Marvel’s upcoming Wonder Man series is meant to be easily enjoyed even if you haven’t seen much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s part of the Marvel Spotlight collection, which focuses on stories you can jump into without needing a lot of background knowledge. While the show includes fun nods and connections to other Marvel projects like The Eternals and Season 2 of Loki, these aren’t crucial to understanding the main story. There’s just one exception to this approach.
Episode 4 of Wonder Man is widely considered the strongest of the series so far. As Darren Mooney put it, it’s among the best work Marvel has ever produced – a powerful story about the costs of fame, the dangers of exploitation, and how the entertainment industry can mistreat talented people of color. The episode focuses on the character of Doorman, a relatively obscure figure in Marvel comics who gained his abilities after being exposed to a strange substance. This leads to a fascinating exploration of deeper, lesser-known aspects of the Marvel universe.
The Black Goo Comes From Roxxon
A doorman found a strange, black substance while taking out the trash, and simply touching it changed him. The trash came from Roxxon, a company that deals with energy and first appeared in a 1974 Captain America comic. Initially, Roxxon caused problems for Iron Man as a rival to Stark Industries. However, recent comics have positioned them as enemies of Thor, especially since the company is now led by a minotaur named Dario Agger.
Roxxon has been a presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the very first Iron Man movie in 2008, with its logo appearing in the background. The company has been mentioned and shown in several other films and series, including Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Loki, She-Hulk, and Echo, with a recent appearance even in Captain America: Brave New World. However, a recent connection involving a character called Doorman doesn’t tie into the main MCU storyline. Instead, it’s a nod to older Marvel television shows that weren’t previously considered official canon – but that may be changing.
Roxxon’s Wonder Man Role is a Direct Callback to Agent Carter… And Cloak & Dagger
Keeping track of everything that’s ‘official’ in Marvel – what truly counts as part of the main storyline – requires understanding some behind-the-scenes history. In 2015, a disagreement between Marvel leaders Ike Perlmutter and Kevin Feige caused Disney to divide the company. Feige oversaw the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and shows, while Perlmutter stayed in charge of the broader Marvel Entertainment. This created tension, and many of the TV shows made before Disney+ launched were increasingly seen as separate from the main MCU story.
While the Marvel movies have mentioned Roxxon, the television side of Marvel really explored the company and showed it to be quite corrupt. They even connected Roxxon to the villainous group known as the Hand, who appeared in The Defenders. The Roxxon seen in Wonder Man especially draws from two TV shows: Agent Carter and Cloak & Dagger. Season 2 of Agent Carter centered on Isodyne Energy’s attempts to control a powerful, black substance called Zero Matter – which looks just like the substance in Wonder Man. Later, Agents of SHIELD revealed that Roxxon bought Isodyne, effectively making Agents of SHIELD part of the official backstory for Wonder Man as well.
The show Cloak & Dagger introduced a substance called Zero Matter, which was later renamed Darkforce. Being exposed to Darkforce gave the character Cloak the power to enter a dimension known as the Darkforce Dimension, turning his body into a shadowy gateway for teleportation. This concept is very similar to the character Doorman from Wonder Man, and while the dimensions weren’t exactly the same, the resemblance was noticeable. Ultimately, this single episode of Wonder Man appears to make connections to three different Marvel television series.
After Wonder Man, It’s Time to Reassess What’s MCU Canon
The past issues between Marvel Studios and Marvel Television, along with Ike Perlmutter’s involvement, are now in the past. The main Marvel Cinematic Universe is starting to include elements from those older shows. For example, the new Daredevil: Born Again series directly continues the story from the popular Netflix Daredevil show, and the latest trailer even brings back Jessica Jones. So, it’s not surprising we’re seeing nods to other Marvel TV shows. Wonder Man handles this continuity particularly well – it includes references that are substantial but don’t distract from the main story.
Wonder Man smartly avoids diving deep into complex backstory that might confuse general audiences. It trusts viewers to recognize existing connections, letting dedicated fans piece together how it fits into the larger MCU timeline. This approach could potentially integrate several Marvel Television shows into official canon – even series like Runaways, considering its connection to Cloak & Dagger. However, it’s handled so subtly that continuity doesn’t become the main point, and that’s likely the most effective way to weave everything together.
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2026-01-29 16:40