Wonder Man Preview Reveals The MCU's Most Self-Referential Series To Date
The Marvel studio has heard that viewers could be experiencing some superhero fatigue, so they've opted to include this exact concept into their next superhero series.
That's right, the first trailer for Wonder Man has arrived, and it pledges a meta twist on the MCU.
The trailer, which debuted on Oct. 10, also quietly moved the Wonder Man launch date later from its initial end of 2025 slot into early 2026.
Why one more superhero film? Everyone is tired of superhero content. Why go see them in the cinema? Wonder Man spoke to me on a profound level. There is an opportunity to surprise audiences. To reimagine the whole category of storytelling.
The interviewer responds: "Have you given any thought about casting?"
The trailer then cuts to lead actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's viewing the interview on his mobile device, and the preview ends.
What We Know About Wonder Man
We were previously aware that Wonder Man would be a self-referential interpretation on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a Hollywood actor who becomes a superhero (the hero Wonder Man).
The rest of the cast includes Ben Kingsley returning 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 returning as DODC agent P. Cleary.
The Studio's Meta-Humor Approach
We don't know much else about the plot of Wonder Man, but it's clear that the studio plans to laugh at its own tropes.
In the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine, it appears like the studio is fully committed on meta-humor. Will that work without the star power of its previous leads? Only time will tell.