Marvel Just Referenced a Forgotten Canon MCU Moment (But They’re Still Missing the Biggest Character)

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown so complex that inconsistencies are bound to happen. Each new movie or series feels the pressure to connect to everything that came before, which can be overwhelming for viewers who are new to the franchise or just want to enjoy a single story. Marvel has also experimented with short films, like the “One-Shots” from the early phases, that both expanded the universe’s backstory and hinted at future storylines with new characters and ideas.

The new Marvel series Wonder Man on Disney+ features the return of Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, the quirky actor who previously posed as a terrorist for the villain from Iron Man 3. We last saw Slattery in a magical dimension with Shang-Chi, but now he’s unexpectedly back in Hollywood, bringing some obscure Marvel history with him. This has fans wondering if the show will finally deliver on long-awaited storylines and promises.

Wonder Man Acknowledges Trevor Slattery’s Forgotten Chapter of the MCU

The MCU short film “All Hail the King,” released with the home version of Thor: The Dark World, is particularly well-known. It cleverly changed the backstory of a major villain and hinted at the comeback of another.

This short film takes place after Iron Man 3. Trevor Slattery, the actor who pretended to be the Mandarin, is in Seagate Prison, and surprisingly, he’s become a celebrity inmate. When a documentary filmmaker interviews him, it makes Justin Hammer, another villain from the Iron Man films, jealous. The film ends with the revelation that the documentarian is actually working for the real Ten Rings organization, sent to rescue Trevor so he can be judged by the true Mandarin, Xu Wenwu. This is where we find Trevor at the beginning of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: he’s been held captive in Wenwu’s basement for years, forced to entertain him as a court jester. But what about the other villain hinted at in the original short film?

When Is Justin Hammer Returning to the MCU?

Since his arrest at the end of Iron Man 2, Sam Rockwell’s character, Justin Hammer, hasn’t appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hammer attempted to outdo Tony Stark by developing his own advanced armor, and he enlisted the help of Ivan Vanko, a Russian prisoner, to do so. Vanko created new armor and drones, but his plans nearly caused disaster at the Stark Expo before Iron Man and War Machine intervened.

As a longtime Marvel fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the tech side of the MCU, ever since the days of Iron Man 2. It’s been amazing to see it grow with things like A.I.M., Extremis, and all the cool nanotechnology, plus the introduction of so many smart and competitive people in the tech world – from Hank Pym and Riri Williams to Shuri and Wakanda, and even those like Sonny Birch at Roxxon. But honestly, one thing has really bothered me: where’s Justin Hammer? That rivalry between Stark and Hammer felt like a really missed opportunity, and it’s a shame because Sam Rockwell is so incredibly talented. It’s been frustrating to watch him shine in films like Moon, Vice, and JoJo Rabbit, and then completely steal the show with a single scene in The White Lotus – it just reminds me of what could have been in the MCU!

Despite reprising his role as Justin Hammer in the animated Marvel series What If…? (specifically the episode “What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?”), it’s surprising that Jeff Bridges hasn’t appeared in a live-action Marvel movie since Iron Man 2.

You can currently see Trevor Slattery in Wonder Man and Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, both available to stream on Disney+. Join the conversation and share your thoughts about the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-01 16:42