Mandarin
Unrevealed (uses the name Zhang Tong)
Series · Phase 6
Wonder Man
2026 · 30 min
Simon Williams is a working actor in Los Angeles chasing a role in a reboot of a superhero franchise, and the fact that he has ionic powers is almost beside the point. Trevor Slattery, still coasting…
The Multiverse SagaDisney+90%Released
The story
Simon Williams is a working actor in Los Angeles chasing a role in a reboot of a superhero franchise, and the fact that he has ionic powers is almost beside the point. Trevor Slattery, still coasting on his Iron Man 3 infamy, becomes his unlikely acting partner and something close to a friend.
It is a Hollywood satire in half-hour form — an industry comedy about auditions, agents and the indignity of wanting something — and it is the quietest thing Marvel has ever released. Nobody expected it to be one of the best-reviewed shows in the franchise, and it is.
Key facts
- Release date
- 27 Jan 2026
- Status
- Released
- Phase
- Phase 6
- Saga
- The Multiverse Saga
- Runtime
- 30 min
- Certificate
- TV-14
- Director
- Destin Daniel Cretton, Stella Meghie
- Writers
- Andrew Guest, Destin Daniel Cretton
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 8
- Streaming
- Disney+
- Timeline placement
- 2026 — contemporary, in a Los Angeles where superhero films are an industry
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | Simon Williams / Wonder Man |
| Ben Kingsley | Trevor Slattery |
| Ed Harris | Neal Saroyan |
| Arian Moayed | Undisclosed |
| Lauren Glazier | Undisclosed |
Characters
Easter eggs
- Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery returns for a fourth time, after Iron Man 3, the All Hail the King one-shot and Shang-Chi.
- Simon Williams is a founding Avenger in the comics, whose brain patterns are the basis for the Vision — a link the series leaves for the audience to notice.
- The in-universe superhero reboot Simon auditions for lets the series satirise Marvel's own casting process from inside Marvel.
- Simon's ionic powers come from his 1964 Avengers debut, where Baron Zemo grants them, and the series reframes their origin entirely.
- Trevor's continued belief in his own stardom pays off the Mandarin fraud from Iron Man 3 as a career rather than a joke.
- Destin Daniel Cretton co-created and directed while also making Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which arrives six months later.
Trivia
- It premiered on 27 January 2026 and topped Disney+'s charts in its first week despite very low-key marketing.
- Its 90% Rotten Tomatoes critic score is among the best in the MCU's television output, and its audience score is the highest of any Marvel Disney+ series.
- Marvel renewed it for a second season, an increasingly rare outcome for a Marvel Disney+ show.
- Destin Daniel Cretton co-created it with Andrew Guest and directed episodes while preparing Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast in the role in 2022, four years before the series aired.
- It is the shortest-form live-action MCU series, with half-hour episodes closer to a comedy than a drama.
- The Hollywood Reporter's review singled out the Kingsley and Abdul-Mateen double act as the reason the show works.
Reviews
Critics
90%
Endearingly low-key and genuinely funny, Wonder Man trades world-ending stakes for a sharp Hollywood satire and a lovely double act between Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley.
The MarvelGossips verdict
The most pleasant surprise Marvel has produced in years, and proof that the studio's best television instinct is to make something small. Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley are a genuine comedy pairing, and the industry satire has real teeth. That Marvel buried it in January with no campaign says more about the studio than the show.
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Related reading
Wonder Man Review — The Smallest Show Marvel Has Ever Made Is One Of Its Best
No world-ending stakes, no multiverse, no homework. Just a Hollywood satire with real teeth and the funniest double…
Frequently asked
When did Wonder Man premiere?
27 January 2026 on Disney+, across eight half-hour episodes. It topped the platform's charts in its opening week and has been renewed for a second season.
Is Wonder Man connected to Vision?
In the comics, yes — Simon Williams' brain patterns are the template for the Vision's mind. The series does not make this explicit, and Marvel has not confirmed whether Vision Quest will connect the two.
Do I need to watch Iron Man 3 first?
It helps considerably. Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery is a direct continuation of that film's Mandarin twist and the All Hail the King one-shot, and much of the comedy assumes you know he is a fraud.
How good is Wonder Man?
At 90% on Rotten Tomatoes it is among the best-reviewed Marvel series ever, with the highest audience score of any MCU Disney+ show. It is a Hollywood comedy first and a superhero show a distant second.