Marvel's Wonder Man Trailer Unveils The MCU's Most Meta TV Show To Date
The Marvel studio has heard that audiences might be experiencing some superhero exhaustion, so they've opted to include this exact idea into their next superhero show.
Indeed, the debut trailer for Wonder Man has been released, and it promises a self-referential angle on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The trailer, which premiered on October 10th, also quietly pushed the Wonder Man launch date later from its initial late 2025 window into January 2026.
Why another superhero movie? Everyone is tired of superheroes. Why watch them in the theater? Wonder Man resonated with me on a deep level. There is an opportunity to shock viewers. To reinvent the whole genre of narrative.
The reporter replies: "Have you given any thought about the cast?"
The preview then transitions to lead actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who's watching the interview on his phone, and the preview concludes.
What We Know About Wonder Man
We were previously aware that Wonder Man would be a meta take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series stars Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a Hollywood actor who becomes a superhero (Wonder Man).
The rest of the cast features 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.
Marvel's Self-Referential Comedy Strategy
We have limited information about the plot of Wonder Man, but it's clear that the studio plans to laugh at its own tropes.
In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, it appears like the studio is fully committed on self-referential comedy. Will that work without the celebrity appeal of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman? Only time will tell.
