Future you will be annoyed if you miss this ‘brilliant’ sci-fi series

These days, I rather cynically approach watching Marvel TV stuff with all the enthusiasm of someone tasked with loading the dishwasher.  

I know it needs doing, it’s never as much hassle as I expect, but God almighty is it hard to get enthusiastic about.  

So it was with some reluctance that I agreed to review Wonder Man, a show featuring a Marvel character I know next to nothing about, beyond the fact that he had a bromance with Beast (of X-Men fame).   

Well, call me Blunder Man because I’d made a huge mistake underestimating this wonderfully entertaining show.  

The series follows Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a wannabe actor whose career is hamstrung by his incredibly high standards, which makes him a pain in the proverbial to work with.  

After a chance encounter with thespian (and former Mandarin) Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), Simon discovers they’re remaking his favourite movie ever, Wonder Man.  

Desperate to prove to Hollywood that he’s a serious actor, Simon teams up with Trevor to ensure he gets the lead role. 

However, Trevor and Simon are keeping secrets from each other that may see them both swapping the big screen for the big house.  

So why was I so charmed by Wonder Man? Well, as fun as it is watching superheroes save the world, I’ve always wondered what normal life looks like in the MCU.  

Do people just get up and go to work when gods are flying through the skies, labs create supervillains that threaten the planet every other Tuesday, and the president of the USA turns into a big red rage monster? 

Wonder Man then offers some insight (through a Hollywood lens, of course) into the day-to-day comings and goings of Earth-616 civilians. 

It’s basically a slice of life adventure, although adventure is probably too strong a word; it’s more the MCU meets The Studio – a mish-mash of broad comedy, self-parody, and superhero angst.  

I liked it; the stakes were refreshingly low, there are no giant blue lasers firing into the sky, climactic battles with CGI arch nemeses, or overwrought monologues. 

Instead, the drama comes from seeing likeable characters, who you want to see succeed, put in difficult and occasionally awkward circumstances. It’s a foolproof recipe, and it works.   

There’s a pleasant lack of exposition. The show never really stops to explain who the Avengers are, why superpowered people exist, or anything like that. 

No, Wonder Man has the confidence to trust that its audience knows this world and its history.  

So, yes, while it does take the time to remind you about that time Trevor was briefly a thorn in Tony Stark’s iron trousers, it doesn’t belabour the point.  

Instead, it uses the fact that he’s technically a wanted terrorist as a joke, which makes for a surprisingly funny running gag.  

True, I wish it dared to take a bigger swing at the superhero genre, but I get why Marvel Studios might not be in a rush to point out it’s had its fly down for a few years now. 

And even if it might be a bit skittish about lampooning the perilous state of the superhero genre, Wonder Man did make me laugh a lot. 

A lot of the humour comes from its central double act, and Yaya and Ben make for a brilliantly odd couple.   

Simon is the consummate and slightly naive professional, desperate to make his mark, while Trevor is an opportunist veteran who never quite made it big.

They’ve got a classic mentor/mentee vibe that works well in this type of show.  

They bounce off each other effortlessly, and as the show goes on, they develop a real bond, and by the end, you’ll find yourself very attached to this surprising Marvel team-up.  

Sadly, I think what I liked most about the show is what may doom it.

Marvel TV stuff has been accused of feeling like ‘homework’ for those keeping up with the wider MCU storylines, and those shows that aren’t part of that narrative have been framed as skippable. 

I worry that Wonder Man, with its lower stakes and lack of action, may fall between the cracks of viewers’ attention spans, which is a shame because I think this is one of the best TV shows Marvel has ever made. 

Time will tell if I’m wrong, and I hope I am because I’d love to see Simon and Trevor again, but I just have a feeling this is a show that people will rediscover six months from now and wonder why they skipped it. 

So, if you’re reading this, why not tune in, because I think Wonder Man deserves a Hollywood ending. 

All eight episodes are available to stream now on Disney Plus.

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