After several years of waiting, Disney+ is set to release Wonder Man later this year. The new teaser shows Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead role, playing an actor who becomes a superhero. The preview suggests that his journey to becoming a hero will not be simple.
Disney+ included new footage of Wonder Man in a trailer for its 2025 lineup. Abdul-Mateen II stars alongside Ben Kingsley, who returns as Trevor Slattery, a character seen before in Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While the exact release date is still unknown, Disney+ confirmed the series will premiere this year, with December as the expected launch month.
Wonder Man will have eight episodes, each about 30 minutes long. The show is described as a mix of drama and comedy, similar in format to HBO’s Barry. Some have compared it to Apple’s The Studio, which pokes fun at Hollywood’s movie industry. Destin Daniel Cretton, known for directing Shang-Chi, and Andrew Guest, who worked on 30 Rock, created the series, with Guest serving as showrunner. The cast also includes Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams (Grim Reaper), Ed Harris as Neal Saroyan, Lauren Glazier, Josh Gad, Byron Bowers, Béchir Sylvain, and Manny McCord.
Other than the unnecessary race-swapping of the classic comic chaacter, the series may be able to stand out from other Marvel shows, as it will likely comment on the film industry itself. One producer said, “Wonder Man is eight episodes. It’s a very new flavor for Marvel. It’s straight from the minds of Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest. Honestly, it is one of my favorite things ever. I think it’s the best show no one’s ever seen, and I’m very excited to see the audience reaction to it. I think it’s a love letter to what we do as filmmakers. It’s a love letter to acting as a profession, and it’s a very sincere, beautiful show.”
Despite the anticipation, it is disappointing to see Disney once again change the race of a classic character. In the original comics, Wonder Man has always been Caucasian. This decision continues a trend that has frustrated many longtime fans, myself included. It happens so often, and always one direction, that it appears to be designed to stir controversy. Let’s hope it’s just color blindness.
Wonder Man is scheduled to arrive on Disney+ in December, so viewers will soon be able to judge the series for themselves.
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English (US) · 