[New Look] Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: ‘Wonder Man’ Show Is Self-Aware—and Ready to Roast Superhero Fatigue

Marvel is getting ready to bring Wonder Man to Disney+, and the series is shaping up to be very different from anything the MCU has done before.

The show is created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, with Guest running things as showrunner. It’s based on the Marvel Comics character and will be part of Marvel Studios’ TV lineup, produced through Marvel Television along with Family Owned and Onyx Collective.

The story follows Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. But he isn’t just Wonder Man. In the show, he’s an actor trying to land the lead role in a remake of a movie about Wonder Man. He grew up loving the original film, and now he’s trying to step into that spotlight.

At the same time, he might actually have some Wonder Man-like abilities himself, which adds to the fun confusion. The show also brings back Trevor Slattery, once again played by Sir Ben Kingsley, teaming up with Simon as the two actors try to make their careers work.

Abdul-Mateen spoke with Empire about what makes the series stand out. He said the tone is fresh and different from past Marvel shows and films. As he put it, “We’re doing something that, tonally, feels much different than really any other Marvel show, or any other films. We’re doing something that’s fresh, and a bit tongue-in-cheek, a bit self-aware.”

The series leans into Hollywood itself, joking about the industry and the superhero world, while also telling a more grounded story underneath. Abdul-Mateen said the show plays with ideas like superhero burnout, but that it isn’t the main point of the story.

He explained, “The show is self-aware, without looking directly into the camera. There’ll be commentary about superhero fatigue and things like that, but to me, it’s just dressing. That’s not really the aim of the show. The focus of the show is about an actor’s journey. It’s about a journey of friendship.”

With other recent Marvel projects exploring political thrillers, team-ups, and retro sci-fi adventures, Wonder Man adds another tone to the universe. This one is more playful, a little strange, and full of meta humor, but still centered on real character moments.

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