Wonder Man is an excellent TV show. While that statement by itself isn’t necessarily anything meaningful, it’s important to note that Wonder Man is a show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dropped directly onto Disney+. If you are like me, someone that has tapped in and out of the MCU as the quality began to drop after Avengers: Endgame, this should be a surprise to you. Flop after flop, MCU shows never really could measure up to the quality of the movies that preceded them. She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, even Falcon and the Winter Soldier all have mediocre to negative reviews and are often spots of criticism for the cinematic universe. Other MCU shows like Loki or Moon Knight are considered the best of the best, but even then the shows are only just “good.” Wonder Man is excellent, not just as a MCU property, but as a show in general.
The show follows Simon Williams, a down on his luck actor who works in Hollywood. Simon is struggling to find work, flooded by a constant run of failed auditions and disappointments. This is until he meets Trevor Slattery, a disgraced actor who played the fake terrorist The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. The two audition for “Wonder Man,” a fictional remake of a classic in-universe science fiction film that Simon has a deep connection with. Simon had watched the original movie with his late father, and it’s a precious memory to him. The two pursue the roles of their lifetime, and all manners of hijinks occur.
The show’s runtime is around 4 hours, and throughout all 8 episodes I was thoroughly entertained. The show does a fantastic job of building and developing its characters. I felt closely attached to Simon and Trevor’s relationship as the show continued. One of the largest strengths of the show is its grounded nature. It’s not chock-full of cameos and comic accurate characters, but instead focused upon developing its characters and plot in a way that is meaningful. It is completely unlike any other show in the MCU. It’s also very well shot and its humor lands most of the time (no Joss Whedon dialogue for this one). Its fourth episode, “Doorman,” was a standout for me. It’s incredibly funny and weaves a tragic tale; the story of the reason why superheroes aren’t allowed to act. With all the praise I’m giving to Wonder Man, it’s important to recognize its faults. Not all its episodes hit the same, and there was one episode that I felt was not up to its quality. It’s filled with some conflicts that feel a bit unnecessary, filler essentially. That’s the only complaint I have with the show, though. It’s utterly fantastic, and it’s far above the standard that the MCU set for its shows.
If you haven’t seen Wonder Man already, I would highly recommend giving it a watch. It’s a show that has a heart, feels as though it cares about its plot and characters. It’s not full of what’s become notorious as “MCU dialogue,” cringey humor that simply does not ever hit for anyone. It’s important to support the idea that actual good storytelling can and will change superhero movies. It shows that churning out new projects without thought or storytelling, simply just throwing in cameos and calling it a day isn’t enough. Depth, patience, and a thoughtful care for its characters is what people want. Wonder Man is wonderful.
Liam Parker is a senior Psychology major who has given up on Marvel … but might still have some hope left.