Why Wonder Man is a break from the formula that won’t work for everyone? Explained

Marvel’s Wonder Man hit Disney+ on January 27, 2026, with all eight episodes dropping at once. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Simon Williams, a down-on-his-luck actor chasing the lead in a remake of a superhero movie.

Ben Kingsley is back as Trevor Slattery from Iron Man 3. Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest are the brains behind the show. This series pokes fun at Hollywood and superhero tropes, leaning into the weirdness of both worlds.

This is what makes Wonder Man special: it is different. Although Marvel Studios assured that this would be a down-to-earth, character-oriented antidote to the usual superhero stuff, you must be asking yourself whether it does or if it is just another marketing gimmick. The good news is that critics appear to believe it is the real deal, as the series has been getting great reviews for its new approach to the genre.

Disclaimer: The article contains the writer's personal opinions; reader discretion is advised.

Why Wonder Man won’t work for everyone

The numbers are amazing on paper. Wonder Man has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 on Metacritic, which places it in the same category as other well-rated MCU films, such as Spider-Man: Homecoming and the first season of Loki. That is really sound in terms of a Marvel television series, particularly one that most people assumed Disney was abandoning because it came out in January and dropped as a full season.

The most glorifying accolade is about the chemistry between Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley. Several critics point out that they are an odd duo whose dynamic is the heart of Wonder Man. According to Empire, the friendship between the two is marvelous, as some of the bonding scenes, such as sharing favorite lines and acting experiences, are some of the clearest moments in the whole MCU. Now that is a good sign if you are one of those who put more emphasis on character work than spectacle.

The meta commentary of Hollywood on Wonder Man is received with mixed reactions. Times deems it the best Marvel show on the platform so far, with its clever casting, humorous writing, and the fact that it does not drop bold storytelling in favor of simple fight scenes. SlashFilm even referred to it as a love letter to struggling actors by Marvel, stating that the series provided him with real hope for the future of Marvel. The Hollywood Reporter admires the effect of depriving the film of grandeur and magic fights by placing human motivations in the limelight.

However, this is where things become complicated. The Hollywood satire is not considered to be sharp by everyone. One critic says that, while Wonder Man has the same level of ironic entertainment as shows such as The Other Two about Hollywood unglamorousness, it does not focus on big-budget IP filmmaking in the same scathing satirical way. This may not scratch that itch, should you be hoping that the superhero movie culture gets savagely taken down.

The action situation is simple: it is not a big affair. One of the reviews says that there is less superhero action than you would think, and that Simon is trying very hard throughout the series to conceal his powers. Screen Anarchy refers to it as a steadfastly mediocre action sequences and plot turns that are carried mainly by performances. So, you will be disappointed if you are watching to see any spectacular set pieces. The attractiveness of Wonder Man is in other places.

The premise does not quite hold up for eight episodes, according to some critics. One of the reviews doubts that the original premise is significant enough to sustain eight episodes, but points out that there is a late-game curveball to assist. Some rated it 6/10, describing it as good but not good enough to hit its potential, and even merely average with a hooky storyline and a competent friendship story.

The general opinion appears to be that Wonder Man is a successful low-stakes character study that follows two actors at various phases of their careers who are united through their common adversities and their passion for their profession. It is more of Midnight Cowboy than Avengers and will either thrill or disappoint you, depending on what you expect.

To comic book fans, a warning. The television series is mostly an abandonment of the old classic origin story of Baron Zemo, AIM experiments, and the dark components that characterized the character. One of the most unkind reviews on IMDb described it as an outrageous treatment of intellectual property law, saying that the show has taken the comic history of the character and dumped it in the rubbish bin in favor of a meta Hollywood sitcom. You would be disappointed if comic accuracy is important to you.

The role of the show in the MCU is insignificant. Being part of the Marvel Spotlight brand, it will not be strongly tied to Phase 6 movies, and one reviewer has noted that Wonder Man has arrived in the MCU a bit late, and no one knows what to do with him. The Department of Damage Control is introduced, and Kingsley Trevor Slattery plays MCU continuity, though this is not likely to establish Avengers: Doomsday or make this any more connected to the larger franchise.

The reality of the matter is the fact that Wonder Man is precisely what Marvel Studios claims to be: an intentional departure from the formula. It prefers action and character work over spectacle, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley driving the series with an odd-couple dynamic that is much more fascinating than any action beat. It is deliberately modest at only eight episodes and about four hours overall, made to be consumed rather than fixated upon.

It is the very same restraint that will put some viewers off. Wonder Man does not give much thought to old-fashioned superhero antics, overstuffed MCU lore, or comic book lore. It is a soft-hearted Hollywood satire, not a strict one, and it is loose-handed in its treatment of the source, which is dismaying to the fans who want the book to be read exactly as the author wrote it.

If Marvel shows have to prove themselves with universe-building or bombastic spectacle, this series will be as lackluster as possible. What Wonder Man is in its place is a low-stakes, human drama of ambition, insecurity, and creative survival, closer in spirit to Midnight Cowboy than The Avengers.

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To a great extent, critics reacted to that confidence, although they admitted that it is a show with a limited audience. It understands its desire, and it does not twist itself to suit all the parts of the fandom.

Wonder Man will not, after all, change the MCU or become a cultural phenomenon. However, to those who have been urging Marvel to create something smaller, less known, and more intimate, this is as close as the studio has come to fulfilling that promise. Whether it is enough or not is a question about the show itself and more about what you still want Marvel to be.

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