain who just pulled off a prison break. But right now, they’ve got way bigger problems to worry about.

As a huge Marvel fan, I’m a little surprised to think we might see Simon back so quickly – it feels like his return needs some proper setup. But Secret Wars is a game-changer, really. It basically lets them bring anyone back from any part of the Marvel universe, which opens the door for Simon to reappear. Still, I’m guessing it’s more likely we’ll see him emerge after whatever’s left of the MCU following Secret Wars – like rising from the ashes, so to speak.

You can now watch all 8 episodes of Wonder Man on Disney+. We want to know what you thought of the show! Share your opinions in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum.

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2026-01-28 05:12