Wonder Man Episode 1’s final shot ties back to Trevor Slattery’s past, here's how

The Wonder Man premiere ends with the revelation that Simon and Trevor's "chance encounters" throughout the episodes were not random. The Department of Damage Control (DODC) is on Simon's tail as they know that the struggling actor has superpowers, which he hasn't revealed to the world. Meanwhile, Simon is walking outside the TCL, where he comes across Von Kovak's star right outside.

While the choice of location, i.e., the TCL theaater will look random to casual viewers, MCU fans will instantly recognize that this location has deeper ties. That's because the venue was attacked in the first act of Iron Man 3, and "the Mandarin" claimed responsibility for the attack. However, "the Mandarin" is revealed to be an out-of-work British actor, Trevor Slattery, in Iron Man 3.

Wonder Man: Trevor Slattery's past explained:

Trevor Slattery was introduced in the MCU as "the Mandarin", the leader of the terrorist outfit, The Ten Rings, in Iron Man 3. Throughout Iron Man 3's first act, "the Mandarin" claimed that he was behind all the explosions throughout the US. One of these explosions was in the TCL theater, in which Happy Hogan is critically injured but survives.

However, the second act of Iron Man 3 reveals that "the Mandarin" is just a washed-up actor, employed by A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) and its founder Aldrich Killian. The movie reveals that A.I.M.'s Extremis programme was behind all the explosions, and think tank employed Trevor to play the part of a terrorist to claim responsibility of these accidents. This lie is exposed, and Trevor is arrested.

However, Trevor is broken out of the prison in the One-Shot All Hail the King by the Ten Rings under the real "Mandarin" (real name Xu Wenwu)'s instructions.

After that fans met Trevor almost a decade later in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where we learn that Wenwu has made him the jester in the terrorist leader's compound. He manages to escape Wenwu's captivity, and he is back in the MCU as one of the main characters of Wonder Man.

Based on the first episode, it seems that Trevor is back in the same position as Iron Man 3. However, this time his "employer" is none other than the government itself, as the DODC has planted him to trap Simon Williams, who they know has superpowers. However, we will learn over the next seven episodes if Trevor helps the government agency or not.

Wonder Man hints that the MCU is turning on superpowered individuals, probably setting up the X-Men:

Simon Williams heads for an audition and upon reaching the venue he is handed over a contract stating that he doesn't have superpowers. This small moment reveals that superheroes are falling out of favor in the MCU. Wilson Fisk has used his powers as the mayor to outlaw masked heroes in New York in Daredevil: Born Again.

It seems LA in the MCU is just following the suit by enacting laws to discriminate against the superpowered people. This contract in Wonder Man sets up all the discrimination that mutants will face in the MCU.

"Aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams is struggling to get his career off the ground. During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery, an actor whose biggest roles may be well behind him, Simon learns legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the Super Hero film “Wonder Man”. These two actors at opposite ends of their careers doggedly pursue life-changing roles in this film as audiences get a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry."

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