Marvel's Wonder Man Preview Unveils The MCU's Most Self-Referential TV Show To Date
Marvel has heard that viewers might be experiencing some superhero exhaustion, so they've opted to include this exact idea into their upcoming superhero series.
Indeed, the debut preview for Wonder Man has been released, and it promises a meta twist on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The preview, which premiered on Oct. 10, also subtly moved the Wonder Man launch date later from its initial end of 2025 window into early 2026.
Why one more superhero film? Everyone is tired of superheroes. Why go see them in the theater? Wonder Man spoke to me on a deep level. There is an opportunity to shock viewers. To reimagine the entire genre of narrative.
The interviewer responds: "Have you considered about casting?"
The trailer then cuts to lead actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's watching the interview on his mobile device, and the preview concludes.
What We Know Regarding Wonder Man
We were previously aware that Wonder Man would be a meta take on the MCU. The series stars Abdul-Mateen II as the character Simon Williams, a Hollywood actor who transforms into a super-powered being (Wonder Man).
The rest of the cast features actor Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Iron Man 3's Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams (aka Grim Reaper), Ed Harris as Simon's manager Neal Saroyan, and Arian Moayed coming back as Department of Damage Control officer P. Cleary.
Marvel's Self-Referential Comedy Strategy
We don't know much else about the plot of Wonder Man, but it's clear that Marvel intends to laugh at its own tropes.
In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it appears like the production company is fully committed on meta-humor. Will this approach succeed without the celebrity appeal of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman? We'll have to wait and see.
