The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly putting out new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest live-action show to arrive on the streaming service is Destin Daniel Cretton's Wonder Man, which told the story of method actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Matteen II) as he tried to get his big break in Hollywood. I absolutely loved the series, but I did find myself super triggered as an actor myself.
The finale of Wonder Man provided great closure, and surprisingly didn't feature any cliffhanger connections to upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows. I adored Wonder Man and its short episodes, although the way Simon carried himself on set made me cringe so hard.
Simon's Lack Of Social Skills On Set Lowkey Made Me Crazy
When we meet Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's character in episode 1 of Wonder Man, he's about to film an episode of American Horror Story (streaming with a Hulu subscription). His passion for the role originally impresses his co-star and director, but he ends up getting way too in the weeds. He bothers everyone about his backstory, the lighting and even the lines he's saying. In the end, this ends up being too much of a hassle, and he's promptly fired from the production.
As an actor myself, I was super triggered by this sequence, as well as any other time that Simon's lack of social skills put his career in jeopardy. I've worked with plenty of "difficult" actors, who bring things to a screeching halt because of their personal process. So seeing this so accurately brought into the MCU had me clenching every muscle in my body.
This even happened again in Episode 7 "Kathy Friedman", when Simon and Slattery are working on the Wonder Man set. Mateen's protagonist once again put his foot in his mouth when arguing about a line of dialogue, but luckily Slattery managed to bail him out. This is obviously who Simon is as a character, as his lack of social skills is mentioned over and over again. But because I've worked with so many similar personalities, these moments truly sent me.
I felt similarly triggered when La La Land came out years ago, especially in the audition scene where the table is basically ignoring Emma Stone's Mia. I appreciate how accurate these depictions of the industry are, but it also makes me super uncomfortable. They just hit too close to home!
Overall, I thought Wonder Man was a blast, and I'm really hoping we get to see its story continued in one way or another. Although I might need a glass of wine handy if more awkward actor moments are included.
Wonder Man is streaming in its entirety on Disney+ as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I have to wonder if any other actors felt the same amount of industry-related anxiety when watching the latest Marvel series.
