Wonder Man Cast, Director, Writer, And More Details
As Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios continue to build the next era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's getting harder than ever to keep track of not only what our favorite heroes are up to, but where exactly they might be in the rapidly expanding universe. And with the multiverse door now wide open, it's only going to get trickier moving forward. And yet, the MCU continues to expand at an exponential rate, with new heroes and villains swinging into action with the release of virtually every new Marvel project.
The MCU's increasingly overstuffed slate of supers is soon to get a little bigger and a whole lot stronger as Feige and company have announced a new series fronting one of the most powerful beings in the annals of Marvel Comics. That being is none other than Simon Williams, who's better known to the Marvel Comics-loving masses as the mighty Wonder Man. And yes, that series will be joining the ranks of Marvel's Disney+ streaming shows in the near future. Here's everything we know about "Wonder Man" so far.
When will Wonder Man be released?
As we wait to see how Marvel bosses approach the origin of "Wonder Man," we're also waiting to find out exactly when the series will make its Disney+ debut. And if decades-plus worth of scheduling Jenga has taught us anything, it's that Team Marvel can be pretty fluid when it comes to release dates.
Notably, "Wonder Man" was halted by the 2023 Hollywood strikes. News of this emerged in May, barely a month after the series began production. Another wrinkle emerged in October 2023, when reports of major upheaval at Marvel Studios, particularly regarding the studio's TV wing, sent shockwaves across the internet. Joanna Robinson, author of "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios," told "The Watch" podcast, "They're trashing the 'Wonder Man' project." It's unclear if she used "trashing" to mean cancelation of the entire series, or a total revamp of the current approach.
Such a report should be taken with a grain of salt, especially since Deadline recently reported that "Wonder Man" is scheduled to resume shooting after Thanksgiving. But shortly after this news broke, podcaster John Rocha came through with another attention-grabbing report. "The idea that [Cretton's] going to be working on the 'Wonder Man' series is cover," Rocha remarked. "From what I'm being told, the actors were told to move on from the 'Wonder Man' series and, if they were going to do it, they were gonna be starting from scratch."
What is the plot of Wonder Man?
"So," fans might be thinking, "What's the 'Wonder Man' series going to be about?" The obvious answer is that "Wonder Man" will be an origin story for another super-powered addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But according to reports, that origin story may be a bit different than the one Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Don Heck conjured for the pages of Marvel Comics. As longtime fans know, Simon Williams' rise to the rank of hero was actually fueled by a contentious business relationship with Tony Stark, whose company essentially bankrupted the one run by Williams' family.
You might also know that Williams turned to the nefarious Baron Zemo to gain his superpowers and that he initially used them for evil before breaking good and hooking up with the Avengers. Now, given Zemo's fiercely anti-superpowers stance in the current MCU, a team-up seems unlikely, and with Stark long-gone from the MCU, the "Wonder Man" team might need to find a new way into the action. It seems they've done just that, with reports stating that Yayha Abdul-Mateen's Williams will be a failed actor and that "Wonder Man" will, at least in part, be a sort of Hollywood satire in the vein of the Marvel hero's solo comic from the early '90s. The return of Trevor Slattery would seem to back up those reports.
As exciting as that prospect is, there's been no official word from Marvel regarding the plot for "Wonder Man," so we'll just have to wait and see how creatives approach the character.
Who is starring in Wonder Man?
As is the case with every new MCU project, the first question asked by most is, "Who's playing the hero?" Even Marvel haters might agree the team has largely hit the bullseye with their casting choices, and they've likely done it again with "Wonder Man," casting rising superstar Yahya Abdul-Mateen in the title role. The actor has, of course, earned raves in recent years for his work in major films like "Us," "Watchmen," "Candyman," and "The Matrix: Resurrections," though he's perhaps best known for playing the villainous Manta in DC's "Aquaman" films. Given his blockbuster pedigree, there's little reason to think he won't excel in his role with Marvel.
Abdul-Mateen will have a little help in the transition, as he'll be joined in "Wonder Man" by MCU alum Sir Ben Kingsley. The legendary actor made his Marvel debut in "Iron Man 3," portraying Trevor Slattery, a hapless actor hired to play a version of the villainous Mandarin. Kingsley reprised the role in 2021's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and will once again play the part in "Wonder Man." Per reports, Slattery plays a big role in the upcoming series, and that should more than please the Marvel fandom.
Rumors abound about Ed Harris joining the series' cast, though Marvel has not confirmed these reports. We do, however, know that "The Walking Dead" universe alums Lauren Glazier and Demetrius Grosse are on board for recurring roles, with the latter reportedly playing the primary villain Grim Reaper.
Who is directing episodes of Wonder Man?
As it happens, Marvel has tabbed another MCU alum to guide "Wonder Man" through production, with "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" helmer Destin Daniel Cretton serving as the series' executive producer. Cretton will also direct the first two episodes of "Wonder Man." He will then cede the "Wonder Man" director's chair to a number of notable filmmakers including James Ponsoldt and Stella Meghie. Ponsoldt is largely known for his work in the indie realm, earning raves for "The Spectacular Now" and "The End of the Tour." Most recently, he's called "action" on celebrated shows like "Sorry For Your Loss," "Daisy Jones and the Six," and "Shrinking."
Meghie will bring more indie cred to the mix, having directed the 2017 teen soap "Everything Everything," the 2018 comedy "The Weekend," and 2020's marvelous relationship drama "The Photograph" (starring Zendaya and Lakeith Stanfield). Meghie has also directed episodes of "Grown-ish," "Insecure," and "Minx." It should be fascinating to see those talented filmmakers working on a Marvel-sized canvas.
Who is writing Wonder Man?
Fans of the "Wonder Man" source material should be more than encouraged that the series has an MCU veteran calling the shots in the writer's room. That vet is Andrew Guest, who recently worked as a consulting producer on Marvel's "Hawkeye" streaming series, helping make it one of the more memorable offerings in the MCU's arguably hit-or-miss streaming slate.
Guest, who will serve as head writer and showrunner of the series, boasts a resume that ranges well beyond the world of the MCU. He actually cut his teeth working alongside Tina Fey on NBC's beloved and eerily prophetic sitcom "30 Rock." From there, he went on to pen episodes of the network's cult hit comedy "Community" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," which he also produced. Guest also earned credits on Jordan Peele's "The Twilight Zone" reboot as well as the period sports comedy "Brockmire," and is currently listed along with Dan Harmon as co-writer of the soon-to-shoot "Community: The Movie."
How does Wonder Man fit into the MCU at large?
Even murkier than when "Wonder Man" will hit Disney+ is exactly how the hero and his series fit into the increasingly convoluted puzzle that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given the timeline of the series' production, one could assume the gateway for Simon Williams' MCU entry has already been opened. And as it happens, James Gunn almost opened it years ago via an infamous cut sequence from "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2." But in the current MCU canon, it may actually (nay, hilariously) fall to Trevor Slattery to rope Williams into the super-powered ranks.
As far as narrative journeys go for Williams' MCU tenure, well, he's a pretty heavy player in Marvel Comics canon, so options abound. The most obvious among them is Williams' lengthy entanglement with Scarlet Witch, with the couple serving as one of Marvel's more complex romantic pairings over the years. That romance eventually soured, of course, and with Scarlet Witch's status in the current MCU timeline very much in question, it's unclear how easily Marvel could bring the characters together. The same goes for Williams' other regular comic book buddy, Beast, who may or may not even be a part of the X-Men team Kevin Feige is planning for the MCU. After all, we still have no idea when the mutant heroes will show up.
There are dozens of other ways for the "Wonder Man" team to go, with Williams front and center for loads of West Coast Avengers action and the MCU already fronting members of that team. But however he fits into the MCU puzzle, Marvel fans should be stoked to finally see Wonder Man in action.