The “Marvel Spotlight” designation has not yet been getting a lot of work in the MCU, but I’d argue it’s one of the more valuable brandings that they have at their disposal. This is particularly true in an era where creative skepticism follows a lot of their projects. Named after the anthology series of the same name from the comics, “Marvel Spotlight” is meant to signal to viewers that the stories being told in whatever they’re about to watch, while technically a part of the larger universe, is mostly disconnected from the world-shattering main consequences of the overall story. Wonder Man is the second series to use this designation, following 2024’s Echo. That show literally took place in middle-of-nowhere Oklahoma and was certainly much more grounded and isolated from the main action. 

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Wonder Man’s Los Angeles setting is certainly much more populated than that, but the Spotlight designation provides it with little burdening pressure or requirements. This eight episode miniseries also shares a lot in its DNA with “Marvel Special Presentations” like Werewolf by Night or The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special. Those were pure genre exercises, and besides a few visual flourishes in a few of the episodes, Wonder Man is certainly much more straightforward. This may be the first Marvel project to take nearly two hours, probably more, for someone to throw a punch. It is a dramedy first and foremost, with a little bit of Hollywood satire thrown in there. 

Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an aspiring actor, the kind of performer who is good enough to book a role on American Horror Story but not good enough to be giving notes to the director. He’s got talent, but he can’t get out of his own way. The role of a lifetime drops into his lap, a chance to play his father’s favorite superhero Wonder Man in a reboot of the franchise. Helping him try and get over his shortcomings as an actor (and a person) is Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), familiar to MCU fans as Iron Man 3’s fugazi version of the Mandarin (he also made a briefer appearance in Shang-Chi). Plagued by his controversial portrayal of an international terrorist, Trevor has secrets. But he genuinely likes Simon, whose troubled backstory plays directly into his own secrets.

It’s not a spoiler to say that Simon is not just an ordinary actor. When he gets maximally upset or stressed, things start to vibrate and break around him. There’s a lot of power within him, and while Wonder Man is not technically an origin story, it is very much about Simon addressing that power without compromising his ability to act. This series fulfills its purpose alone by fleshing out a part of the MCU that may not seem important, but is indeed intriguing to explore. It provides clear guidance on the history of superpowered beings in the film and TV industry of this world, and why or why not powers are a detriment to their careers. 

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Wonder Man was created by Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the soon-to-be-released Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Andrew Guest, whose background includes a number of sitcoms like 30 Rock and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Those two resumes, plus a major presence from The End of the Tour director James Pondsoldt, come across loudly in the final product. This is a show that is often amusing, satirically witty and easy to enjoy, with just dashes of superheroic beats to keep the people who are there for that reason engaged. The episodes are short and sweet in length, with none of them stretching beyond 45 minutes. 

Above everything else, Wonder Man is the simplest of buddy shows. Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley may seem like an odd pair on paper, but they’re both incredibly talented actors and are both adept at alternating between drama and goofiness. That’s needed for these roles, as both these guys are lovable losers who, like many actors, happen to be very lonely souls. You really feel their friendship and bromance blossom, and Wonder Man eventually makes that the major thread of the plot. 
Wonder Man is a bit of a curious contradiction. I don’t think I’d ever directly recommend it to non-MCU fans, as I don’t particularly think it does any one thing remarkably well enough to make it a must-watch. Having said that, it is also one of the easiest properties in the entire extended universe to drop in on with zero context, and it has an effortless ability to entertain. You don’t have to care about the consequences of the multiverse to chuckle at the banter between Simon and Trevor, or to enjoy some of the surprise celebrity cameos playing exaggerated versions of themselves. Wonder Man is not quite wonderful, but it’s not far off.

All eight episodes of Wonder Man are available on Disney+ today.