‘Wonder Man’ proves the MCU still has surprises up its sleeve

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially released its first project of 2026 with Wonder Man. On Jan. 28, all eight episodes of the Disney+ series were released with very little marketing from Disney or Marvel. Despite the limited marketing, Wonder Man is currently sitting at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The show seems to be a roaring success with fans, yet Disney almost refuses to acknowledge its existence. Is Wonder Man worth the hype, or did Disney make the right choice by silently dropping it on Disney+?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Simon Williams, a struggling actor whose life changes when he hears of the upcoming reboot of his favorite childhood film. Wonder Man follows Simon and MCU veteran Trevor Slatterly (Ben Kingsley) as they attempt to be cast in Von Kovak’s (Zlatko Buric) Wonder Man.  Problems arrive when Hollywood creates a city-wide mandate where people with superpowers are not allowed to be in productions. In an attempt to pursue his lifelong dream of being an actor, Simon attempts to hide his powers.

If you are looking for the next big action series filled to the brim with explosions, Wonder Man might not be your top pick. However, if you are looking for an in-depth character study of a man attempting to chase his lifelong dreams set in Hollywood, this show is for you.

Wonder Man is completely different from anything Disney and Marvel have ever done before. While there are typical fight scenes, the majority of the time is spent with Simon and Trevor attempting to work in the film industry. Mateen and Kingsley had an exceptional level of chemistry that hit on both the serious and comedic moments. The friendship between the two characters has easily become one of the most memorable in the entirety of the MCU.

The show has a great balance between the realism of the life we live and the magic of Marvel. There are references to Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, as well as shows like American Horror Story and the Zombies franchise. Comedian Josh Gad even has a hilarious cameo as himself in a bottle episode that takes place during episode four. 

The soundtrack of the show stands out and does a tremendous job of moving the story along. The show expertly mixes artists such as Buck Owens, The Go-Go’s and Chaka Khan. 

It would be a crime not to discuss Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s performance as Simon Williams. At the beginning of Simon’s story, he has next to nothing. He’s struggling to find a job, his family is pressuring him and he gets dumped by his girlfriend. Mateen brings a level of resilience that makes you want to root for Simon despite his sometimes obnoxious nature. It’s clear that Mateen is an impressive talent and the story would not have worked nearly as well without him.

Wonder Man is a breath of fresh air in a landscape of television that is focused on spectacle and budget. In contrast to many modern shows, Wonder Man shines due to its focused character study. Being such a standout show, it is a wonder why Disney refused to market it. Wonder Man has such an adamant love for the film industry while also not being afraid to critique it. If this had come out before The Studio, people would be singing the praises of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for the rest of 2026.

So what does this mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward? Great things! 

Destin Daniel Cretton (the head creator of this show alongside Andrew Guest) is also directing the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day which releases later this year. Cretton has planted seeds for not only the potential plot of Tom Holland’s seventh appearance as the web-slinger but also of the upcoming mutant saga throughout the runtime of Wonder Man.

If Marvel can continue to focus on characters in the few projects before Avengers Doomsday, I will proudly be the first to state that the MCU is back.