by Kaylon Coleman
Whether you’ve been keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) lately or not, you’re probably familiar with its recent inconsistencies in quality. It feels like the company’s only hitting 50% from the free throw. Each release flip flops from practically peak to just god awful, with a good bit of mid-tier cinema sprinkled throughout. Well, the tides have shifted into our favor once more. I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t watch Wonder Man because it’s a good MCU show, you should watch Wonder Man because it’s a great show in its own right.
What originally began as a potential tax write-off has turned into so much more. The eight episode series was released on Jan. 27, and unlike most shows under the Disney+ catalogue, it became the second show to drop all episodes at once, after Echo in January of 2024. Although I believe Disney did this as a result of little faith in the show’s success, I believe it worked out in their favor, as Wonder Man is extremely bingeable and just wouldn’t benefit from that week-by-week schedule as much as other shows have.
The show follows Simon Williams, a struggling actor with superpowers who is determined to be cast in his dream role — played amazingly by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He mostly shares the screen alongside Ben Kingsley, who reprises his role as Trevor Slattery, the actor who pretended to be the Mandarin in Iron Man 3 and also appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This duo surprisingly shares an onscreen chemistry like no other.
Besides both lead actors absolutely killing it in their roles, this show sets itself apart from the other MCU shows because it understands how to focus on the characters first, and the action second. Simon isn’t a hero or a vigilante crime fighter like other Marvel characters; he’s an actor who happens to have superpowers. The show focuses much more on personal identity and ambition than it does sci-fi and villainy. In fact, I think the weakest parts of the show come from the times it tries to connect back to the grander MCU lore — Mandarin scenes not included.
Another key factor in what makes this show stand apart is how grounded it is. It’s so fresh, and so stand alone — it’s like a breath of fresh air in contrast to everything that’s been coming out of the Marvel pipeline as of late. Whether you’ve been a fan of Marvel, or you know nothing about it, any person could watch this show and enjoy it for what it is with no preexisting knowledge.
Wonder Man is a reminder that there may still be hope for Marvel. When writers come together to actually make a piece of art that is intentional and heartful, high quality is still possible. The director, Destin Daniel Cretton, is also set to direct the next Spider-Man movie, so if he approaches that movie with a sliver of the heart he put into this project, I think we’ll be okay. And may Josh Gad be at peace wherever he is.
Kaylon Coleman is a senior journalism major with a concentration in news and a minor in communications. He is the life and arts editor for LJ and vice president of the Black Student Union, Marketing and Communications lead for the Umoja Center and a part-time radio DJ and merch manager for KRFH. If you have a topic you want him to discuss, email him at kc403@humboldt.edu.
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