Marvel Studios has unveiled new material tied to Wonder Man, offering audiences a fresh look at a project that exists both inside the franchise’s story and just beyond it. The release pairs stylized footage from the fictional film with a glimpse at how that throwback adventure was assembled for the series.
Marvel Studios has released a retro-style teaser trailer for the fictional 1980s in-universe “Wonder Man” movie, featured within the recent Disney+ series Wonder Man.
The movie, starring fictional actors Brent Willard and Jackie Kay, is portrayed as the film that inspired a young Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) to pursue acting. Marvel also posted behind-the-scenes footage from the faux production, including costume design by Andy Park.
In the show’s storyline, Simon’s journey begins after watching the 1980s superhero/sci-fi film with his father. The plot follows Simon’s attempt to secure the lead in a reboot directed by acclaimed filmmaker Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). He partners with Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), an actor looking to revive his own career, to land a role in the remake of the cult classic.
The series finale, titled Yucca Valley, shows Slattery taking the blame for an explosion caused by Simon. He once again poses as the Mandarin to protect his friend. In the final scene, Simon uses his mysterious powers to break Slattery out of Department of Damage Control custody.
Daniel Richtman reported that Marvel is “very close” to greenlighting a second season of Wonder Man. If confirmed, it would be the third live-action Marvel Disney+ series to get a second season, following Loki and Daredevil: Born Again.
The cast includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley. Demetrius Grosse plays Simon’s brother, Eric Williams, also known as Grim Reaper. Byron Bowers appears as Doorman. Rumored cameos by Ed Harris, Bob Odenkirk, and Courteney Cox did not happen. Josh Gad made an appearance as himself.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton, who co-created and executive-produced Wonder Man, returns to the MCU in July. He directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opens in theaters then.
Wonder Man is available to stream exclusively on Disney+.