Wonder Man Preview Reveals Marvel's Most Self-Referential Series Ever
The Marvel studio is aware that viewers could be experiencing some superhero exhaustion, so they've opted to incorporate this exact idea into their next superhero show.
Indeed, the first preview for Wonder Man has arrived, and it pledges a self-referential angle on the MCU.
The preview, which premiered on October 10th, also quietly moved the Wonder Man release date back from its initial end of 2025 window into early 2026.
Why one more superhero movie? Everyone is tired of superheroes. Why watch them in the cinema? Wonder Man spoke to me on a profound level. There is an opportunity to shock viewers. To reinvent the whole category of storytelling.
The interviewer responds: "Have you given any thought about casting?"
The trailer then transitions to lead actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's viewing the interview on his mobile device, and the preview concludes.
Key Details About Wonder Man
We already knew that Wonder Man would be a self-referential interpretation on the MCU. The show stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a film star who transforms into a super-powered being (Wonder Man).
The supporting cast features actor Ben Kingsley reprising his role 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 coming back as DODC agent P. Cleary.
The Studio's Meta-Humor Strategy
We don't know much else about the storyline of Wonder Man, but it's clear that the studio intends to laugh at its own tropes.
In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it appears like the production company is fully committed on meta-humor. Will that work without the celebrity appeal of its previous leads? Only time will tell.