| Wonder Man | |
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| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Based on | |
| Showrunner | Andrew Guest |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | Los Angeles, California |
| Cinematography |
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| Editor | Gina Sansom |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Related | |
| Marvel Cinematic Universe television series | |
Wonder Man is an upcoming American televisionminiseries created byDestin Daniel Cretton andAndrew Guest for the streaming serviceDisney+, based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name. It is intended to be the17th television series in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced byMarvel Studios, via itsMarvel Television label, sharing continuity withthe films of the franchise. Guest serves asshowrunner. The series is also produced byFamily Owned andOnyx Collective. The show followsSimon Williams, who is trying to earn the lead role in a remake film ofWonder Man along withTrevor Slattery.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, alongsideBen Kingsley (Slattery),Arian Moayed,X Mayo,Zlatko Burić,Olivia Thirlby, andByron Bowers. In December 2021, Cretton signed an overall deal with Marvel Studios to create television series for Disney+, with a comedy series already in development at that point. In June 2022, the series was revealed to be centered on Wonder Man, with Guest involved, and Cretton set to direct episodes of the series. Abdul-Mateen joined the cast that October, withStella Meghie andJames Ponsoldt set to also direct in February 2023. Filming began in early April 2023 in Los Angeles, before production was shut down in late May due to the2023 Writers Guild of America strike. It resumed by early January 2024 and had concluded by that April. The series was formally revealed in October 2024.
Wonder Man is scheduled to debut on Disney+ on January 27, 2026, and will consist of eight episodes. It will be part ofPhase Six of the MCU, and released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.
Struggling actorsSimon Williams andTrevor Slattery try to earn roles in the remake of the superhero filmWonder Man.[1]
Additionally,Demetrius Grosse portrays Simon's brotherEric Williams / Grim Reaper,[10][11]Ed Harris plays Simon'sagentNeal Saroyan,[12][13] andJosh Gad appears as himself.[14]Lauren Glazier,[15] Béchir Sylvain,[16] Manny McCord,[17]Simon Templeman,[18]Joe Pantoliano,[19] Dane Larsen,[20] Phumzile Sitole, andJere Burns have been cast in undisclosed roles.[21]
| No. | Title | Directed by [1] | Written by [1] | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBA | Destin Daniel Cretton | Andrew Guest | January 27, 2026 (2026-01-27)[8] |
| 2 | TBA | Destin Daniel Cretton | Andrew Guest | 2026 (2026) |
| 3 | TBA | James Ponsoldt | Paul Welsh & Madeline Walter | 2026 (2026) |
| 4 | TBA | James Ponsoldt | Zeke Nicholson | 2026 (2026) |
| 5 | TBA | Tiffany Johnson | Anayat Fakhraie | 2026 (2026) |
| 6 | TBA | Tiffany Johnson | Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman and Andrew Guest | 2026 (2026) |
| 7 | TBA | Stella Meghie | Kira Talise and Andrew Guest | 2026 (2026) |
| 8 | TBA | Stella Meghie | Andrew Guest | 2026 (2026) |
In December 2021,Destin Daniel Cretton signed a multi-year deal withMarvel Studios andOnyx Collective to develop television projects forDisney+,[22] with a comedy series already in development at that point.[22][23] Cretton would produce the series through his newly created production company,Family Owned. This was in conjunction with Cretton returning to write and direct the sequel to theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).[22] In June 2022, the series was revealed to be in early development and titledWonder Man, centered on the characterSimon Williams / Wonder Man, withAndrew Guest joining to develop the series and serve ashead writer; he was previously a consulting producer on the Marvel Studios seriesHawkeye (2021). Cretton was expected to direct episodes of the series,[24] and was confirmed to be that October,[25] directing the series' first two episodes.[26] Joe Otterson atVariety noted the series had the possibility to be a "Hollywood satire", which he felt made sense given the character's history in the comics as an actor and stuntman;[27] the series was later reported to be a character study of Simon that explores the behind-the-scenes of Hollywood.[28] In February 2023,James Ponsoldt entered negotiations to direct episodes of the series,[29] whileStella Meghie was hired to direct multiple episodes by the end of the month.[30] Ponsoldt directed the third and fourth episodes, while Tiffany Johnson directed the fifth and sixth episodes, and Meghie directed the final two episodes.[1]
By October 2023, Marvel Studios shifted their creative philosophy to a more traditional television development process, moving away from head writers and began to hire dedicatedshowrunners for their series;[28] Guest was named showrunner forWonder Man.[26] Marvel Studios formally announced the series in October 2024 when it released the first footage alongside the studios' other 2025 series. Adam Blevins fromCollider saidWonder Man was Marvel Studios' "worst-kept secret for quite some time" and was grateful to have official information released for it.[31] The series was originally reported to consist of ten episodes,[32][33] but Marvel Studios' head of streaming, television, and animationBrad Winderbaum later said it would consist of eight episodes, with each ranging from approximately 20 to 40 minutes.[34] Executive producers of the series include Marvel Studios'Kevin Feige,Stephen Broussard,Jonathan Schwartz, and Winderbaum, alongside Cretton and Guest.[1] Onyx Collective also produces the series through its presidentTara Duncan,[35][additional citation(s) needed][22] alongside Bonnie Munoz and Cretton's producing partner Asher Goldstein.[35][additional citation(s) needed][36]
BecauseWonder Man was developed prior to Marvel Studios' late 2023 shift towards multi-season television series, they were taking a "wait-and-see approach" by May 2025 regarding whether it would get a second season.[37] Winderbaum explained that, while the series "really stands on its own as a beautiful piece", it was "caught in the middle" of their creative overhaul and was not planned to have additional seasons. Marvel Studios would be open to more if there was a strong audience response.[5]
Paul Welsh, Madeline Walter, Zeke Nicholson, Anayat Fakhraie, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman, and Kira Talise served as writers on the series, alongside showrunner Andrew Guest.[1]Wonder Man features ametafiction narrative set within the MCU. Winderbaum described the series as a "two-hander" with the charactersSimon Williams andTrevor Slattery, who are both actors and bond over their love of acting.[5] He called it a "love letter to Hollywood",[38] and to the profession of acting, such as how artists balance their love for the profession while needing to make money.[34][5] Focusing on "acting as a craft" and one actor were elements Winderbaum believed setWonder Man apart from the similarly metaApple TV+ seriesThe Studio (2025–present), with that series more focused on "the big Hollywood... machine".[5] Winderbaum added that the series was "straight from the minds" of Cretton and Guest, and said it was "very sincere".[34] The series features homages to Simon's appearances in the 1980sWest Coast Avengers comic books.[38]
Ben Kingsley was revealed in August 2022 to be reprising his MCU role of Trevor Slattery, which was said to be a major role in the series.[4] In October,Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast as Simon Williams / Wonder Man.[25] Previously,Nathan Fillion appeared on movie posters as Simon Williams in a cut sequence from the MCU filmGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).James Gunn, the director of that film, enjoyed Wonder Man from the comics and felt Fillion could portray the "sometimes douchey actor/superhero" that the character is. Even though the posters were cut from the film, Gunn still considered them to becanon to the MCU.[39]Lauren Glazier was cast in a supporting role in February 2023.[15] The following month,Demetrius Grosse was cast as Simon's brotherEric Williams / Grim Reaper,[10][11] whileEd Harris was cast as Simon's agentNeal Saroyan.[12][13] By the end of April,Josh Gad had reportedly joined the cast,[40] which was confirmed in August 2024.[41] Also revealed to have been cast in the series wereByron Bowers in July 2024,[9] Béchir Sylvain in August,[16] and Manny McCord in October.[17]
In July 2025,Arian Moayed was revealed to be reprising his MCU role asP. Cleary in the series.[6] In October,Zlatko Burić was revealed to have been cast as film director Von Kovak,[7] whileX Mayo,Olivia Thirlby,[8] andJoe Pantoliano were announced as part of the cast.[19] Other actors revealed to be appearing were Dane Larsen,[20] Phumzile Sitole,Jere Burns,[21] andSimon Templeman.[18]
Cindy Chao and Michele Yu serve as the production designers,[42] while Joy Cretton, Destin's sister, serves as the costume designer.[43]
Principal photography began by April 5, 2023, in Los Angeles,[44] under theworking titleCallback,[45] with Cretton, Ponsoldt, Johnson, and Meghie directing the series.[1]Brett Pawlak served as a cinematographer on the series,[46] alongside Armando Salas, who worked on Ponsoldt and Meghie's episodes.[36][47] Filming was initially expected to conclude by early August.[46][48] Soundstage work occurred atRadford Studio Center inStudio City, Los Angeles.[48] Filming was taking place aroundHollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on May 4, 2023, whenpicketers participating in the2023 Writers Guild of America strike attempted to shut down production;[49] however, filming for the series was still continuing during the strike at that time and was not expected to be impacted by the strike. It was reported that Marvel Studios was planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during the series' already scheduled reshoots.[50] Picketers stopped production when it returned to film at Radford Studio Center on May 8.[48] Production was shut down by the end of the month, with plans to resume after the WGA strike and the subsequent2023 SAG-AFTRA strike concluded.[51][28]
In October 2023, Joanna Robinson, co-author of the bookMCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, reported that Marvel Studios was considering not moving forward with the series, despite already filming material prior to the strikes.[33] Following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November and Cretton's exit from directing the planned filmAvengers: The Kang Dynasty to focus on his commitments to other MCU projects, includingWonder Man, filming was set to resume around the end of the month afterThanksgiving.[26] Filming resumed in Los Angeles by early January 2024.[52] J.C. "Spike" Osorio, a lighting technician, died during production work on set at Radford Studio Center on February 6, after falling from the rafters.[53] Disney and Radford Studio Center were respectively fined $36,000 and $45,000 after theCalifornia Division of Occupational Safety and Health concluded their investigation into Osorio's death and found that deterioration in the conditions of the catwalk Osorio was standing on led to his death.[54] The majority of filming was completed by early February, withpick-ups planned during the following weeks.[53] Filmingwrapped by April 2024.[55]
Winderbaum confirmed that the series was being edited by March 2024.[56] Gina Sansom serves as an editor on the series, after previously working with Cretton on the seriesAmerican Born Chinese (2023).[57]
The first footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ in October 2024, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.[58] More footage, introduced by Kingsley, was shown during Disney'supfront presentation in May 2025.[37][59] In July 2025, Abdul-Mateen appeared in character as Williams at the red carpet premiere for the MCU filmThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. Abdul-Mateen called Wonder Man a "dream part" for him, having enjoyed the original film when he was younger. George Marston fromTotal Film felt Williams referencing an earlier fictional Wonder Man project that existed within the MCU was a way for Marvel Studios to reconcile the reference to Wonder Man in the deleted scene ofVol. 2.[60]
Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley appeared atNew York Comic Con in October 2025 to promote the series and premiere the first trailer for the series.[61] The following month, an additional clip was released. Germain Lussier atGizmodo called the clip similar to the trailer shown at New York Comic Con with the added element of revealing that Simon has superpowers. He said until this point, all of the footage presented the series as Simon just being a struggling actor trying to get his big shot, makingWonder Man seem like Marvel's version of the television seriesEntourage (2004–2011). Adding in the fact that Simon has powers and is trying to hide them to land a part in the fictionalWonder Man, created "a fun twist in the story and will certainly make for a nice blend of humor and action". Lussier also felt the tease of Simon's powers indicated that they may differ from the character's powers in the comics.[2]Polygon's Michael McWhertor also felt the clip began similarly to the New York Comic Con trailer, only for it to eventually reveal "what the show isreally about" with the tease of Simon's powers.[3]
Wonder Man is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on January 27, 2026,[8] and will consist of eight episodes.[37] It was initially expected to premiere during the2023–24 television season,[62] but its release date was unclear by September 2023 given filming had not yet been completed amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.[63] The December 2025 release month was announced in October 2024.[58] Feige did not enjoy delaying the series, saying he disliked having "things sit on shelves" ready to go. He added that two similar series,HBO'sThe Franchise (2024) andThe Studio, had been released sinceWonder Man was delayed and it would now look like Marvel Studios was "following a trend, instead of leading it".[64]Wonder Man was further shifted from its December 2025 release to January 2026, because Marvel Studios did not want the series to be competing withholiday programming.[5] The series will be part ofPhase Six of the MCU,[65] and released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.[26]
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