After overplaying its hand for years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to have finally learned some lessons. Lesson one: more is not better. Lesson two: more of the same gets old. At last the formulaic churn has died down, and while the resulting projects aren’t always stellar, they’re increasingly varied and distinct. Wonder Man is the latest case in point, and it’s among the very best of the post-Endgame MCU releases — not because it outdoes the earlier blockbusters, but because it doesn’t try.
Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a struggling actor in Hollywood, the descendant of Haitian immigrants who discovered a love for cinema as a child through a cheesy superhero flick called Wonder Man. Simon’s talent has landed him small parts here and there, but his finicky, over-analytical temperament is undermining his success, building a problematic reputation. After a particularly bad day, Simon meets fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) at an arthouse cinema. Slattery mentions he’s auditioning for a Wonder Man remake with a legendary director, which motivates Simon to pursue his own audition; Wonder Man is his dream role and would be career changing. But his life may be changing in other ways, because he secretly possesses super powers he doesn’t fully understand. While his fast friendship with Trevor may be the turning point in his artistic career, what he doesn’t know is that Trevor — who gained notoreity for masquerading as a terrorist known as the Mandarin — is actually undercover for the Department of Damage Control. His mission is to gain intelligence on Simon, to determine if his powers are dangerous. The assignment is keeping Trevor out of prison, but it may well put Simon into it.
Wonder Man earns a lot of points for successfully refreshing a second-tier Avengers stalwart — a full-scale re-imagining of Simon Williams, but with clever nods and winks to the character’s storied history. But Easter egg continuity, while fun, isn’t what makes the show great. At a fast, funny seven episodes, Wonder Man is perfectly content to be a bromance between two quirky thespians desperate to prove themselves as movie stars. While the usual MCU earmarks are there — superhero origin story, an obscure Marvel security service persecuting misunderstood super-powered heroes, etc. — it mostly just serves as a framework to thrust Simon and Trevor together as starving artists navigating a playful alternate Hollywood. With its leads, it has an unlikely but magical odd couple: two misfits with hidden agendas, united in their love of their art. This feeds an utterly appealing buddy story that feels less like a Marvel show than a superhero riff on Hollywood love-letter series like The Studio or Extras. This feel is enhanced by Poker Face-like title cards, a loving eye for L.A. scenery, and a throwback Hollywood aesthetic that centers the viewer squarely in the characters’ passions. (It also contributes priceless “as-themself” cameos from Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano.)
Like many before him (Chris Evans especially comes to mind), Abdul-Mateen II elevates a rather mediocre Marvel personality, making Simon more vivid and memorable than the character from the books. Meanwhile, Kingsley transforms Trevor’s one-note joke of an origin in Iron Man 3 into something richer, bringing the same ear for comedy, but infusing it with more emotional depth. Aside from a handful of expected plot beats and special effects, there isn’t much more to it than that: the duo’s friendship, and how their unique circumstances complicate their lives as residents of the topsy-turvy Marvel universe. Not only is that enough, but compared to the repetitive world-saving spectacles of Marvel’s post-Endgame slump, it’s even better.
