WONDER MAN
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley, Arian Moayed, X Mayo, and Zlatko Burić
Creators: Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest
QUENTIN
Wonder Man is unlike anything Marvel has done before. While that’s certainly a compliment, just how big a compliment you consider it to be might depend on your view of “superhero fatigue” because there are virtually no superhero tropes or evil villains here. There are no end-of-world stakes or big action sequences. In fact, almost nothing about this miniseries screams Marvel. Instead, it’s a heartfelt meta-comedy about two lonely, struggling actors — portrayed with genuine sincerity by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley — that has more in common with The Studio and Reboot (funny cameos included). It’s an honest-to-God surprise from a studio that rarely delivers those nowadays.
AMARÚ
Wonder Man is quite the unique Marvel Cinematic Universe experience. More of a character study (of both leads and of Hollywood as an entity) than your normal comic-book affair, creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest present the most personal and affirming Marvel property in recent memory. The chemistry between Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams and Ben Kingsley’s returning Trevor Slattery is undeniably odd-couple charismatic, and it generates not only a genuinely relatable new hero to follow, but also adds depth to the divisive Mandarin MCU storyline. All in all, this is a fresh win for Marvel Television that reminds us of this studio’s appeal.
ROBERT
When Wonder Man was being advertised, and then delayed, my expectations were at the floor. To Disney’s credit, I think they rolled it out that way purposefully. Fortunately, their gambit paid off as this overshot the predetermined limit I had set. The heart of the show is the bromance between Simon (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor (Ben Kingsley), who are lost souls managing to wade through a cutthroat industry to buoy each other’s dreams. The allegories referenced through Simon’s struggle to hide his true self and to succeed are quite adult for Marvel. This show should be the guiding beacon for the studio’s future.
