Trust Me, Wonder Man is Nothing Like You Expect (It’s So Much Better) [Review]

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Forget what you think you know about Marvel shows – Wonder Man is different. Unlike other Marvel projects that only slightly stray from the norm, this one truly breaks the mold. Without giving away too much, despite suggestions of a typical superhero battle, Wonder Man actively avoids that kind of climax and does something unexpected.

I’ve been completely captivated by Wonder Man. It’s not what I expected at all – it feels like a really unique blend of shows I love, like Atlanta and The Studio, with a superhero element that’s present, but doesn’t overwhelm everything. The comedy, especially with Andrew Guest’s history on Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, feels so natural and clever – a huge relief compared to some other superhero shows that try too hard to be funny. Honestly, it’s a surprisingly brilliant and quirky show, and I think everyone should give it a chance. It might not be perfect, but there are moments when it genuinely feels like a masterpiece.

Rating: 4 out of 5

PROS CONS
Yahya Abdul-Mateen & Ben Kingsley are both excellent It slows down in the middle too much
Bold avoidance of typical MCU tropes I do wish I’d known a little more about Simon’s past
Exceptional but not distracting humor The “villains” are a little under-developed
One of the best episodes of MCU TV ever
Truly great cameos

The movie is pretty much what the trailers suggest: it centers around Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s character trying to land the role of Wonder Man in a superhero film remake. The marketing isn’t misleading at all. While there are other storylines – like why Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery is back and what Wonder Man’s powers are – revealing those would spoil the plot. Just know those elements are important and there’s some action involving a chase, but the core of the movie is about the character’s acting career, and it allows for a lot of clever, self-aware humor.

Wonder Man Is Way More of a Comedy Than You’d Think

Let me tell you, this project is full of surprises, and I am here for it! The music is all over the place in the best way – honestly, it might even be better than the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ soundtracks. And the humor? Seriously funny. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times – yes, I’m one of those people who says ‘LOL’! – especially during the amazing cameos from Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano, who both play themselves. Gad’s musical number is pure joy, and the detail in the movie posters Pantoliano has in his house? Genius. But the best part? The finale brilliantly connects back to an earlier joke with Pantoliano. It’s genuinely the smartest payoff I’ve seen in the entire MCU.

Wonder Man isn’t like some other Marvel shows where the humor feels forced. It’s a comedy first and foremost, often leaning into silliness, but it also has genuinely serious and even violent moments, along with familiar elements from the MCU. However, those MCU connections are relatively minor. The show is primarily a character study of Simon and Trevor, briefly touching on difficult themes like family issues and personal identity. Despite dealing with these subjects, it avoids being preachy, so hopefully, it won’t attract unnecessary online drama. And to anyone looking for something to be outraged about: please, just mature a little.

Wonder Man’s Middle Sags A Little Too Much

The show starts off really well, building to a fantastic and funny standalone episode, “Doorman,” in episode 4. If the whole series had maintained that quality, it would be truly exceptional. However, the shortened runtime of episode 5 – only 23 minutes, or about 16 without the intro and credits – hinted at trouble. Marvel shows sometimes struggle with maintaining momentum in the middle, and unfortunately, episodes 5, 6, and 7 are noticeably weaker. While there are still good ideas, the story feels rushed and slows down considerably.

I don’t want to focus too much on small details, but the “Marvel Spotlight” branding is a little confusing. It claims these shows aren’t connected to the main MCU, but like with the show Echo, Wonder Man quickly proves that’s not entirely true. To fully understand important parts of the story – specifically the DODC and Trevor’s history as the “Mandarin” – you really need to have watched other Marvel movies and shows. So, “Marvel Spotlight” seems to mean “you don’t need to watch everything in the MCU, but you definitely need to see these specific releases.” It’s not a huge deal, but if you haven’t seen Iron Man 3, this show won’t make much sense.

Final Thoughts On Wonder Man

I really wrestled with giving this show a final rating. I’m confident it’s at least a 3.5 out of 5, but deciding on that last half-star was tough. However, when I remember how surprisingly enjoyable Ben Kingsley’s character, Trevor, turned out to be – I initially found him irritating, but his last couple of episodes were fantastic – and especially the great connection between him and Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s Simon, I knew where I stood. There are even moments where the show feels like a full 5 stars, like the entire “Doorman” episode, and I appreciated the clever and realistic humor about the entertainment industry.

At this point, it’s important to emphasize that Wonder Man truly focuses on both Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery. While the show is named after Williams, it wouldn’t have been as effective if it only followed him, and it’s clear why the creators also wanted to explore Trevor’s story. I definitely want to see more – I’d love for them to address some of the unanswered questions (the show doesn’t really solve the mystery surrounding Simon, surprisingly), and the potential for a follow-up hinted at in the finale is exciting. Ultimately, a hero as strong as Simon deserves attention, and the challenge will be figuring out how to incorporate him into the larger story, especially since Wonder Man seems to deliberately avoid connecting to the wider universe. But that’s something to consider for the future.

The entire first season of Wonder Man—all 8 episodes—will be available to stream on Disney+ starting January 27th. Let us know what you think! Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum.

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2026-01-23 07:41